It’s unnatural for me to focus on myself, having been driven by my clients and their perspectives for over 30 years. But when it comes to choosing a lawyer, you need to know you’re in the right hands – which is where my story becomes important.

As the middle child from a family of six, I’ve always been adaptable, curious, and far too talkative! For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a get up and go spirit, which hasn’t been sated yet. One of my earliest memories is dressing myself and walking down the driveway to try and go to school like my older sister and brother – a good plan, if I hadn’t been only three years old! 

When I finally was old enough to catch the school bus, Catholic teaching instilled a sense of empathy in me, as well as a keen interest in other people’s stories. (That, and a few ruler marks on the back of my legs from the nuns who couldn’t contain my energy!)

Alongside a passion for sports and singing, winning a writing competition sparked my interest in public speaking. It was around this time that the idea of being a lawyer came to me – mostly through suggestions from my frustrated teachers who couldn’t get me to be quiet!

Further study at Auckland and Wellington University inspired my interest in how law serves our society, with the Springbok Tour protests and other political movements inspiring my first role as a researcher at Parliament. Working during the Muldoon era, I cut my teeth on government procedures and policies, leaving with a colleague after the snap election in 1984 to set up our own law firm. I remember Winston Peters coming to our launch and telling us to put Barrister, Solicitor and Attorney at Law on our sign – just to make it look like we had more staff!  

During this time, I represented a range of clients across criminal and family court – until my own family came knocking, and I stepped back to prioritise my children. Returning to the law as a working mother, I began specialising in suburban law, focussing on helping people buy and sell homes, organise commercial contracts, succession planning and more. It’s this work that continues to get me out of bed today, because I thoroughly enjoy knowing that I have helped someone in their journey through life.