Chapman Tripp has appointed a new China desk director as well as four new senior solicitors in Auckland and Christchurch.
William Hughes, Stephanie Kalburgi, Natasha Kusel, and Joseph Lill have been promoted to senior solicitor, while Jack Rao is the firm’s new China desk director.
Hughes, who is with the firm’s corporate group in Christchurch, specialises in commercial property and real estate law. He has focused on commercial leasing, development projects, and property disposals and acquisitions for clients, particularly in the public sector in matters in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Kalburgi, who is with the firm’s private client group in Auckland, specialises in trust matters, including trust formation, structuring, administration, and succession planning. She also has experience in contentious family situations involving trusts. She also advises on a range of corporate matters and the establishment and operation of not-for-profit entities such as charitable trusts and incorporated societies.
Auckland-based Kusel, who is part of the firm’s litigation group, specialises in commercial litigation and dispute resolution. A member of the restructuring and insolvency team, she advises receivers, liquidators, and debtors on large-scale matters. In addition to work in the finance sector, she also has experience in the areas of trusts litigation and insurance law.
Lill, who is also part of the firm’s litigation group, is based in Christchurch. He specialises in litigation and dispute resolution, with experience in insurance and health and safety disputes. He focuses on professional indemnity and statutory liability claims, health and safety investigations and proceedings, and commercial disputes.
Rao, who’s part of the firm’s corporate group in Auckland, joined Chapman Tripp in 2014 after 15 years’ legal and commercial experience across the Asia Pacific. Rao was an entrepreneur and the legal director of a private equity business. He has also been a legal advisor at Paul Hastings, Allen & Overy and the Chinese government.
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