56 young lawyers are pioneering a new era of legal excellence
NZ Lawyer has kicked off the new year by recognising 56 capable young lawyers as its Rising Stars for 2024.
Across various practice areas in roles that span from associate to partner, this year’s Rising Stars have earned the prestigious accolade for outstanding client service, leadership within their firms, deep knowledge and legal expertise, contributing to the legal community, strong work and professional ethics.
Litigator Patrick Anderson of Cooney Lees Morgan cited “great mentors” as helping him to learn how to “build a case from the ground up”. Meanwhile, Holly Cassin is on the opposite end, and is an eager mentor to young staff at Cavell Leitch to “show them there are different paths to success”.
Jeroen Vink, who is the youngest principal at Cavell Leitch, is an advocate for greater work-life balance.
“I made a reasonably conscious decision a few years ago to cut down the hours that I work. There’s been more emphasis on mental health and finding balance in the last few years, and that should be front and centre”, he says.
Isabelle Kwek of Wotton + Kearney may be one of the youngest lawyers on the list at 26, but her youth hasn’t kept her from being a passionate, decorated lawyer.
“My ultimate goal is to be a leading dispute resolution practitioner in New Zealand in the insurance litigation space. I was clear on that from the start, straight out of university, and I hope that’s going to be a point of difference for me”, she says.
For Wotton + Kearney’s Samantha Beattie, being a lawyer is living a dream.
“It’s not about being a hired gun; it’s about working collaboratively, being a good person and instilling confidence in my junior colleagues so they can have the same opportunities I’ve had”, she says.
Also joining the winners’ circle is Anthony Harper’s Tamara Webster.
To find out who else made the Top Young Lawyers in New Zealand, the full list of winners can be found here.
