BACKGROUND
- Admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand: 1996
- Member: CAANZ Trust Special Interest Group
- Member: Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners - Founder's Award for Outstanding Achievement
- Member: The International Academy of Trust and Estate Law
- Honorary Solicitor to Auckland Chevra Kadisha Benevolent Society and Trust Board
- Honorary Solicitor to the Aorangi Club
- Chair of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Education Committee (NZ) and contributing author and tutor of Trust and Estates Diploma (NZ)
- Trustee of Astor Foundation
- Spokesperson for the New Zealand Jewish Council
AREAS OF SPECIALISATION
- Trust law
- Trusteeship services
- Personal asset planning
- Legal aspects of managing trust funds
- Superannuation
- Relationship property issues
- Succession
- Charitable trusts
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE / AREAS OF PRACTICE INCLUDE:
- Advising and opining on legal issues relating to trusts, the administration of trusts, resettlement and variation of trusts, estate planning, estates and wills.
- Establishing private family trusts, charitable trusts, employee share trusts, group insurance trusts, superannuation schemes (including QROPS) and other organisations.
- Acting as trustee and providing trusteeship services in respect of family trusts.
- Advising on and assisting with estate planning, asset protection and related measures.
- Advising on the legal aspects of the investment of trust funds and generally on trustees' prudential duties.
- Preparing and advising on relationship property agreements and issues.
- Advising and guiding families on succession issues and development of strategies to address such issues.
- Advising trustees of family trusts, charitable trusts and superannuation trusts on the interpretation of trust deeds, duties of trustees and the management and administration of trusts.
- Negotiating investment management and custodial agreements
- Liaising with regulatory authorities, including the Financial Markets Authority and Companies Office.
- Advising employers on rights, duties and compliance with respect to superannuation schemes.
- Advising on restructurings of superannuation schemes, including amalgamations, establishment of defined contribution sections in defined benefit schemes, surplus reversions, implementation of member investment choice, amendments and windings-up.
- Advising trustees of, and employers with, existing superannuation schemes on all aspects of KiwiSaver implementation.
PUBLICATIONS
- Co-author of New Zealand chapter in International Succession Laws, Bloomsbury Professional.
- Author of chapter in CCH 2011 Master Trusts Guide on "Termination and Insolvency of Trusts".
- Author of article in the Charities Issue of the New Zealand Law Journal: April 2013.
- Author of article in the Charities Issue of the New Zealand Law Journal: April 2014.
- Author of article in the International STEP journal on the New Zealand Wills Act: 2015.
- Author of article on use of lawfare in fighting terrorism: Lawtalk 2016.
PRESENTATIONS
Auckland District Law Society
- Presenter of Auckland District Law Society seminar on A Lawyer's Duty to Give Investment Advice: 2005.
- Presenter of Auckland District Law Society Incorporated seminar on The Winding-up of Trusts: 2010.
- Presenter of paper on the Abolition of Gift Duty at the Auckland District Law Society Incorporated Cradle to Grave Conference: 2011.
- Presenter of paper on the Retirement and Removal of Trustees at the Auckland District Law Society Incorporated Cradle to Grave Conference and by Webinar: 2013.
- Presenter of paper on Executors' Duties and Risks in Enriching the Estate at Cradle to Grave Conference: 2016.
- Presenter of paper on the Winding-up of Trusts at Auckland District Law Society Inc Cradle to Grave Conference and webinar of the same: 2018 and 2019.
New Zealand Law Society
- Presenter of paper on Capacity Issues at the New Zealand Law Society Trusts Conference: 2011.
- Presenter of paper on Capacity and Best Practice at the New Zealand Law Society Death and the Law Intensive: 2012.
- Presenter of paper on the Abolition of Gift Duty at the New Zealand Law Society Trusts Conference: 2013.
- Presenter of paper at New Zealand Law Society Trusts Conference on Independent Trustees: June 2015.
- Presenter of Trusts for Company and Commercial lawyers New Zealand Law Society seminar and webinar: 2015, 2017 and 2019.
- Co-presenter of paper at New Zealand Law Society Trusts Conference on Retirement and Removal of Trustees: 2017.
- Co-presenter of seminar for New Zealand Law Society on Trustees' Capacity Issues: 2018.
Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners
- Presenter of paper to Auckland branch of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners on Issues Surrounding Trust Ownership of Companies: 2011.
- Presenter of paper on Trustees' conflicts of interest to Auckland branch of Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners: 2012.
- Presenter of paper on The Executors Duties and Risks in Enriching the Estate at STEP New Zealand Mini Conference: September 2015.
Other
- Presenter of Trusts, Assets and Estate Planning Legal Update Conference: 2008, 2009 and 2010.
- Presenter of paper on Trustees' investment obligations at the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants Trust Special Interest Group: 2011.
- Presenter of paper on the winding-up of trusts at the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants Trust Special Interest Group: May 2014.
- Presenter of paper on Trustees' investment obligations at the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants Trust Conference: June 2014.
- Co-presenter at Trusts for Company and Commercial Lawyers roadshow: March 2015.
- Presenter of paper at CCH New Zealand Agri-Industry Summit on Succession Planning and Using Trusts to Protect Assets: July 2015.
- Presenter of paper on Discretionary Beneficiaries' Rights as Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand Trust Special Interest Group mini conference: 2019.
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