Chapman Tripp appoints senior counsel and six senior associates

Chapman Tripp has announced the appointment of a special counsel and six senior associates across its Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch offices. The appointments are effective from 1 June. 

Special counsel

Geoff Carter has been appointed as a special counsel in the Christchurch office.

Geoff has been with the firm since 1999, and has worked in both the Wellington and Christchurch offices. Geoff is a very experienced and versatile commercial litigator, with particular expertise in employment and fisheries law. 

Chapman Tripp managing partner Andrew Poole said: “The special counsel designation recognises specialised knowledge, expertise and experience and is used for only a very select group of our most senior lawyers. We are delighted with this recognition of Geoff’s standing in our Christchurch office and in the Christchurch market.”
Geoff is the firm’s fourth special counsel.

Senior associates

Chapman Tripp’s new senior associates are:

Auckland

Adrien Hunter – Corporate

Adrien specialises in equity capital markets, mergers & acquisitions and corporate law. He assists clients on all aspects of capital raisings, M&A deals, takeovers and strategic investments.

Te Aopare Dewes – Corporate

Te Aopare specialises in corporate and commercial law, particularly structuring and general commercial advice for iwi entities, Māori businesses and private equity clients. She is from Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Rangitihi, is a fluent speaker of Te Reo Māori and is a member of our Māori Legal Group, Te Waka Ture.

Hamish Bolland – Construction and Major Projects

Hamish will join Chapman Tripp in July from Allen & Overy in Dubai. Hamish has worked on major construction projects, both within New Zealand and around the world, in a variety of sectors including infrastructure, energy, oil and gas, commercial and residential. He is very familiar with PPPs and other forms of procurement.
 
Wellington

Anna Kraack – Litigation

Anna specialises in civil litigation, with a focus on contract disputes, gas and energy, aquaculture, insurance and trusts.

Christchurch

Sarah Lester – Litigation

Sarah specialises in construction, engineering and insurance across all forms of dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration and litigation.

Emily Whiteside – Litigation

Emily specialises in insurance-related and civil litigation. She advises insurer and insured clients on professional indemnity, statutory liability, public and products liability, and general liability matters.