NZ Lawyer recognises 62 lawyers as the up-and-coming stars of the profession
The dawning of 2021 brought with the news and release of vaccines to combat COVID-19, providing hope that the pandemic would soon be over. New Zealand relaxed restrictions, and things seemed quite ready to return to normal.
However, the virus reared its ugly head once more, with variants like Delta surfacing. Court protocols shifted once more to accommodate the coronavirus resurgence, and law firms reinstated remote operations. COVID-19 vaccination itself became a point of contention as the government began imposing mandates on workforces in the latter half of 2021, giving rise to novel legal challenges.
In such an environment, lawyers – both private practitioners and in-house counsel – needed to prove themselves agile and adaptable. Mentorship became difficult as junior lawyers could no longer learn by observation remotely, and client communication became tricky. However, many young lawyers chose to wisely utilise technology to their advantage to keep business going.
This year’s Rising Stars showed that not even logistical setbacks could hold back legal talent. These young guns stepped as leaders in their firms and organisations despite being under the age of 35, and have even gone on to mentor others. They’ve worked on top deals, spearheaded initiatives and proven themselves to be assets to the legal industry.
The following are just some of the trailblazing young lawyers who made the cut:
- Alice Balme – Wynn Williams
- Jordan Boyle – Dyhrberg Drayton Employment Law
- Richard Hargreaves – Wynn Williams
- Ashley-Jane (AJ) Lodge – Anderson Lloyd
- Nicolette Luke – Cigna Life Insurance New Zealand Limited
- Bede Maher – Anderson Lloyd
- Cameron Murphy – AWS Legal
- Michelle Needham – Lane Neave
- Tom Pasley – Fee Langstone
- Josh Williams – Anderson Lloyd
- Kimberley Wong – Wynn Williams
The 2022 Rising Stars were selected from a pool of high-quality candidates following a nomination period that opened last October. To see which 62 lawyers NZ Lawyer has picked this year, click here!
