Our Profession, Our People
20 November 2015 · LawTalk 878
New Manawatu branch President Palmerston North Crown Solicitor Ben Vanderkolk is the new NZLS Manawatu branch President. Mr Vanderkolk, who was elected to the office at the branch’s biennial meeting on 30 October, succeeds Chris Robertson. This is the second time Mr Vanderkolk has been President for Manawatu lawyers. From 2000 to 2002 he was President of the Manawatu District Law Society. His service to the profession has also included serving on the former Law Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, where he was deputy chair to Peter Radich, chairing a number of the tribunal hearings. Following that he was an inaugural member of the New Zealand
earthquake recovery, urban development and land use planning in Canterbury and is regularly involved in large projects for both private clients and local authorities involving multiple parties and complex issues. Nick is Stephanie Woods part of the Auckland-based corporate and commercial team. He specialises in public and private M&A, private equity and venture capital investment, start-ups and growth stage businesses, joint ventures, shareholders’ agreements and constitutions and other general corporate and commercial law advisory. Stephanie is part of the litigation team. Her recent experience has been primarily in trust related disputes, earthquake insurance disputes and professional indemnity matters. She also has a strong interest in professional ethics and in public law related disputes, both at a local and central government level.
Ben Vanderkolk
Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal, a role he has now stepped down from. He has also been a long-serving faculty member of the NZLS CLE Ltd Litigation Skills Programme and a New Zealand Law Society Council member. He has also served on the committee of the Devil’s Own lawyers’ golf tournament. Following his admission in 1982, Mr Vanderkolk’s first role as a lawyer was working for the then Crown Solicitor David McKegg, who went on to become a District Court Judge and is now retired. Four years after his admission, he was appointed Palmerston North’s Crown Solicitor, a role he has held since 1987.
After working for David McKegg, the Canterbury University graduate became a partner with Barry Britten in a provincial law firm. “Barry Britten was a consummate general practitioner, who looked after his clients’ interests from the cradle to the grave,” he recalls. Following that 10-year partnership, he established Vanderkolk and Associates and he is principal of the firm which has six lawyers. As well as prosecuting for the Crown, Vanderkolk and Associates is involved in general litigation and regulatory and compliance enforcement. The firm also takes an interest in agrifood innovation. He is, as well, currently establishing an arbitration Continued on next page...
Hayden Wilson
BA, LLM | Partner | Mediator In addition to his advocacy practice, Hayden Wilson is also available as a mediator. +64 4 915 0782 | +64 21 342 947 hayden.wilson@kensingtonswan.com
19