Kate Simkiss had to juggle constant changes in pandemic restrictions
Being part of an organisation operating in the major events and hospitality sector was particularly difficult when the COVID-19 pandemic cut down activity in the industry for a long time. However, the Eden Park Trust’s corporate legal manager Kate Simkiss battled through the challenging period to help her organisation come back out swinging.
In April 2021, the Eden Park Trust held its first concert since the pandemic struck – a Six60 show the organisation described as “hugely successful” and which was achieved after “a long and complicated resource consent process.”
“It has been a year of constant challenges to manage the impact on our business, and providing timely, strategic and well-founded legal advice has been key to ensuring the business can operate to deliver results. This has at times been very tricky as the pandemic response has shifted almost constantly and at times the detail has been slow to appear,” Simkiss told NZ Lawyer.
The corporate legal manager had to stay on top of these constant changes, building her expertise in various areas.
“There’s a greater awareness across the business of legal risk and obligations in particular around the mandatory public health requirements, and an expectation that legal advisers will be fully across all elements – from mandates, to restructuring, H&S and policy development, operations and financial and reputational risk,” Simkiss explained.
The triumph of the 2021 event has opened the doors for more events involving sports and touring artists, and Simkiss has expressed her excitement at continuing to be instrumental to bringing stars to the people of Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Kate Simkiss is one of NZ Lawyer’s In-house Leaders for 2022.
