The senior associate also shares why her graduation day is so meaningful to her
For Tessa McKeown, the academic element of litigation is her favourite part of the job. The senior associate works with Duncan Cotterill’s litigation and dispute resolution team in Auckland, and she loves having the opportunity to learn about industries, people and problems.
In the first part of this interview, McKeown talks about her first High Court trial and settling back into a life in New Zealand after a stint in the UK.
What made you choose a career in law, and what's your favourite part of the job?
My cousin Lisa is a lawyer and I always thought her job seemed interesting and exciting. I love the academic element of litigation in particular, and I feel like I am always learning. What keeps me engaged is the variety: no two disputes are the same, and I enjoy learning about different industries, people and problems.
What in your opinion has been the most memorable event of your career to date?
My first High Court trial was very memorable. I was a junior solicitor working in Duncan Cotterill’s Te Whanganui-a-Tara office. The trial lasted several weeks and involved all sorts of procedural and legal issues. It was an incredible (albeit sometimes daunting!) opportunity so early in my career and it set me up well for working on complex multi-jurisdictional litigation in London.
What are you looking forward to the most in the coming year?
Professionally, I’m looking forward to continuing to rebuild my practice in New Zealand and connecting with old and new clients and colleagues. It has been great to return to Duncan Cotterill and work with many of the same lawyers and clients I worked with when I was last at the firm. I am eager to get stuck back into commercial and insurance disputes, get up to speed with what has changed since I have been gone, and apply what I learnt in the UK to my practice here.
On a personal level, I’m excited to settle back into life in New Zealand with my young family and to make the most of everything Auckland has to offer.
If you could relive one day in your life, which day would it be and why?
Graduation day at Cambridge. My parents made the trip from New Zealand to celebrate, and we spent the preceding days exploring the vibrant and historic little city. Graduation marked the end of an intense but incredible year, and it was such a privilege to be able to celebrate that with my family and the friends I made along the way.
