KTC's Hannah King on getting to join Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in recital

King also shares what she's learned from getting involved in community law

KTC's Hannah King on getting to join Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in recital
Hannah King

Earlier this week, Kiely Thompson Caisley partner Hannah King shared with NZ Lawyer the biggest lesson she learned in 2024. In the second half of this December interview, King tells us which day in her life she would relive if she could, and the eye-opening experience of getting involved in community law.

What is going on at the firm? Are there any new programs and initiatives that you’re particularly interested in?

At KTC, we are committed to helping our team maintain a balance between their work and personal lives. In recent years, the firm has introduced additional support for eligible new parents in the team and we are continuing to provide our lawyers with the flexibility to work remotely if that is their preference. We are also continually exploring the opportunities that technology and GenAI present for the way our team works and how we deliver for our clients.

As a leader and as my career grows, it is so important to me to tautoko others in their journey in the law also. Because of that, I am particularly excited about the learning and development programme we have in store for our team in 2025.

What should the profession focus more on?

We can do better at being representative of the society we serve. We all must make a meaningful, informed and genuine commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and constantly strive to attract a diverse range of people into the profession, and support and empower them to stay.

We also need to keep a weather eye on innovation and advances in our clients' industries. Traditionally, the legal industry is not a “first mover”. But, as the way that business is done changes, we need to ensure that the practice of law is moving with the times so that we can continue meeting the needs of our clients.

What are the challenges you expect in your practice, and in the business of law in general, going forward? What challenges are particularly pressing in the country’s legal industry?

There are many aspects of employment law currently that present real difficulties for either employees or employers. There is a circularity to that, and ultimately no one is better off. The government has recently announced a raft of interesting proposals for change to employment legislation, and there are important judgments coming out of our courts. Change is on the horizon. That will naturally present some challenges, but it’s an exciting time to be practising in this speciality!

In terms of pressing challenges for the legal industry as a whole, access to justice is an ongoing issue. In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved with community law. I saw firsthand on a regular basis there the challenges that so many people in Aotearoa New Zealand face in accessing information about, and means to pursue, their legal rights. There’s no easy answer or quick fix, but there are some wonderful initiatives on foot and ongoing work towards reform so there is hope.   

What are you looking forward to the most in the coming year?

I am looking forward to growing KTC's practice and our people.

If you could relive one day in your life, which day would it be and why?

That would have to be the day that I joined Dame Kiri Te Kanawa in recital, together with a handful of other teenagers. It was inspiring to be on stage with such a talented group and such an exquisite artist.