RICE SPEIR LIMITED - Key Persons
With close to two decades of experience across resource management, alcohol licensing, civil litigation and regulatory legal matters, Alex is well-placed to assist in the multifaceted issues faced by our local government clients.
Alexis came to Rice Speir in 2022 after working at a mid-tier law firm in Auckland. As an executive assistant, she provides top-level, comprehensive support to her team and the wider firm. She is relied on for her administrative leadership and her ability to keep the firm's daily operations running smoothly.
With a pioneering spirit, Alexis is all about streamlining business processes and improving productivity. She consistently finds ways for the firm to perform more efficiently and contributes to developing internal policy and procedures as we continue to grow.
Amelia's role as an executive assistant is pivotal to the success of her team and the wider firm.
With previous roles in both large and small New Zealand and Australian firms she has extensive experience supporting authors in insurance law, commercial law, conveyancing, trusts/estates and litigation.
For many years, Amelia toured the world as a professional softball player. While she only plays locally these days, her team-player mentality means she can always be relied on to lend a helping hand and spot opportunities to improve process efficiency.
Backed by over a decade in law, Beth is driven to help people make robust decisions and achieve the best outcomes possible. Through collaborating with experts and communities, she knows that her work has a real impact on Local Government practice and policy and therefore on people's everyday lives.
Bodene joined Rice Speir in 2022. She has a perceptive ability to grasp the ‘big picture' whilst keeping an eye on complex details - a skill that lends itself well to local government law.
Charlie started his career at the Thames-Coromandel District Council and joined Rice Speir in early 2022. With an approachable and determined attitude, he is well placed to provide clear strategic advice that fits the needs of his clients.
Joining Rice Speir in June 2023, Charlie brings her extensive commercial and civil litigation experience from working with a wide range of private and government clients, including advising on regulatory prosecution matters. Charlie has regularly appeared as a Crown Prosecutor in the District Court, High Court and Court of Appeal and has experience in appearing on civil matters in the High Court.
Charlotta has worked extensively with local government clients and their insurers for the past 12 years. She is a highly skilled and practical problem-solver who is passionate about working with and supporting councils.
In 2022 Claire became our all-round operational leader for Rice Speir. Alongside the daily management of the practice, Claire assists the Directors with finance, compliance, personnel, marketing and IT.
Claire is a born leader, critical thinker and incredibly hard worker. She takes each challenge in her stride, always finding a way to keep the firm moving in the right direction.
Drawing on over two decades of legal experience both in top-tier private practice and in-house at Auckland Council, Cori brings a dynamic approach and deep understanding of infrastructure and property law, and local government intricacies.
With a keen focus on litigation, Dylan embarked on his legal journey in 2020. His early courtroom experiences have equipped him with a robust understanding of navigating complex legal landscapes, including untested legislation.
Joining Rice Speir in 2022, Emma brings with her a wide variety of experience in civil litigation and a focus on achieving great outcomes for her clients.
Helen is one of the country's most successful local government lawyers for mediation and works as a consultant specialising in civil litigation and dispute resolution.
Helena has been an integral part of Rice Speir's administration team since the beginning of 2022.
After five years at one of Auckland's largest litigation firms, Helena steps into an executive assistant role, providing energetic and highly organised support to her team and the wider firm.
Having worked her way up from a junior office role to a sole-legal administrator at her previous firm, Helena is a proactive people-person with advanced secretarial skills that have become essential to maintaining our firm's efficiency.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate
- Solicitor in Canada
Jodi is an accomplished senior lawyer who brings a refreshing new dimension to Rice Speir. Intelligent and approachable, Jodi has built a reputation for her insight and collaboration and regularly enjoys working with Queen's Counsel.
Jodi is a fully qualified solicitor in Canada and New Zealand, bringing an impressive breadth of expertise to Rice Speir. She has worked as a Crown Prosecutor in Calgary, lectured on contract and criminal law in Auckland and has assisted senior barristers before the High Court, Court of Appeal, Employment Court and most recently the Judicial Conduct Panel.
For more than 25 years, Katia has been practising environmental and local government law in top-tier national firms, most recently joining Rice Speir as Special Counsel.
Laura has worked for many local authorities throughout New Zealand and is an expert communicator with extensive experience in resource management, environmental and local government law.
A self-proclaimed proactive, curious and considerate person, Maria uses her sharp eye for detail and passion for law to help achieve the best outcomes for her clients. Maria joined us in April 2023 after being admitted to the bar in November 2022.
Michelle started at Rice Speir in 2021, bringing over 40 years of wisdom and experience in accounting administration and customer service.
Alongside keeping tabs on debtors, creditors and payroll, Michelle plays a vital role in maintaining good relationships with our clients, while ensuring the firm remains on track towards its financial goals.
With a diverse working background across a variety of industries (arts, transport, and travel), Michelle is a creative problem-solver who thrives on working collaboratively with others.
Highly experienced in public law and civil disputes, Nick is well-known for his strategic and pragmatic advice that gets results. Nick joined Rice Speir in September 2023 and has quickly become an integral part of the firm.
Prior to joining Rice Speir, Rosie was an in-house solicitor at Auckland Council. Practical and client-focused, she has excellent insight into the complex legal frameworks local governments operate under.
Passionate about achieving the best results for her clients, Sarah combines her skill set as an experienced civil litigator and former Crown prosecutor to give her clients pragmatic advice on a wide range of disputes.
Sarah has extensive experience in acting for private, commercial and government clients on a wide range of litigation. She has acted for the Official Assignee and private liquidators in a range of insolvency disputes including acting for clients bringing claims against directors, bankrupts and related parties using the suite of remedies available under the Companies Act 1993, Property Law Act 2007 and the Insolvency Act 2006.
With an approachable manner Sarah draws on her experience as a court room advocate to provide high quality advice to help her clients achieve their goals.
Qualifications
LLB/BSc, University of Auckland
Impressively balancing her legal studies with working full time as an Investigator for Auckland Council, Shamika brings to Rice Speir more than 11 years' experience at the coalface of the largest Council in Aotearoa.
As a former Crown Prosecutor, Simon has significant trial and Appellate Court experience. He's also a firm believer in alternative dispute resolution processes, particularly mediation.
Simon's legal career has taken him all over the world, exposing him to diverse areas including civil litigation, insurance, health law and dispute resolution.
Simon tackles new challenges head-on, making him a powerhouse at solving some of the most complex cases. Those who have worked with Simon describe him as incredibly hard-working, someone who goes above and beyond to strive for the best outcomes for his clients.
Qualifications:
LLM(1st Class Hons), University of Auckland
LLB/BA, University of Otago
Dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for councils in civil litigation matters, Simon combines first-rate advocacy and legal intuition with practical commercial business sense.
Tina joined the firm in 2021 after working in a civil litigation position at a large Auckland law firm. With a background in and passion for advocacy, Tina is committed to her clients and the practice of law.
Vivacious, driven and inquisitive, Tyler hit the ground running when she joined the Rice Speir team in 2023. She's an innovative problem-solver who leaves no stone unturned and is squarely focused on helping our clients get the best results.
Vanessa joined the Rice Speir team in 2022 and recently completed her studies at the University of Auckland. Through passion and determination, Vanessa has already gained a wide variety of legal experience. She has quickly become an indispensable support to our civil litigation team, assisting with defective construction cases, weathertightness claims, professional disciplinary proceedings and regulatory prosecutions