Gillian Service > MinterEllisonRuddWatts > Auckland, New Zealand > Lawyer Profile

The team at MinterEllisonRuddWatts is noted for its prowess in employee relations, health and safety, industrial laws and employee privacy, among other matters. The practice is co-led by Gillian Service, an Auckland-based expert in industries such as transport, oil and gas, retail and financial services, alongside Megan Richards who works from Wellington and is a key port of call for government departments and crown entities. The Auckland office is also home to June Hardacre, a go-to for banks and investment firms, as well as special counsel Emma Warden who acts on both contentious and non-contentious mandates.

Well-regarded for its ‘wide range of knowledge’ and ability to ‘provide a solution to complex problems’, the team at MinterEllisonRuddWatts regularly acts on critical and high-profile commercial litigation for large corporates and financial institutions. The practice offers expertise across the full spectrum of commercial litigation matters, including banking, environmental, insolvency, technology, and insurance-related disputes. In Wellington, Richard Gordon, who is a key port of call to New Zealand’s main trading banks, jointly leads the practice alongside Auckland-based Gillian Service, who specialises in people risk management for businesses. The ‘very acute and intelligent’ Jane Standage is regularly instructed on some of New Zealand’s most complex litigation and is lauded by clients for her ‘excellent judgement’. Andrew Horne is noted for his expertise in commercial disputes, corporate and regulatory issues, and technology-related disputes, while the ‘outstanding’ Stacey Shortall is frequently instructed to conduct internal reviews and self-assessments for clients and their boards. Nick Frith is another key contact, recommended for his focus on insurance disputes across all areas of the industry. Senior associate Olivia De Pont is also recommended.