Lane Neave announces four appointments, three promotions

Christchurch-based full-service firm, Lane Neave, has announced the appointment and promotion of seven new staff members this year:

Jackie Behrnes joins the firm’s Employment team as an associate. Behrnes is an experienced specialist employment lawyer, representing both employer and employee clients.  In addition, Jackie has particular expertise in sports law, having represented a number of high profile international sports people and coaches across a range of sports.


Rachael Mason joins Lane Neave’s Immigration team as an associate, advising on New Zealand, UK and Australian immigration matters.  Mason works with multi-national corporate clients across a wide range of industry sectors in relation to managing their global and local migrant workforces and developing and maintaining compliance and legal right to work policies.  She also works with private clients in relation to a wide range of complex individual immigration and citizenship applications.

Rebecca Ardagh joined Lane Neave as a summer clerk and is now a member of Lane Neave’s award winning Insurance team as a solicitor concentrating on insurance law, contractual and property disputes, general civil and commercial litigation. Ardagh completed her Law degree at the University of Canterbury along with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in French and Political Science. Her honours papers in law focused on developments in land law and corporate law was published in the New Zealand Law Students’ Journal in 2011. Ardagh was admitted to the bar in September 2013.


Greg Belton-Brown joined Lane Neave in 2013 having graduated from the University of Canterbury, finishing his studies on exchange at the University of Sheffield (UK).
As a member of Lane Neave’s  commercial property team, Belton-Brown is now a solicitor involved in the areas of sale and purchase of businesses and commercial property, commercial and residential property development, commercial and rural leases, rural conveyancing and asset protection. 


Promotions:
Claire Evans has been promoted to senior associate.  Evans is an experienced commercial/corporate lawyer who specialises in securities, mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts and investment funds.


Sophie Goodwin has been promoted to associate.  Goodwin is a member of Lane Neave’s Insurance team and also has experience in a range of other fields, including  bankruptcy, insolvency, contractual disputes, tenancy disputes, debt collection and torts. She has represented both corporate and private clients in a variety of civil disputes in the High Court and District Court. Goodwin is also a member of the Canterbury-Westland Branch New Zealand Law Society Council.


Vanessa Brierley  has been promoted to senior solicitor.  A member of Lane Neave’s Corporate and Commercial law team since 2010, Brierley specialises in commercial contracting, banking and finance, corporate governance, securities law and mergers and acquisitions.

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