Anderson Lloyd appoints employment law group co-head

Anderson Lloyd has appointed Ashley-Jayne Lodge as a partner to co-head its national employment law team alongside fellow partner John Farrow.

“I’m confident AJ will bring a new approach and way of thinking to employment issues, with unique solutions informed by her diverse career experience. Our combined skillsets set us in good stead to provide joint advisory at a national level,” said Farrow, who led the team solo for the past three years.

Lodge has worked in employment law for more than a decade. Over the course of her career, she has engaged with bodies like the New Zealand Law Society Employment Law Committee and the New Zealand Law Society Canterbury and Westland Employment Law Committee.

She said she was attracted to Anderson Lloyd’s reputation in the market, as well as to how the firm’s values were in line with hers. She also praised the firm’s commitment to innovating as a “sustainable, agile, and lean and connected workplace.”

“Employment law is about people, so a strict legalistic approach doesn’t work. I like to understand the culture, structure, and feel of an organisation to be able to best support our clients through difficult and often complex workplace issues,” Lodge said.

She said that she looks to offer clients tailored services, such as ongoing education and remote advisory services.

“The global pandemic has changed the way many businesses operate, and I enjoy exploring and engaging in alternative working solutions with our clients,” Lodge said.

Together with Farrow, Lodge plans to bolster Anderson Lloyd’s national employment law offering, especially in the Canterbury region.

“Many key industries in the Canterbury region rely on having a flexible and/or migrant workforce. The areas of law that govern such flexibility, including variable contracts and availability provisions, are complex and constantly evolving as our societal and economic circumstances change. We see real potential here to educate these businesses, so they are able to take a proactive, rather than reactive approach,” Lodge said.

The employment team co-leads see much opportunity to work with key industries like manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.

“COVID-19 combined with the increasing number of millennials and Gen Z in the workforce means the expectations of work and the workplace have changed. Businesses are navigating an evolving economic reality alongside an evolving workforce, and we look forward to guiding our clients along the way,” Lodge said.

Lodge will work from Anderson Lloyd’s Christchurch office while Farrow operates from Dunedin.