The promotions boost support for clients, the firm said
Chapman Tripp has promoted two to especial counsel in Wellington.
“The special counsel designation recognises specialised knowledge, expertise and experience and is used for only a very select group of our most senior lawyers,” said Nick Wells, chief executive partner, hoa rangapū whakarae (partner politics). “Their appointments strengthen our depth and insight into different industries, and will enable the firm to maintain our leading position in the market. We know our clients’ success require a wide range of insight from our firm.”
Vivian Cheng and Nicholas Wood have expanded the firm’s special counsel team to six members.
Chapman Tripp said that Cheng, recognised by clients and fellow practitioners as a leading tax lawyer, has been integral to the growth and success of the firm’s tax practice in the nation’s capital since she joined in 2012. She has 17 years’ experience advising on all aspects of taxation law, with particular expertise in business structures and reorganisations, M&A, financing transactions, and cross-border taxation. She is also known for her expertise in FATCA and automatic exchange of financial account information.
Wood, an award-winning legal textbook writer, is a specialist in commercial disputes, civil litigation and arbitration, and the management of dispute risks before they arise. In recent years, he has been responsible for the day-to-day management of a large portfolio of insurance litigation related to the Canterbury earthquakes, the firm said. He has successfully defended an insurer in High Court trials. His textbook, Sale of Goods in New Zealand, which was published last year, won the JF Northey Memorial Book Award. He is also a co-author of McGechan on Procedure.
Vivian Cheng and Nicholas Wood
