I work as a lawyer and mediator, and I gain great satisfaction from helping people.
I enjoy the intellectual challenge of research, preparing cases and writing legal submissions.
My job satisfaction comes from knowing I have really made a positive difference for my clients.
“Mpatapo” is the symbol I have chosen as part of my logo. It is a West African symbol referred to as the knot of reconciliation and represents peacemaking after discord.
I have been practising law in the Hawkes Bay since I moved here in 1993.
My first job out of law school was working as a Judge’s Clerk in the High Court in Wellington. This job involved research and providing written opinions to the High Court Judges on all aspects of law.
I moved to Napier in late 1993 and commenced work in a firm undertaking family and other general litigation work.
I moved to the Independent Bar to practise as a Barrister in 2001. I have enjoyed the independence and autonomy this has provided. I completed my LLM (Masters in Law with Distinction) at Victoria University of Wellington in 2017.
I balance my working life with my other love of being a parent, along with my husband, to our three children. Any spare time gets spent on cooking, enjoying the company of family and friends and singing as a soloist in concerts, oratorios and opera.
Previous areas of legal practice included:
- District Court criminal work including Duty Solicitor roster work
- Police Detention Legal Aid Assistance Scheme
- Civil litigation
- Coroner’s Court
- Mental Health hearings
- Employment issues
- Maori Land Court
- ACC
- Limited Licence applications
- Health Practitioner disciplinary inquiries