Dentons recognises outstanding talent with new promotions

Dentons is delighted to announce a new round of promotions across New Zealand, recognising exceptional performance and further strengthening key practice areas nationwide. This year's promotions span multiple practice groups and reflect the depth of expertise and commitment our people bring to clients across the country.

Andrea Lane and Merran Greenhalgh have been promoted to Special Counsel, while Natalie Fraser-Jones and Ruth Williams have been promoted to Senior Associate. Additionally, Gina Hopkinson, Kathleen Griffiths, Luke Ji, Nicola Mah and Sean Gourley have all been promoted to Associate.

Special Counsel promotions

Promoted to Special Counsel, Andrea Lane brings deep experience to our Health Litigation team. Based in Christchurch, Andrea advises on a wide range of legal issues relevant to the health sector including patient rights, health information privacy issues, ACC and treatment injuries, complaints against health sector agencies and seeking orders under the Protection of Personal and Property Act 1998. Andrea has acted as junior counsel in the High Court and as sole counsel in the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, Family Court and the Coroner's Court.

Merran Greenhalgh has been promoted to Special Counsel in our Major Projects and Construction team. Based in Auckland, Merran has extensive experience in building defects litigation, bringing about claims on behalf of property owners against territorial authorities, developers, contractors, sub-contractors, manufacturers, consultants and product suppliers, as well as defending claims on behalf of contractors. Merran has been involved in numerous successful mediations and informal negotiations. Merran has also appeared in hearings in the Weathertight Homes Tribunal and High Court and was involved in New Zealand's longest hearing for a 'leaky building' claim in the High Court.

Senior Associate promotions

Stepping into a Senior Associate role within our Wellington Corporate and Commercial team, Natalie Fraser-Jones draws on her extensive in consumer, technology and privacy law to assist clients to introduce or advance their products and services in the New Zealand market. Natalie worked in-house for almost four years at a registered trading bank in New Zealand and is well-versed in financial services regulation and the challenges clients face when operating in a highly-regulated environment.

With a strong track record in helping clients resolve a range of contentious matters through dispute litigation processes, including litigation, mediation and regulatory investigations and prosecutions, Ruth Williams has been promoted to Senior Associate in our Wellington Litigation and Dispute Resolution team. Ruth is a pragmatic and approachable advisor and brings a well-rounded and thoughtful perspective to her work. Ruth has appeared in the Family Court, District Court, Employment Relations Authority and High Court.

Associate promotions

The promotion of five Associates highlights our ongoing growth and investment in developing future leaders.

Gina Hopkinson (Banking and Financial Markets), Kathleen Griffiths (Employment), Luke Ji (Employment), Nicola Mah (Litigation and Dispute Resolution) and Sean Gourley (Major Projects and Construction) have been promoted to Associate.

Charles Spillane, Chief Executive said "Our people are the foundation of our success, and these promotions recognise the outstanding contribution each of these lawyers makes to our clients, our teams and our firm. They have demonstrated technical excellence, commercial judgement and a genuine commitment to delivering exceptional client service. At Dentons we are committed to creating opportunities for our people to grow, develop and build rewarding careers. It is incredibly pleasing to see these talented lawyers reach this important milestone, and I look forward to seeing the impact they will continue to make for our clients and the firm. Congratulations to each of them on this well-deserved achievement."

These promotions reflect Dentons' commitment to investing in exceptional people and developing the next generation of legal leaders, while further strengthening the firm's ability to deliver outstanding legal services to clients across New Zealand.

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