Chapman Tripp has announced the appointment of two new senior associates to the firm, effective immediately.
Gerard Souness has been appointed senior associate in the finance practice of the Auckland office.
Specialising in corporate and institutional finance, Souness advises banks, corporates and other entities on syndicated and bi-lateral lending, securitisation and trade and structured finance.
He recently returned to the firm after three years at Westpac, where he advised the bank on the breadth of its transactional and corporate finance product offerings, customer restructures and corporate functions.
Heath Brunton has been appointed to senior associate in the property practice of the Auckland office.
A property law specialist, Brunton has particular expertise in development. He joins Chapman Tripp from another commercial law firm.
Brunton has extensive experience in complex design build lease agreements for industrial, office and large format retail premises; as well as large scale mixed use and urban regeneration projects.
Meanwhile, the firm has also won a national accolade – a White Camellia award for its diversity strategy around gender equality.
“We’re delighted to receive this acknowledgment because this issue is very important to us,” said Chapman Tripp chief executive partner
Andrew Poole said.
The awards recognise organisations that have made most progress in advancing the seven 'Women’s Empowerment Principles':
Supreme Winner of the 2015 White Camellia Awards
Coca Cola Amatil NZ Limited
Principle 1. Leadership Promotes Gender Equality – joint winners
Auckland Chamber of Commerce & Chapman Tripp
In recognition of their work/efforts to establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality
Principle 2. Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Non-discrimination
Westpac
In recognition of their work/efforts to treat all women and men fairly at work – respect and support human rights and non-discrimination
Principle 3. Health, Safety and Freedom from Violence
Simpson Grierson
In recognition of their work/efforts to ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers
Principle 4. Education and Training
Sovereign
In recognition of their work/efforts to promote education, training and professional development for women
Principle 5. Enterprise Development, Supply Chain and Marketing Practices
ANZ
In recognition of their work/efforts to implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that empower women
Principle 6. Community Leadership and Engagement
Bell Gully
In recognition of their work/efforts to promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy
Principle 7. Transparency, Measuring and Reporting
Coca Cola Amatil NZ Limited
In recognition of their work/efforts to measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality
“We won our award for demonstration of the first of the seven principles which is to establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality,” Poole said.
White camellias are an emblem of women’s suffrage and were given to all MPs who voted for the right of women to vote in 1893.
The awards are administered in New Zealand by a partnership of the NZ National Committee for UN Women, the EEO Trust, the Human Rights Commission and the New Zealand Federation of Business and Professional Women.
Diversity is more and more becoming an important focus for firms, with two top-tier firms recently
recognised in this year’s Diversity Awards NZ 2015. Simpson Grierson won the Positive Inclusion Award, while
Russell McVeagh was recognised as a finalist in the Empowerment Award category.
