The new appointment is a specialist in employment law
McVeagh Fleming has appointed Melissa Johnston as a new special counsel, according to the New Zealand Law Society.
Johnston has expertise in both contentious and non-contentious employment law matters. She has advised employers on issues of significant restructures, redundancies, personal grievances, mediations, employment documentation and employee entitlements, in addition to having conducted employment investigations into bullying and harassment allegations.
She has also acted for employees on disciplinary and performance issues, redundancies, personal grievances and employment documentation.
Johnston has appeared for clients in mediations and before the Employment Relations Authority.
After receiving her degree from the Victoria University of Wellington, Johnston was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 2002. She began her career in Wellington, assisting on family, criminal and employment cases.
Johnston has overseas experience, having spent nine years in London as a senior associate for a top firm. She was also admitted as a solicitor of England and Wales in 2006.
After her return to New Zealand in 2014, she worked for a global firm for a number of years prior to joining McVeagh Fleming.
Johnston is a member of several organisations, including the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand, the Auckland District Law Society, the New Zealand Law Society and the Auckland Women Lawyers’ Association.
She will be working across the firm’s three offices in Auckland.
