MARTELLI MCKEGG - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Legal Staff / Commercial Property
Alexia has a particular focus on commercial and retail leasing, and provides clients with practical and efficient advice across a range of residential and commercial property matters.
Alexia worked as a legal officer in the leasing department of a large and colourful London housing group before returning to Auckland in 2016 to take up a position at BSA Law (now Martelli McKegg).
Job Titles:
- Legal Staff / Commercial Property
Andrea's focus is predominantly commercial contracts, leasing and general commercial matters.
Andrea joined BSA Law (now Martelli McKegg) in October 2016 after returning from a five year period in Australia where she worked in a health and safety role. Prior to moving to Australia, Andrea worked in the commercial property team at a law firm in Rotorua.
Andrea enjoys working with the wide range of clients and projects that Martelli McKegg has to offer.
Job Titles:
- Administration / IT Support
Ann provides IT support for the firm, she is the first contact for technical-related issues. Her role also incorporates marketing, legal precedents and training. She has over 20 years' experience in the legal industry. Ann has diplomas in IT and teaching and recently achieved a Certificate in Digital Marketing through the Marketing Association.
Ann has developed an interest in interior design and is undertaking further study in this area.
In her spare time Ann is involved with fundraising at her children's school. She is also an enthusiastic genealogist and gym-attendee.
Job Titles:
- Legal Staff / Property
- Registered Legal Executive
Ariel is a registered legal executive in the property team. She works closely with Steven Lee and Elise Markwick. Her areas of speciality include residential and commercial conveyancing.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Legal Staff / Property
Belle is a Solicitor in the commercial property team working predominantly within the commercial and retail leasing team.
Belle joined Martelli McKegg in September 2022 after moving from Australia. Prior to moving from Australia, Belle worked in two general practice law firms for three years. Belle completed her law degree in New South Wales, Australia in 2022 and was admitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2023 as a Solicitor.
Belle was admitted as a lawyer in New Zealand in 2023.
Ben is a solicitor working in the litigation team. He works closely with Geoff Hardy. He graduated from the University of Canterbury in 2021 with a BA/LLB and was admitted to the bar in December 2021.
Ben joined Martelli McKegg in November 2021.
Job Titles:
- Legal Staff
- Member of the Restructuring Insolvency
Bill is a commercial litigation lawyer with particular expertise in insolvency and financial services litigation. Admitted in 1992, Bill worked in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, before moving to Dubai in 2005. Bill joined Martelli McKegg from Dubai at the beginning of 2020.
Before leaving New Zealand, Bill worked in a leading insolvency and financial services litigation team in one of New Zealand's largest law firms, often appearing as counsel in the High Court, as well as in the Court of Appeal. Bill conducted insolvency proceedings, summary judgment applications, injunction hearings (particularly in relation to mortgagee sales), foreign claims and enforcement of foreign judgments. Bill represented insolvency professionals, both as receivers and liquidators, and major banks.
In Dubai, Bill appeared in the English-language, common law courts established in Dubai's financial centre, and also in a number of arbitrations. Bill's practice included insolvency, conflict of laws, financial services, real estate disputes, property management, construction and employment, as well as general commercial litigation. Bill acted for foreign clients in disputes in the U.A.E., including foreign insolvency officials. Bill also worked on cross-border disputes in the Middle East and North Africa region, in the United Kingdom, the B.V.I., the Isle of Man, Australia and New Zealand.
Bill is a member of the Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association of New Zealand, and a member of INSOL International. As an INSOL member, Bill has served on INSOL committees, he has spoken at INSOL conferences, and has written articles and contributed papers for INSOL publications. Bill is also an overseas member of the Insolvency Lawyers' Association (United Kingdom).
Bill is a member (associate status) of the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand (AMINZ), and has presented at AMINZ events, as well as being a member of the New Zealand Middle East Business Council.
Catherine Atchison is one of New Zealand's leading trust lawyers. She has broad experience in all aspects of family and business asset protection, trust management and estate planning.
Clients also seek Catherine's expert advice on the formation and management of charitable trusts. She is in high demand to deliver seminars and legal updates to New Zealand's legal and financial communities on all aspects of her practice.
Catherine sits on the board of several major charitable trusts and community organisations.
Catherine became a partner at Martelli McKegg in 1988, after five years at Wilde Sapte, a major London law firm.
Chelsea is a solicitor working in the commercial team. She graduated from the University of Auckland with a BA/LLB in 2020 and will be admitted to the bar in August 2021.
Darius is an Associate in the litigation and disputes team and has been practicing since May 2015.
Darius has been involved in a wide range of contentious civil litigation including building disputes (including leaky homes), insolvency (debt recovery, bankruptcy and liquidations), employment, Trusts and Estate disputes, relationship property, criminal defence, immigration and refugee law. Darius has international law experience having practiced in Samoa at all levels of the Court system there. As well as appearing in the District Court and High Court, Darius has experience in the Canterbury Earthquakes Insurance Tribunal, the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, the Refugee Status Branch, and the Employment Relations Authority.
Darius is active in volunteering his time to the community. He has been a member of a local community board, volunteered at community law centres in New Zealand and Samoa and undertaken volunteer work with the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Above all else, Darius prioritises ensuring his clients are front and centre and likes to go the extra mile to serve their needs.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Legal Staff
- Member of the NZLS Property Law Section
Eesha is a senior associate specialising in areas of property, corporate, commercial and financing law.
Eesha provides practical, strategic and tailored legal advice to a range of clients from all walks of life including developers, private lenders, business owners, investors, first home buyers. Her exceptional communication and people skills and her attentiveness to clients' needs and timeframes has helped her develop strong and direct relationships with clients.
Eesha's experience includes advising on a number of matters, including:
Job Titles:
- Partner / Commercial / Property
Elise leads the firm's property team and is an expert in property law. She has extensive experience in acting for property investors and developers, businesses as well as individuals, charitable organisations, clubs and schools. Her experience includes:
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Legal Staff / Litigation
Ella is a Solicitor in our Litigation team. She works closely within the whole team but in particular with Tony Johnson.
Ella joined the firm in 2023 after graduating from Victoria University of Wellington with a Bachelor of Laws.
Ella was admitted in September 2023.
Emma is one of fourpartners in Martelli McKegg's private client team.
Emma has a fresh and innovative style and is known to her clients as providing pragmatic and practical advice to assist them with achieving their objectives.
Emma's areas of speciality include:
Fran Taylor is Martelli McKegg's practice manager - responsible for the day to day operation of the firm. She coordinates the support staff roles and ensures that the office is fully prepared to meet clients' needs.
Fran is an active member of the Auckland Legal Administrators Association.
She has a keen interest in house renovation and is an enthusiastic supporter of most oval-shaped ball sports.
Geoff's knowledge of commercial law is highly regarded in both legal and business circles. He has presented several seminar papers to the Law Society on company insolvency, company constitutions, shareholders agreements, partnerships and construction law.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Legal Staff / Litigation
Hannah is a solicitor working in the litigation team working closely with Tara Grant and Surendra Bennett.
Hannah graduated from AUT with a LLB and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 2019. Following admission, she worked as a white-water rafting guide on the Tongariro river before returning to practice for a small firm in Whangarei.
Hannah joined Martelli McKegg in August 2022.
Jacque has been practicing for 18 years and is a leading senior litigator routinely appearing in the High Court and superior courts. A leader in the field of insolvency and restructuring, Jacque is known for her dynamic and robust legal representation in prominent litigation cases. With a focus on commercial litigation, Jacque regularly advises on cases involving well-known commercial organisations and high-profile individuals, both in New Zealand and internationally. Jacque joined Martelli McKegg in 2019 to head up the litigation team after her tenure at two specialist restructuring and insolvency law firms, having been made the first female partner of both firms. Jacque is a recognised leading lawyer for insolvency & restructuring in Doyles Guide (2018 to present).
Jacque has an excellent track record in trial and appellate advocacy and regularly represents clients across a wide range of contentious commercial litigation both in New Zealand and internationally often working with New Zealand's leading King's Counsel. A list of cases appears below. Jacque was recognised in the NZ Lawyer Most Influential Lawyer Lists for both 2021 and 2022 as a Changemaker and in the NZ Lawyer Elite Woman list in 2021.
In addition to being a practicing lawyer, Jacque has volunteered her time to the law profession throughout her career. This includes on the Board of the New Zealand Law Society, as a former long-standing chairperson of the Board of Auckland Community Law Centre and on the Board of Restructuring Insolvency and Turnaround Association of New Zealand in 2016. Jacque has been actively involved in promoting and encouraging diversity in the law profession and insolvency area and was a founding member and co-chair of the Women in Restructuring and Insolvency interest group.
John is a former partner of the firm, with 26 years of legal practice experience, specialising in all aspects of property law including:
Negotiating and documenting commercial property sales, purchases, leases and building contracts
Property investment and property due diligence
Leasing issues
Subdivision and development.
During a break from legal practice and working in the aviation industry he maintained an active role in the property field and was in regular contact with the firm as a client.
John has re-joined the firm's Commercial Property Team as Special Counsel and using his legal and practical knowledge meets our clients' needs for sound advice.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Legal Staff / Litigation
Josh is a solicitor in our construction law team. Josh graduated from the University of Otago in 2022 with a Bcom/LLB and was admitted to the bar in October 2023.
Josh has been passionate about construction law for many years and is looking forward to growing his knowledge in the field.
Josh joined Martelli McKegg in January 2023.
Kate is a solicitor in our trusts and private client team. She works closely with Emma Foster.
Kate assists with:
the establishment and winding up of trusts
trust administration
preparing wills and enduring powers of attorney
personal asset planning and structuring
relationship property agreements
occupation right agreements and entry into retirement villages
providing advice in respect of all the above
She completed a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) in 2020 and was admitted to the bar in October 2021.
Prior to being in the trusts and private client team, Kate was involved in our litigation team and regularly assisted with the preparation of documentation for court, litigation and dispute matters, undertook research, and planned and co-ordinated large networking events.
Katie is a Solicitor in our trusts and private client team. She works closely with Catherine Atchison and Tim Orr.
She completed a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts majoring in Criminology and Politics/International Relations in 2021. Katie was admitted to the bar in 2022.
Katie joined the firm part time during her studies at University, working in the trusts and private client team as a Legal Assistant. We welcomed her to the firm full time at the start of 2022.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Legal Staff
Kiren is a Senior Associate in the Litigation team. Her career began here at Martelli McKegg where over a four year period she progressed from law clerk through to staff solicitor with primary responsibility for a number of construction law and commercial disputes and trust and estate litigation as well as judicial review.
Job Titles:
- Administration / Trust Account Administrator
- S Trust Account Administrator
Kylie is the firm's trust account administrator. She deals with the day to day running of the trust account which includes receipt and payment of client funds, term deposits, foreign exchange and maturities. Kylie holds a Legal Executive diploma from Auckland University of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Legal Staff
- Member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
- Trust
Lee is a Trust & Estate Practitioner in our trusts and estates team. She works closely with Tim Orr and Melissa Clark.
Lee is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), a global professional body for trust and estate practitioners. Lee has completed the STEP Diploma in International Trust Management, the recognised worldwide benchmark qualification for those working in the international trusts industry. She has been recognised by STEP as a 'TEP', owing to her specialist knowledge and skill in this area.
Job Titles:
- Legal Staff / Law Clerk
- Member of the Trusts Team and Works Closely With Tim Orr
Liz is a member of the Trusts team and works closely with Tim Orr, learning the ropes as she starts her career.
She is due to graduate from the University of Auckland with a conjoint LLB and BA in early 2024 and be admitted in late 2024.
Liz joined the firm in February 2020 and was previously a member of the firm's AML compliance team. Outside of work and study, she is likely to be found on the netball court.
Job Titles:
- Solicitor
- Legal Staff / Property
Mary Ann is a solicitor in the Property team whose focus is on property matters and leasing.
Mary Ann joined Martelli McKegg after starting her legal career at a boutique general practice in Auckland specialising in property, commercial, relationship property, trust and estate planning. Prior to pursuing a career in law she worked as a journalist in London and a television researcher in Auckland.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Legal Staff
Mathew is a senior associate in our litigation team. He advises on general civil litigation, working alongside Geoff Hardy, Tony Johnson and Jacque Lethbridge.
Melissa Clark Property / Trusts Vanessa Dew Commercial Property Emma Foster Trusts and Estates Tara Grant (Hurley)Relationship Property / Trusts Geoff Hardy Commercial Melissa Higham Commercial Tony Johnson Litigation Steven Lee Property / Commercial Jacque Lethbridge Litigation / Restructuring and Insolvency Kathryn McKinney Employment Elise Markwick Commercial / Property Timothy Orr Trusts & Estates / Property Vina Singh Commercial Property Mike Worsnop Commercial Catherine Atchison Trusts and Estates Bill Gambrill Litigation / Restructuring and Insolvency John Kenyon Commercial / Property Michael Mabbett Litigation / Restructuring and Insolvency Chelsea Arthur Commercial Belle Bains Property Surendra Bennett Litigation Susan Bourdot Property Alexia Buddle Commercial Property Sharon Cornwell Trusts and Estates Nirusha George Litigation Norma Gibson Property Parsha Grant Litigation Saleha Hamid-Drew Employment / Construction Lee Harris Trusts and Estates Eesha Karamchandani Property / Commercial Katie Kennedy Trusts and Estates Polina Kozlova Relationship Property / Trusts Tammy Long Trusts and Estates Ariel Ma Property Ella McLeod Litigation Benjamin Maitland Trusts and Estates Mathew Martin Litigation Teagan Matterson Property Thomas Milne Litigation Ben Mitchell Litigation Kiren Narayan Litigation Liz Olney Law Clerk Mary Ann Percy Property Michelle Pereira Property Josh Retter Litigation Hannah Rogers Litigation Darius Shahtahmasebi Litigation Tom Swindells Commercial Nevenka Toma Litigation Kate Webster Trusts and Estates Andrea White Commercial Property Rachel Wilson Trusts and Estates Betty (Jia Yun) Zhang Commercial Property Kylie Poole Trust Account Administrator Ann Reeseg IT Support Franchelle Taylor Practice Manager
Melissa Higham has significant legal expertise in business sales and acquisitions, financing and securities, and negotiating commercial contracts. Melissa advises clients on all aspects of commercial law. Melissa also has expertise in employment issues arising from mergers and acquisitions and other inter-party commercial arrangements. She has an eye for detail and is well known for her technical expertise.
Before joining Martelli McKegg in 2003, Melissa worked in the United Kingdom. She was initially an in-house lawyer for a public company in the United Kingdom and then worked as a commercial solicitor for a law firm. Melissa's early New Zealand experience was as a commercial litigation solicitor.
Michael joined Martelli McKegg in 2023. He has over 15 years' experience litigating complex financial disputes, both in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Michael started his career at a top tier New Zealand commercial law firm, before spending three years at the London office of a US litigation firm. He has particular expertise in M&A/investment disputes, restructuring-related matters, civil fraud and 'soft IP'. His experience extends across a range of industries, but in particular Property, Private Equity and Banking/Financial Services.
In his most recent roles, Michael worked on fixed contracts for specific complex disputes (in London, assisting on various matters for the former CEO of a collapsed private equity firm; and, on returning to New Zealand, defending an IT services provider from a damages claim in relation to a complex ERP project).
Michael has been instructed on cases at all levels of the New Zealand Courts, the English High Court, various offshore jurisdictions (Cayman Islands, BVI and Curacao, in a supervisory role) and in domestic and international arbitration (ICC, LCIA and ad hoc). He has appeared as counsel in the New Zealand District and High Courts and Court of Appeal and in international arbitration.
While Michael enjoys advocacy, he does his best to keep his clients out of Court. His experience in this respect includes acting on internal investigations, due diligence exercises, risk analysis and contract negotiations.