SECTIONS PROFILES board member. He was a member of the Shirley Boys’ High School board for around eight years. He has also been involved with a number of trusts, including the Shirley Community Trust. A keen mountaineer, Mr Collin has climbed many major mountains in New Zealand, as well as climbing in the Himalayas and South America. He also enjoys whitebaiting and was most recently the race director of the North Island section of cycling’s Tour of New Zealand. Mr Collin is married to Anney, principal of Cholmondeley School, and they have four children, aged 24, 21, 20 and 16. Catriona Doyle – deputy chair Catriona Doyle is a director of Family Law Specialists Ltd, Porirua which was formed in 2010 when the partnership of Catriona Doyle and Rohan Cochrane incorporated. She is one of six practitioners (three directors and three associates) all of whom specialise in all areas of family law work for a wide range of clients from Wellington to Levin. Admitted in 1993, Ms Doyle undertakes a range of appointments as Lawyer/Counsel for the child, Counsel for the subject person and as Counsel to assist the court. She also undertakes relationship property, trusts, wills and estate work and Hague Convention matters on appointment from the central authority. Tim Black – treasurer Tim Black is a partner in the Dunedin office of Anderson Lloyd, having joined the firm in 2005 as a partner. Before that, he practised from 1991 at the Balclutha firm of O’Malley and Black, becoming a partner in 1994. Mr Black undertook Youth Advocate appointments between 1993 and 2005 and has been Counsel for Child and Counsel to assist since 1993. Since moving to Anderson Lloyd, Mr Black has focused his family law practice on relationship property and succession issues, although he continues to work as Lawyer for Child/Lawyer to assist. Allan Cooke Allan Cooke is a barrister who has practised as a family lawyer for around 30 years. He represents both parents and caregivers of children and is on the list of those appointed to represent children in Family Court
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proceedings. He is also on the list of those who receive appointments as lawyer to assist the court to conduct mediations. He receives appointments under both the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act and the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act. Mr Cooke has a specific interest in CYPF cases and, within that, in issues related to the permanent placement of children who are in care, including support of those children and those who look after them. Murray Earl Murray Earl was instrumental in the formation of the Family Law Section in 1997. He has been a member since its inception through to 2002 and remains on the executive as an exofficio member. Mr Earl is the Editor of The Family Advocate. A Hamilton barrister, Mr Earl focuses on custody and relationship property cases. He chaired the Family Law Conference in 2007 and was awarded a Queen’s Service Order in the New Year’s Honours in 2008 for his services to family law and the community. Mr Earl works with Tracey Gunn to organise Lawyer for Child forums in both Hamilton and Auckland. Tracey Gunn Tracey Gunn has practised family law in and about the Hamilton/ Waikato region for the last 20 years. A barrister, she has a particular interest in Lawyer for the Child and Counsel to Assist assignments. Ms Gunn has chaired the Waikato Bay of Plenty District Family Law Committee for over 10 years. She was the section’s regional representative for Hamilton for many years until joining the executive in April 2008. Ms Gunn has also promoted continuing education. Her interest in education began with organising Lawyer for the Child seminars in Hamilton, Auckland and Whangarei with Murray Earl. Antony Mahon Auckland barrister Antony Mahon has chaired the Family Law Section for the last two years. He has specialised in all aspects of family law for over 25 years and is a former chair of the Auckland Family Courts Association. Mr Mahon co-presented the NZLS CLE seminar on Child Development in 2004. Mr Mahon is on the Faculty for the NZLS CLE Lawyer for Child training and has
co-presented that training since 2007. He chaired the Advanced Lawyer for Child seminar in 2008. Mr Mahon has been a member of the Family Law Section Executive since 2007. Miriam Menzies Newly elected to the section’s executive, Miriam Menzies worked in general practice in the Hutt Valley after graduating in 1988. Since 2002, she has been practising on her own account. While Ms Menzies undertakes predominantly family work, she also handles property, estates, wills, trusts and other court work. She is Lawyer for the Child, Counsel to Assist, Counsel for the Subject Person under the PPPR Act and a Youth Advocate. From time to time, she has acted as Guardian ad Litem. She is on the Law Society’s Wellington branch Family Law Committee and the Ethics Committee, and on the Central Regional Selection Committee for Legal Aid. Sharyn Otene Sharyn Otene, who is also newly elected to the executive, has worked in Auckland, predominantly South Auckland, since starting practice in 1996. Her first position was as a solicitor with King Alofivae Malosi. From 2001 until 2010 she was in partnership with Hana Ellis. In 2010 Ms Otene and colleagues established Quadrant Chambers in Manukau, where the members all have a strong focus on family law. She works predominantly on CYPTF, COCA and PPPR proceedings. She was appointed to the Lawyer for the Child panel in 2001 and acts as Lawyer for Child and as Counsel to Assist the Court. Ms Otene is a past member of the section’s Māori Issues Standing Committee.
CLANZ IN-HOUSE LAWYERS NZLS EST 1869
Grant Adam – President Grant Adam was elected the new CLANZ President at the section’s annual meeting on 11 May. After completing his LLB at Otago