Joanna Trezise

Joanna is a Senior Associate in Russell McVeagh's litigation team. She acts and advises on a broad range of complex disputes, with a focus on trust and relationship property disputes, construction disputes, and regulatory investigations and enforcement. With a previous career in the arts, Joanna also has a particular interest in matters relating to the arts and cultural sector.
 
Joanna has acted for clients in negotiations, arbitrations, adjudications and judicial settlement conferences, in proceedings before the District Court, Family Court, High Court and Court of Appeal, and in disciplinary matters
before the Legal Complaints Review Officer, the Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal, and the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.
 
She publishes and speaks regularly on legal issues.

Joanna's recent experience includes:

• Acting for and advising numerous clients in relation to regulatory compliance, investigations, and enforcement action under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003, the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, and the Fair Trading Act 1986.

• Acting on a subrogated recovery claim for an insurer regarding landslip damage to residential properties.

• Acting on a number of confidential negotiations, adjudications and arbitrations regarding construction and infrastructure projects.

• Acting for charitable trusts in relation to the contentious distribution of significant assets, and defending allegations of breach of duties by trustees.

• Acting in the judicial review of a decision by the Arts Council of New Zealand to decline investment funding to a national arts organisation.

• Initiating and responding to applications for emergency injunctive relief in the High Court.

LLB University of Auckland
MA (First Class Hons) University of Auckland
BA University of Auckland

Joanna began her legal career in the litigation department of another top tier commercial law firm before working as a prosecutor, undertaking criminal prosecutions on behalf of regulatory agencies and the Crown. Joanna joined Russell McVeagh in 2020.
 
Joanna is the editor of Russell McVeagh's quarterly construction disputes publication, Breaking Ground, and serves on the Auckland District Law Society's CPD (Continuing Professional Development) Committee. She was elected to the council of New Zealand's Society of Construction Law in 2022, and has been an Affiliate member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) since 2023.
 
Prior to qualifying as a lawyer, Joanna completed a Masters degree in Art History (First Class Hons) then worked for a number of years in galleries in Auckland and London.