The association of independent legal practices appointed a new chair and elected two new directors
NZ LAW Limited has announced the appointment of a new chair and the election of two new directors.
Mark Henderson was named as the association’s new chair, while Amanda Crehan and Sam Walker have joined the association’s board of directors, effective 4 October.
Henderson, a partner in Christchurch law firm Corcoran French, was elected to NZ LAW’s board in 2014. His disputes resolution practice focuses on commercial and construction disputes, earthquake claims, debt recovery, employment law and insurance issues, the association said. He succeeds Auckland lawyer Kristine King, who has retired from the board.
“The board and I would like to acknowledge the contribution that Kristine King has made to the board as a director for seven years and, in the past three years, as chair. Kristine was our first female chair and she brought unbridled enthusiasm to her role. Under her leadership, the group has developed strong AML compliance initiatives, and extended its already-comprehensive solicitor and legal executive training programs,” Henderson said.
Crehan is a partner and the head of the estate planning and administration team at Knapps, a law firm based in Richmond, Nelson. She has a particular interest in the development in the law of mental capacity, the association said. She is a contributor to a soon-to-be-published book on the topic. She is a member of the board of the Alzheimer’s Society in Nelson.
Walker, who is based in Lower Hutt, is a property law partner in HomeLegal, the residential conveyancing division of the firm Gillespie Young Watson. He also works on private client and commercial law matters. The association said that mid-career, he took some time off to play rugby in Ireland and Denmark.
“We look forward to their contributions to the group,” the new directors said. “NZ LAW would also like to acknowledge the work of Natalie Smith, who has retired from the board. We thank her very much for her commitment to NZ LAW over her term as a director.”
The board of directors of the association is now composed of:
- Mark Henderson, Corcoran French, Christchurch
- Melissa Bourke, Innes Dean Tararua Law, Palmerston North
- Amanda Crehan, Knapps, Richmond, Nelson
- Gerard DeCourcy, Downie Stewart, Dunedin
- Dan Moore, Norris Ward McKinnon, Hamilton
- Sam Walker, Gillespie Young Watson, Lower Hutt
- Brent Winkelmann, Le Pine & Co, Taupō
NZ LAW, an association of independent legal practices across New Zealand, currently has 53 member firms practising in an extensive range of legal disciplines, including business law, home buying and selling, immigration law and intellectual property, aviation law, and viticulture.
(L-R) Mark Henderson, Amanda Crehan, and Sam Walker
