Marion Heppner and Sue Wray join the firm’s Auckland and Wellington offices
Juno Legal has brought Marion Heppner, former New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) head of legal and business affairs, and Sue Wray, former Kāpiti Coast District Council senior legal counsel, into its teams in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington.
Heppner will practise from Auckland, while Wray will work from Wellington and Te Waiharakeke Blenheim. Both have over 20 years of experience with complex commercial, regulatory and governance issues.
During her time at the NZFC, which lasted over two years, Heppner was part of the senior leadership team. She helped draft fit-for-purpose terms of trade, fund guidelines and contract templates in addition to leading the legal and business affairs team.
She has held legal and commercial leadership in the television, film, and sports industries across New Zealand, the UK and Europe. According to LinkedIn, this included heading the legal and commercial affairs department at Auckland’s South Pacific Pictures, serving as senior counsel at Sony Pictures Entertainment, and acting as senior legal counsel at Fox Kids Europe.
Heppner was a foreign legal consultant with Baker McKenzie in Hong Kong. She also held business affairs executive positions at Channel 4 and BBC; moreover, she was an acquisitions executive at Sky Television.
Her practice focuses on complex contracts, IP and commercial negotiations. She is presently guiding Airways.
In addition to serving as the Kāpiti Coast District Council’s senior legal counsel, Wray has been chief adviser at Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities. She was acting director – legal at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
She was a Cheviot Consulting director who worked with Buddle Findlay, the Electricity Commission, the Department of Labour, the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Justice and Te Puni Kōkiri. She has advised boards, ministers and senior leaders for over 25 years.
Wray is currently working with Ara Poutama Aotearoa – Department of Corrections.
Juno Legal’s operations head Lisa Lawrence noted that Heppner and Wray had significant experience providing advice at the senior level.
“Across Aotearoa we’re seeing organisations increasingly look for senior legal capability that can embed quickly with their teams and provide practical support during periods of growth, change, or transformation”, Lawrence said.
