Liz Blythe, Anna Crosbie, Emmeline Rushbrook, Nathaniel Walker and David Weavers join Russell McVeagh's partnership.
Board Chair Malcolm Crotty says the firm is proud to recognise these talented leaders, whose appointments are a result of their exceptional relationship and management skills, combined with market-leading expertise.
"Our new partners are highly regarded for their integrity and people-centred leadership styles they bring to managing both their team and client needs. They are role models for the profession and add wide-ranging experience, which strengthens our ability to provide clients with the confidence to achieve their strategic goals," he said.
Liz Blythe, Technology, Auckland
Advising clients on compliance with legal and regulatory requirements applicable to technology, including intellectual property and privacy law, Liz returned to New Zealand from the UK last year where she acted for some of the world's largest technology suppliers and consumers, including financial institutions and banks, on significant global and European tech transactions.
Liz specialises in complex technology transactions, including for the procurement, supply, development, manufacturing, outsourcing and commercialisation of technology and e-commerce arrangements. Her expertise not only spans traditional ICT, telecommunications and digital platforms, but includes emerging technologies including AI, big data analytics and machine learning, IoT and blockchain-powered solutions.
Anna Crosbie, Property and Construction, Auckland
Anna advises on all aspects of property and construction law and is trusted to deliver on the largest and most complex transactions in the market. Having begun her career at Russell McVeagh, Anna returned to the firm in 2015, after practising in-house.
Acting for institutional property investors and developers, Anna is known for achieving exceptional commercial outcomes in the delivery of projects which are helping to reshape New Zealand. She has particular expertise in high value acquisition and divestment transactions, inbound overseas investment, retail and commercial leasing, hotel management and masterplanned residential development.
Emmeline Rushbrook, Litigation and Dispute Resolution & Public, Regulatory, Competition, Wellington
Emmeline specialises in commercial and financial dispute resolution, regulatory compliance and enforcement, and public/administrative law. She has extensive experience advising on regulatory investigations, internal investigations and public inquiries and has appeared as counsel in civil and criminal matters. She regularly advises clients on compliance with New Zealand consumer, financial services and insurance law, including assisting on conduct, culture, governance, remediation and law reform activities.
Emmeline began her career at Russell McVeagh and before returning to the firm, spent nine years at Clifford Chance, London. She continues to frequently act on matters with an international dimension, while also assisting on uniquely New Zealand matters, including those involving te reo, tikanga and Māori governance structures.
Nathaniel Walker, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Wellington
Nat is an experienced and versatile commercial litigator. He has particular expertise in trusts and equity, disputes with a cross-border dimension, consumer law and financial services litigation. Acting for both public and private sector clients, Nat's practice spans all aspects of dispute resolution, and he regularly provides law reform, compliance, and other pre-litigation advice. Nat is a frequent publisher on trusts and equity and commercial law issues.
Nat returned to Russell McVeagh in late 2017 from Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, New York, where he worked on a range of high-value, complex securities matters. While in New York, Nat also completed his LL.M. at Columbia University.
David Weavers, Banking and Finance, Auckland
David is a home-grown talent, beginning his career at Russell McVeagh before basing himself in London with New York firms Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, and then in Hong Kong with Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Returning to the firm last year, he advises financial institutions, private equity sponsors, corporate clients, non-bank lenders and sovereigns on a wide range of financing and restructuring transactions.
David brings a commitment to client service, a strong network and knowledge of market trends and developments, and an international perspective to his practice having acted on market-defining global transactions which have included Greece's €206bn debt restructuring, CVC's first European LBO and dividend-recapitalisation using US-style covenant-lite financing terms and HNA's financing of its US$6.5bn acquisition of a stake in Hilton from Blackstone (American Lawyer: Global Finance Deal of the Year 2017: Acquisition Finance). David has also worked for Goldman Sachs (Special Situations Group), TPG Special Situations Partners and Hillhouse Capital on a number of transactions across the capital structure. David has successfully completed all three levels of examinations for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) programme. He has spent extended periods on secondment to banks and funds in a variety of legal and non-legal roles.
For more information, please contact:
Joanna Comerford
Corporate Communications Manager
[email protected]
D +64 4 819 7520 or 027 911 8369