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NEW ZEALAND’S BEST BOUTIQUE FIRM ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNER AND NEW PRINCIPAL
Chen Palmer acquires a new Employment Law Specialty
Chen Palmer is capping off a great year by celebrating a new direction and welcoming a new partner.
Many will recall that Chen Palmer retained the award for the top Public Law Firm in the 2010 New Zealand Law Awards (for the fourth year running), and that we also won the top Boutique Law firm award.
“I am delighted to announce that Chen Palmer will add a boutique Employment Law practice when Susan Hornsby-Geluk joins the firm as a partner in 2011,” Mai Chen said.
“Susan is a prominent and widely respected Employment Law specialist, with over 18 years experience. She has a well established practice comprising both public and private sector clients in Wellington and around the country. Susan has extensive experience advising government departments and Crown companies and agencies whose role as an employer is complicated by public law obligations. She has led the development of law in a number of cutting edge cases particularly in the area of collective bargaining.
I spoke recently to a CEO client with hundreds of employees who has used Susan in successive CEO roles over the past 16 years because she is strategic and always adds tremendous value.
“As a boutique law firm we combine a commitment to effectiveness for clients and excellence with the tightly focussed, solution-oriented service only a small firm can provide. Supplementing our core Public Law specialty with a specialty in Employment Law will add further depth and breadth to an already strong base.”
Mai Chen said “Susan will make an outstanding partner. Her commitment to excellence, strong business focus, pragmatism and energy makes her a great fit with the firm. She is strategic and creative. She has a very high strike rate in problem solving.
I think we will be a formidable combination - together with the other great staff at Chen Palmer."
Click here to view Susan Hornsby-Geluk's profile.
Chen Palmer Promotes new Principal in Commercial and Public Law
Mai Chen also announced today that Susan Barker would be promoted from Senior Associate to Principal in Commercial and Public Law.
"Susan has a strong background in Commercial Law, having worked at two top national commercial law firms, as well as in the Tax and Commercial Team of the Crown Law Office. She has significant experience in tax, particularly tax dispute resolution and litigation services, as well as in the law of charities. Susan has a first class honours degree in law from Victoria University of Wellington, and is also a Chartered Accountant (CA) member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. She has very strong relational skills and clients and staff love working with her.
Public law interfaces strongly with commercial law, and Sue’s specialties are ones that many of our business clients benefit from.
Sue strengthens our ability to be effective for clients on regulatory and compliance issues."
Click here to view Susan Barker's profile.
Chen Palmer Strengthens its Commercial and Litigation Capacity
Finally, Mai Chen announced that the firm’s commercial and litigation capacity has been strengthened by the addition of Ngati Awa lawyer Tania Evans as an Intermediate Associate. Tania has been practicing at Reed Smith LLP in London since 2005, and now returns to New Zealand.
“Tania has a background in commercial dispute resolution, including global regulatory enforcement, international and domestic financial services litigation, general commercial litigation, international arbitration and media law.
“Tania strengthens Chen Palmer’s ability to advise businesses on public law issues.”
Click here to view Tania Evans' profile.