Stacey Shortall is one of just six bestowed with the honour this year
MinterEllisonRuddWatts partner Stacey Shortall has joined the roster of distinguished alumni at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington.
She is one of just six individuals bestowed with the honour this year.
“Award recipients are chosen based on making positive impacts in their communities and beyond, and their achievements are outstanding examples of what graduates from Victoria University of Wellington can aspire towards,” MinterEllisonRuddWatts explained.
The firm said that Shortall was selected as a Distinguished Alumni Award winner due to her legal expertise and her advocation for change in the country.
In a legal career spanning over 25 years, Shortall has worked with both private and public sector clients on major litigation and regulatory disputes. In addition to her work in New Zealand, she also spent time practising in New York.
A pro bono champion, she was named the first-ever Asia-Pacific Social Mobility Lawyer of the Year at the Chambers Diversity and Inclusion Awards last year. She has also been awarded the distinctions of Blake Leader and Kiwibank Local Hero.
Shortall also bagged a Women of Influence Award, and made it to the semi-finals of the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year award.
Last year, her charitable trust Who Did You Help Today? was chosen as one of the nine recipients of the Auckland Foundation’s Women’s Fund. She also founded the online forum Our Words Matter, which focuses on sharing ideas to address issues impacting New Zealand.
Shortall and the other distinguished alumni will be recognised at a function during the Victoria University of Wellington’s graduation week in December.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards are held only once every two years.
