Helen Winkelmann, New Zealand's chief justice, welcomes the new appointee
Judith Collins, attorney-general, has announced the appointment of experienced advocate and commercial litigator Liz Gellert as an associate judge of the High Court of New Zealand in Auckland, as of 21 July 2025.
Helen Winkelmann, New Zealand’s chief justice, welcomed Collins’ announcement of Gellert’s appointment. In a media statement, the chief justice noted that Gellert would be sworn in on Friday, 1 August 2025, at the Auckland High Court.
Gellert most recently worked for Lowndes Jordan in Auckland, where she joined as a litigation partner in June 2021 and became special counsel in April 2021. At this firm, she has established a general commercial litigation practice focusing on insolvency, debt recovery, enforcement, and maritime law.
At the firm, she handles liquidations, receiverships, voluntary administrations, and restructurings for insolvency practitioners, creditors, and other stakeholders. She advises on legal issues involving regulatory investigations, requirements, and the management and resolution of non-compliance, according to her biography on the firm’s website.
Gellert’s work at Lowndes Jordan covers complex litigation and disputes, mediation, arbitration, and other dispute resolution forums. Her clients include corporations, insurance companies, banks, finance companies, directors, boards, and high-net-worth individuals.
She has helped clients attain successful results at all levels of New Zealand’s courts, including the District Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal, her firm bio states.
Gellert’s LinkedIn page provided more information about her professional background.
At ASB Bank in Auckland, she became head of disputes and corporate advisory in 2017 and served as acting general manager for legal services from 2020–21. At the bank, she advised on employment relations, regulatory changes, and regulatory uplift projects. She also managed litigation, disputes, and regulatory investigations.
At Simpson Grierson in Auckland, she joined as an associate in 2007 and became a senior associate in 2008. Her work at the firm focused on banking and finance litigation. She also assisted with complex asset recovery, priority issues, mortgages, insurance issues, voidable preference claims, and fraud and asset tracing claims.
Gellert worked as a solicitor in Russell McVeagh’s general commercial litigation team in Auckland from 2004–07.
She gained admission as a barrister and solicitor of the New Zealand High Court in 2004, became a law clerk for David Williams at Bankside Chambers in Auckland from 2002–04, and graduated with an LLB (honours) and a BA from the University of Auckland in 2003.
Gellert also worked for Westpac New Zealand Limited in Auckland from 1995–2002.
