LawNews- Issue 28

NEWS Aug 19, 2022 Issue 28

Inside ■ OPINION

Be careful what you wish for P03-04

■ ENVIRONMENT

Great plan but what will it cost?

P05

FMA turns up the heat on adls.org.nz

‘ETHICAL’ FUNDS

Contents 03-04 CORPORATISATION STANDARDS MEMBERS

Legal profession review: be careful what you wish for

LawNews is an official publication of Auckland District Law Society Inc. (ADLS).

05 ADAPTATION RISK PRIORITIES

Climate change plan lacks costings and strategy

Editor: Jenni McManus Publisher: ADLS Editorial and contributor enquiries to: Jenni McManus 021 971 598 Jenni.Mcmanus@adls.org.nz Advertising enquiries to: Darrell Denney 021 936 858 Darrell.Denney@adls.org.nz

06-08 GREENWASHING CREDENTIALS INVESTORS

‘Ethical’ investing under the microscope

All mail to: ADLS, Level 4, Chancery Chambers, 2 Chancery Street, Auckland 1010 PO Box 58, Shortland Street DX CP24001, Auckland 1140, adls.org.nz

09 EVENTS

10-11

12 CPD IN BRIEF

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Please contact the editor: Jenni.McManus@adls.org.nz

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Cover: warodom changyencham / Getty Images

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Aug 19, 2022 Issue 28

OPINION/LEGAL PROFESSION

The legal profession: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it It is imperative that NZLS avoids the post-modernist fetish of tearing down long-established institutions and traditions, only to replace them with ideological fantasy

Sam Khalesi I acknowledge all the current and former members of our fraternity for we have inherited a legal system which at its core remains deeply concerned about justice with an entrenched commitment to clients and their affairs.

Although not perfect, our legal system is second to none.

I am proud to be a member of the legal fraternity and deeply concerned at the proposed changes by NZLS. It is imperative that NZLS avoids the post-modernist fetish of tearing down long-established institutions and traditions, only to replace them with ideological fantasy.

Before we start to chant “defund the law” (or the NZLS version of the same), let us not forget what came before and admit, at least to ourselves, that the legal system we have inherited, with all its fallings and lack of funding, has and continues to serve our communities well.

The system is not perfect but it is, for the lack of a better word, good. We as a fraternity are generally good and in my experience we still care for our clients and respect the legal system we have inherited.

Society has expectations of us which are higher than those of most other professions. It’s a big deal when one in our fraternity decides to break covid restrictions and travel to Wanaka. It is a big deal in our profession when we hear of sexual misconduct by senior members of our fraternity. I suggest the headlines would be far less impactful if it were an engineer taking a trip to Wanaka in similar circumstances.

These are not signs of a failing institution – in fact, quite the opposite.

Society still expects us to be held to the highest of standards and this is not a bad thing. It is precisely why people respect, listen to and take advice from their lawyers and still look to the legal system for justice.

We must at all cost resist the urge to blindly follow international trends. Larger jurisdictions that have relaxed their

Sam Khalesi

If NZLS makes a mistake, all involved will be forever remembered as the cause of the downfall of a successful profession for nothing other than naivety or worse, vanity

rules have done so at the behest of lobbyists with very particular agendas.

I have heard from one member that “we are falling behind our international counterparts”. That is indeed true if we were in a race to the bottom.

Having given our fraternity the well-deserved acknowledgment, it’s also important to again opine on some of the changes proposed by NZLS.

Will opening up our profession to non-lawyers improve access to justice?

Opening up our profession to non-lawyers (loosely termed “corporatisation”) under the guise of improving access to justice is little more than propaganda created by overseas lobbyists to open our profession to private money.

The same rhetoric was used when lobbyists came after the medical profession in the United States and the statistics are sufficiently compelling to suggest we should do everything in our power to avoid the same mistakes.

Justice can be achieved only through competence at all levels of the judicial system. That includes the lawyers acting, opposing and the judges presiding. There is no shortcut to competence; it can be obtained only through rigorous academic education and years of relevant experience.

The law, and consequently justice, is the foundation of our society. To erode it, water it down or dismiss what we do will derogate the fabric of society, if not immediately then certainly eventually.

Access to justice is not the same as access to pizza, fashion or ordering an Uber. It is not simply about access to a commodity and it certainly isn’t simply about affordability.

Poor advice and/or representation from a less-than-competent advisor is not justice. In my opinion, employment advocates are a prime example of this.

Second to competence is accountability. We are the only profession where it’s possible to receive millions of dollars into our trust accounts on nothing more than an undertaking. Let the gravity of that sink in for a moment.

We are the sum total of all the legal professionals before us who provided competent advice, kept their word, were accountable and held to account. When one strayed, we as a profession stepped up and made it right and our governing body did a reasonable job of deterring poor behaviour. Again, I am not suggesting we are perfect. We are, however, extremely good as a profession because of these safeguards.

This is why we have clients and not customers.

Continued on page 04 03

Continued from page 03 You cannot sacrifice one goat to two gods I am surprised at the irony of the changes being proposed

by NZLS. On the one hand, it seeks higher standards such as diversity training, reporting standards for bullying and sexual misconduct and diversity in the profession, to name just a few.

On other hand, it is proposing to permit corporatisation of the industry. These two concepts are non-compatible and as the subhead suggests, you cannot have both.

Think for a moment about a senior practitioner, Mr X, who is charged with sexual misconduct and sanctioned by NZLS and unable to hold a practising certificate for two years.

Under the proposed corporatisation model, this isn’t a big deal. Mr X would continue to retain his shareholding in his firm, contract to the firm as a consultant, continue preparing advice for clients and work in the background and profit from the legal profession.

Mr X would have all documents requiring a solicitor’s signature executed by a junior staff member with a practising certificate.

There would be minimal disruption to his day-to-day work life.

What would stop criminal organisations having shares in a small law firm and laundering money through the trust account or bypassing AML? What about insurance companies? What would protect clients from, say, two firms (each owned by an insurer) over time coming to various agreed positions on the quantum of settlements?

Both firms are conflicted in that they are interested in ensuring insurance pay-outs across the board are lower (to benefit their shareholders) rather than to maximise their clients’ pay-outs.

It is easy to see why we have such extensive conflict of interest rules – to avoid exactly these situations.

We urge NZLS to consider why we have the rules we have and the long-term damage to the legal system if it continues down the track of corporatisation.

The economics of corporatisation

The legal system we have inherited, with all its fallings and lack of funding, has and continues to serve our communities well

At a recent NZLS event, a member disagreed with my view that over time, the sector would consolidate and once consolidated (like the medical profession in the US) all indicators, for both patients and practitioners, would deteriorate. They disagreed that corporatisation would lead to an increase in prices and a decrease in the quality of service though these are well-accepted outcomes of consolidation within any industry.

In an article published by The Harvard Business Review, the authors observed that when an industry forms or is deregulated, it will move through four stages of consolidation: opening, scale, balance and alliance. It will take on average 25 years to progress through all four stages.

Importantly, the authors noted that every company in every industry will go through these four stages or disappear. Our legal profession will be no different.

We are already seeing this in other jurisdictions which have permitted corporatisation. For example, the world’s largest litigation funder, Burford Capital, took a minority stake in specialist London fraud firm PCB Byrne.

It’s happening in our backyard as well. Wotton + Kearney, a law firm based in Australia and specialising in insurance law, announced it had sold a minority stake in the firm to a private equity company for an undisclosed sum. The private equity firm, Straight Bat, has taken a 30% stake.

We should not rush to follow our counterparts in other jurisdictions and should, at the very least, wait to see how they fare over a longer time span especially as consolidation may take up to 25 years.

I do not suggest waiting that long, but I do suggest we observe and see if in fact the trajectory is as economists predict and then decide what changes are appropriate and what are not.

If NZLS makes a mistake, all involved will be forever remembered as the cause of the downfall of a successful profession for nothing other than naivety or worse, vanity. ■ Sam Khalesi is a director of GML Lawyers ■

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04

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Price for ADLS members $117.39 plus GST* Price for non-member lawyers: $130.43 plus GST* (* + Postage and packaging) To purchase this book, please visit adls.org.nz; alternatively, contact the ADLS bookstore by phone: (09) 306 5740, fax: (09) 306 5741 or email: thestore@adls.org.nz.

Aug 19, 2022 Issue 28

CLIMATE CHANGE

Crucial questions about cost and timing remain unanswered in NZ’s first climate change adaptation plan The plan rightly emphasises the need to continually evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation but it lacks a structured process, leaving it unclear how adaptation will be tracked over time

Anita Wreford New Zealand’s national adaptation plan, launched last week, offers the first comprehensive approach to how communities can prepare for the inevitable impacts of a changing climate.

Having a plan is critical. Reactive and ad hoc adaptation could create more problems on top of those already caused by climate change.

Based on priority risks identified in the national climate change risk assessment, the plan gives clearer direction around decision-making for long-term investments such as infrastructure and housing.

It provides more clarity for local government – for example, by specifying which climate change scenario it should use when assessing risks to coastal areas from sea-level rise.

It also sets out actions to review the sharing of adaptation costs between local and national government – an urgent step, meaning councils can begin making realistic plans for their own local adaptation.

But some aspects of the plan lack strategy and structure. It is more like a series of actions, some connected, others quite discrete, with many already

happening anyway. The absence of Te Tiriti in the framing is concerning, as is the fact some of the main funding sources for adaptation research (such as the national science challenges) end in 2024.

Priorities for adaptation The adaptation plan is legislated under the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act (2019) and is required to address risks identified in the earlier national risk assessment.

This includes risks to coastal and native ecosystems, social cohesion, the economy and financial systems and basic needs such as potable water.

The four goals that underpin the adaptation plan are essentially unarguable: reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts, enhance adaptive capacity, consider climate change in all decisions and strengthen resilience.

Four more specific priority areas are identified as: ■ enabling better risk-informed decisions; ■ driving climate-resilient development in the right places; ■ laying the foundations for a range of adaptation options, including managed retreat; and ■ embedding climate resilience across government policy.

The adaptation plan is structured around actions that relate either to system-wide issues or five “outcome areas” which broadly align with the domains identified in the risk assessment. These are the natural environment; homes, buildings and places; infrastructure; communities; and the economy and financial system.

Lack of strategy This all sounds relatively sensible so far. The principles guiding the plan are grounded in adaptation theory and concepts.

Yet the plan still lacks strategy and structured

planning. It harnesses existing initiatives already underway, which makes practical sense but could make it difficult to maintain oversight of how adaptation is being implemented.

The plan rightly emphasises the need to continually evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation but it lacks a structured process, leaving it unclear how adaptation will be tracked over time. This limits the scope for how much we can learn from what works or doesn’t, and make adjustments accordingly.

Who will pay?

The plan touches only superficially on the financing of adaptation, which is a major concern (although let’s not forget that not adapting will cost far more).

The costs of managed retreat are increasingly (and justifiably) receiving attention but it remains uncertain who will be expected to pay.

Other important questions around costs and timing are not addressed directly, including how much more difficult and costly delayed adaptation would be. We need more guidance and direction for investments in an uncertain future, because many of the tools we currently use, such as cost benefit analysis, can’t handle uncertainty very well.

Two of the priority areas identified in the climate change risk assessment involve financial stability and the economy.

The requirement for listed companies to begin identifying and disclosing their climate-related risk and how they are going to minimise it is an important first step.

The plan makes clear the government cannot bear all the costs of adaptation. However, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has emphasised there will be limits to effective adaptation, particularly if we fail globally to keep

Continued on page 13 05

FINANCIAL SERVICES

FMA turns up the heat on ‘ethical and ‘responsible’ investment funds The guidance included the sort of framework the FMA expects managers to use to substantiate on reasonable grounds the claims they’re making about the credentials of their funds

Samantha Barrass

Paul Gregory

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Jenni McManus The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) has signalled a crackdown on fund managers who claim their products are environmentally friendly but fail to back up these assertions by clearly explaining to investors how and why they are made.

Late last month the FMA released a review of 14 KiwiSaver and other managed funds, benchmarked against ESG (environmental, social and governance) investment guidance the regulator issued back in December 2020. The guidance included the type of framework the FMA expects managers to use to substantiate on reasonable grounds the claims they’re making about the credentials of their funds.

As part of the review, the FMA surveyed 2500 people, using keywords the funds themselves used in the names or descriptions. It found that while 68% of respondents said they wanted ethical and responsible investments, few were actually buying into these funds.

Of that 68%, only 26% had chosen a fund manager based on its ethical credentials.

The FMA concedes part of the problem is investor inertia. Most investors don’t read formal product disclosure statements and instead rely on fund managers’ websites and marketing materials and the opinions of their friends.

But the industry is also at fault. The FMA wants disclosure statements to be more clearly and crisply written and in plain English so investors can make informed decisions.

“Investors were overwhelmed by technical jargon and often relied on a leap in faith in choosing an ethical investment,” says Paul Gregory, the FMA’s director of investment management. Others abandoned the search because it was “too hard”.

“The simpler it is, the easier it is to understand and for investors to substantiate,” Gregory says. “It’s up to fund managers to have their own processes. They just need to explain it well and prove it. They just can’t pretend to be impressive and lie about it.”

He says managers need to do a better job on both product disclosure and ensuring their websites, marketing and advertising materials “knit together” so investors can be

confident that products are delivering what they promise.

Clear, effective and cohesive communications are what’s needed and as far as the FMA is concerned, websites, marketing and advertising collateral are all part of the disclosure regime. Gregory says investors tend to look at all this material, so it needs to form a clear overall picture.

The survey also found that descriptions of a fund’s nonfinancial benefits or objectives are sometimes so high-level that they are useless. And funds did not give investors enough information on performance measurement, reporting and the consequences of breaches.

Greenwashing As demand for these funds increases, the FMA says it wants to ensure investors can be confident that products are delivering what they promise and that investors are protected from false and misleading claims. It is the overall impression that counts and omissions can be as misleading as false statements, it says.

‘Greenwashing’ – the making of false or misleading claims about a fund or product’s ethical credentials – is a breach of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013. The FMA can make stop orders to ban advertising or other disclosures that confuse, or are likely to confuse, investors on matters that influence their investment decisions. The penalty for failing to comply is a fine of up to $300,000.

Samantha Barrass, the FMA’s chief executive, told the market back in March that the regulator would be targeting greenwashing as a priority this year.

Gregory says while the primary aim of the recent review was to check the industry’s uptake of the December 2020 guidance, it was also looking for evidence of greenwashing.

“We didn’t find anything misleading but we did find lots of imprecision, lots of vagueness, lots of things that were too high-level to determine what they meant, let alone what would substantiate them,” he says.

“The reality is that there aren’t any defined standards as to what ‘ethical’ and ‘responsible’ mean and the regulator is

Continued on page 07

Aug 19, 2022 Issue 28

Continued from page 06

project, but these standards will be only voluntary. He thinks this is a mistake and wants compulsory standards as the audience for financial information is potential investors who are not necessarily experts. the last person who should do that. So, if [fund managers] Mindful Money did its own ethical investment survey are doing that, [they] need to be very clear what [they] back in April, in conjunction with the RIAA (Responsible mean.”

Investment Association of Australasia).

In other words, it is up to individual managers to define This found that despite concerns about greenwashing, ‘ethical’ and ‘responsible’ and then do the downstream work nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) wanted their of determining risk and impact. funds to be invested responsibly and ethically, and 56% “You can understand why fund managers might not want said they would consider switching KiwiSaver funds if they to trip themselves up with too much detail but unfortunately discovered their fund was investing in companies that were this isn’t about ethics,” Gregory says. “It’s about values and it not consistent with their values. has been shown in this market and others that while [some] The survey also points to what Mindful Money calls a people aren’t prepared to pay more for that type of product, “crucial” link between ethical investment and savings. If in other cases, the [ESG] impact is more important than a people knew their savings would make a positive difference, financial return.

53% said they would be motivated to save more.

“So, if these are the choices being made by investors, About two-thirds of those who do not already have an then that better be what’s happening.”

Fund managers making ESG claims can expect additional ethical or responsible fund said they are looking to invest in such a fund in the future. Demand scrutiny from now on. “We’re done is particularly strong among women signalling, basically,” Gregory says. “We’ve While 68% of (80%) and younger generations (71%) said, ‘this is our view, this is the guidance respondents said compared with only 63% of men. and this is what we expect’. We’ve shown they wanted ethical The researchers say this support there’s a lot of work to do on disclosure, comes from a range of income groups, we’ve shown in the other research why and responsible including those on low incomes and the investor perspective matters. investments, few with low KiwiSaver balances. “Investing “And if you think about what’s coming were actually ethically is an issue for all, not just by way of climate disclosure where it’s those with high levels of discretionary compulsory for some fund managers to buying into these investment.” report on this stuff, the direction of travel, funds For many of those surveyed, it plus the work we’ve done to date – it all appears investors are not simply looking points to doing a better job of this pretty for funds that do well but investments quick. that also do good. For 62%, it is important that their “We’d expect to get a few complaints and that would investments make a positive difference in the world. be from investors or fund managers dobbing each other in because that’s what they do, so we’ll have plenty to go on, I Independent certification suspect.”

More than 50% of Mindful Money’s respondents were Mandatory standards concerned about greenwashing and 54% would be more likely to invest in a fund that was certified by an independent But Barry Coates, founder and CEO of the Mindful Money third party. charity, wants the FMA to go further.

He says it should be setting and enforcing mandatory Gregory likes this idea, so long as the basis for the standards for ethical investing in the same way that the certification is clear. He notes some managers have funds External Reporting Board (XRB) is doing for climate change. certified by RIAA where the criteria can be clearly visible and A clear set of standards would enable comparisons to be the process is “reasonably robust”. made between funds.

Coates says the XRB has been asked to do the Continued on page 08 groundwork on this after completing its climate change

‘Greenwashing’ – the making of false or misleading claims about a fund or product’s ethical credentials – is a breach of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013

07

Continued from page 07

“But again, on the transparency and disclosure part, [there is a] need to disclose exactly what that certification looked at. How tough was it? Or was it just a rubber stamp?”

Coates thinks it’s important that the RIAA provides product certification but says it’s not a substitute for good public information.

“In the same way as you’ll want to know the data from financial returns from the funds you might invest in, we need information on the social and environmental impacts.

Certification is not a displacement for that. It’s useful but we need the proper disclosure and reporting for the public.”

Around the industry, Coates says he is hearing lots of anxiety about the compliance burden. And because managers will need to provide evidence for their ESG claims, there are worries about the volumes of paperwork that will ensue – and that investors will be even more reluctant to read it.

“I think that’s a valid concern which is why we’d like to see some clear reporting standards because once you get them, it becomes comparable across some funds. There is a risk of ending up with mountains of paperwork and no way of comparing funds.”

Chapman Tripp agrees. “The fundamental problem is the absence of agreed terms and definitions,” it says on its website, “and the temptation this creates to resort to puffery in order to avoid potential legal liability. To its credit, the industry is working actively and collectively to address this through the development of clear taxonomies and certification programs.”

It has five key tips for managers who want to stay on the right side of the law with their ESG funds: ■ Explain exclusions. Set out why the fund has excluded particular companies and sectors, and how exclusions will be applied in the future; ■ Be clear about the relevance and weight of financial and non-financial factors in decision-making and the risks

that come from including non-financial factors; ■ Set out how you will select investments for your ESG funds; ■ Don’t rely in ‘high-level’ and amorphous claims of nonfinancial benefits and impacts; and ■ Explain how you will measure performance and deal with investments that no longer meet the original criteria for selection into ESG funds.

Dedicated reports While most managers are a long way from meeting the FMA’s expectations for ESG funds, two firms – Harbour Asset Management and Pathfinder – have produced dedicated sustainability reports.

Pathfinder was first off the mark last year, describing its sustainability report as “transparent and meaningful disclosures” that would explain how the business is tracking towards its sustainability and returns goals. And, as CEO John Berry puts it, Pathfinder had been investing ethically “since before it was cool”.

Harbour’s managing director Andrew Bascand says his firm’s first annual sustainability report, released recently, was in response to increased investor demand that their fund managers pay attention to non-financial risks and focus on ESG aspects.

He says Harbour will publish and report openly each year as the firm develops its approach to sustainable investing.

“Both our local fixed income and equities investment processes consider ESG matters, alongside the case for generating investment returns.”

As its main tool for monitoring and assessing ESG concerns, Harbour uses a corporate behaviour survey tool, developed by the firm in 2009. Among other issues, the tool monitors responses to climate change, diversity, inequality and wellness.

“There is no end in sight to developing meaningful insight on sustainable investing,” Bascand says. He also notes that good governance often correlates with responsible investing. ■

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The reality is that there aren’t any defined standards as to what ‘ethical’ and ‘responsible’ mean and the regulator is the last person who should do that

Aug 19, 2022 Issue 28

Events Featured events

Connecting New Zealand lawyers

Upcoming

Tauranga express lawyers’ lunch

October

Wednesday 31 August 12.30pm – 2pm Miss Gee’s Bar & Eatery, 3/59 The Strand, Tauranga Sponsored by MAS

Soon to be added:

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Thursday 20 | Arthur Young’s retirement dinner

November | Immigration dinner with the Minister of Immigration November | New Plymouth Sundowner November | East Auckland lawyers’ lunch November | Tauranga Sundowner December | Northland lawyers’ lunch

Takapuna lawyers’ lunch Wednesday 28 September 12pm – 2pm Fantail & Turtle, Goodside, The Avenue, Smales Farm, Takapuna, Auckland Sponsored by MAS Learn more

Wellington express lawyers’ lunch Wednesday 19 October 12.30pm – 2pm Flamingo Joe’s Bar & Eatery, 1/10 Waterloo Quay, Pipitea, Wellington

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FEATURED CPD

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Dealing with media ALL-LEVELS GENERAL WEBINAR

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Webinar 1.5 CPD hrs Tuesday 30 August 4pm – 5.30pm Price from $100 +GST Presenters Jenni McManus, journalist and LawNews editor; Brenda Newth, PR consultant and Samira Taghavi, barrister and practice manager, AM Legal

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Chair Marie Dyhrberg QC

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Aug 19, 2022 Issue 28

adls.org.nz/cpd

Banning restrictive covenants

Webinar 1 CPD hour Wednesday 31 August 12pm – 1pm Presenters Dr Mark Berry, barrister and Shaun McGivern, partner, Haigh Lyon

cpd@adls.org.nz

09 303 5278

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SCA (NZ) unit titles conference ALL PROPERTY CONFERENCE

In Person | Livestream 4 CPD hrs Thursday 8 September 12.30pm – 5pm Price from $340 +GST Presenters and panellists Vicki Toan; Paula Beaton; Julie McLean; Bryan Easton; Joanna Pidgeon; Christine Cechova; Ben Thomson and Tim Jones

Burning Issues forum

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Hear from a range of experienced and engaging presenters and panellists on key topics including intensification, case law, wellness, and the Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act. Chairs and presenters Liza Fry-Irvine, director, Liza Fry-Irvine Law and Thomas Gibbons, principal, Thomas Gibbons Law

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Auckland 2 CPD hrs Wednesday 21 September 4pm – 6pm Price from $130 +GST Presenters Judge Kathryn Beck; Maria Dew QC; Emma Butcher; Angela Evans and Peter Cranney

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New Incorporated Societies Act

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IN PERSON

Banning Restrictive Covenants and Exclusive Leases Wednesday 31 August | Webinar | 1 CPD hour Visit adls.org.nz for more information.

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LIVESTREAM

Aug 19, 2022 Issue 28

Continued from page 05

INTERMEDIATE SOLICITORS (2) warming below 1.50C above pre-industrial temperatures.

When adaptation is not implemented effectively or is not sufficient to cope with the severity of climate change, some of the costs may fall back on the government. This might be directly through disaster relief funding or indirectly through job losses. How government at all levels will handle these costs remains unclear.

Unintended consequences Another point missing in the adaptation plan is how the government will manage potential unintended consequences of private-sector adaptation and conflicts between groups.

For example, coastal defences such as sea walls or stop banks may protect one area but shift the problem along the coast or downstream. Increasing irrigation to cope with variable rainfall or drought could create conflicts between other water users and the environment.

However, an inter-departmental executive board will be tasked with providing transparency of implementation, improving coordination within central government and enabling accountability.

This will be critical to the plan’s effectiveness and ultimately the resilience of Aotearoa New Zealand in a changing climate. ■

We are looking for 2 solicitors, ideally with 2 to 3 years’ legal office experience. The positions will mainly involve work in residential, commercial and farm conveyancing.

Key skills sets are: • Able to manage files with supervision from a director/solicitor, • Be a supportive team member, • Ability to work under pressure at times, • Excellent time management skills/attention to detail, • Have a positive and flexible attitude.

Allen Needham & Co is a long-established law firm in Morrinsville, centrally located in the Waikato. We can offer you the lifestyle of a provincial rural town but close to major towns & cities, competitive salary and the opportunity to grow and develop in your legal career.

Interested? Please forward your CV to: maryanne@anco.co.nz or for further information contact Maryanne on DDI 07-889-8122 or 021-306-464

Anita Wreford is a professor of applied economics at Lincoln University ■ This piece was first published in The Conversation and is republished with permission

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