Nine promotions – three partnerships, two special counsel, and four senior associates – took effect on January 1, 2024.
The firm has brought through three new partners – one from its Corporate and Commercial and another from its Banking and Finance practice groups, and a lateral hire from a specialist trust and private client law firm.
MinterEllisonRuddWatts’ chief executive, Andrew Poole, said: “It is a great pleasure to welcome our new partners. Their exceptional legal expertise, dedication to the profession, and commitment to our firm’s values, mean our clients are in excellent hands as they navigate their businesses.
“We are also delighted to welcome two new special counsel. At MinterEllisonRuddWatts, a key goal has always been to continue the firm’s growth and career progression of our people. We believe that nurturing talent, fostering innovation, and cultivating a culture of collaboration are all pivotal to not only our people, but our firm’s collective success.”
Allison Hancock (Banking and Finance, Auckland) is a specialist banking and finance lawyer. She provides advice to both financiers and borrowers on all types of financing transactions and banking matters. Her experience spans general corporate lending, property finance, acquisition finance, and trade and commodity finance. Hancock has sustainable finance experience, having worked on some of Singapore’s ‘market firsts’, and largest sustainable finance transactions, which helped shape the market.
Igor Drinkovic (Corporate and Commercial, Auckland) is a specialist in public mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and securities law. He advises local and foreign clients on public takeovers, initial public offerings (IPOs), public capital raisings, private placements, Overseas Investment Office (OIO) consents, employee share schemes, regulatory investigations, continuous disclosure issues, and listed company matters in general. He is widely regarded as an expert on public M&A, including the application of the Takeovers Code, Overseas Investment Act and Financial Markets legislation.
Aimee Mitchell (Corporate – Private Wealth, Auckland (lateral hire). With an impressive track record and exceptional expertise in advising individuals, families, family offices, and trustee companies on the establishment, restructure, management, and administration of trusts and other family wealth structures, Mitchell brings a wealth of knowledge to further strengthen the firm’s commitment to providing comprehensive, client-focused solutions providing top-tier legal services in the private wealth and trust management space.
Lauren Archer (Corporate and Commercial, Wellington) specialises in mergers and acquisitions, private equity and capital markets transactions, overseas investment, complex commercial contracting, and corporate governance. Experienced across a variety of industries, and with clients based both locally and abroad, Archer advises on all aspects of the transaction. She also has significant experience in advising clients on the Overseas Investment Office regime and application process.
Kate Storer (Real Estate – Environment, Auckland (lateral hire). An experienced adviser to corporate, government, and private clients on all aspects of resource management law, Storer has expertise in re-zoning and consenting of large-scale greenfield urban development projects for major developers. She also provides advice across the full breadth of resource management issues, including designations and Public Works Act matters, heritage, and coastal and freshwater matters, plan review processes, fast-track consenting, due diligence, prosecutions, judicial review, and Resource Management reform.
Grant de Lisle (Construction and Infrastructure, Auckland); Nathalie Harrington (Corporate and Commercial, Auckland); Rafe Muston (Construction and Infrastructure, Auckland); and Victoria Tatam (Real Estate – Property, Auckland).
Six senior solicitors also received promotions, namely: Nikhil Chand (Banking and Financial Services, Wellington), Logan Maitland (Construction and Infrastructure, Auckland), Lydia Sharpe (Construction and Infrastructure, Auckland), Adam White (Banking and Financial Services, Auckland), Lucy Woods (Real Estate – Property, Wellington) and Erin Wylde (Real Estate – Property, Auckland).
The promotions took effect on 1 January 2024.
This is supplied content and not commissioned or paid for by NBR.
