Anderson Lloyd - 2007 New Zealand Law Award Winner
South Island based law firm Anderson Lloyd is this year's New Zealand WinScribe Large Law Firm of the Year announced at the Third Annual New Zealand Law Awards held in Auckland on November 8th.
Anderson Lloyd beat off competition from other major national firms (including Bell Gully, Buddle Findlay, Chapman Tripp, Kensington Swan and Simpson Grierson) to claim the 2007 award. Anderson Lloyd also won the inaugural award in 2005.
The award, voted by clients and in-house legal departments recognises the firm for demonstrating its leading expertise and excellence in its relationships with clients from either the business or public sector/government/clients. It acknowledges the provision of legal services and advice across a broad range of legal areas and related cross-disciplinary issues, including the ability to field large-focus teams across multiple legal and related disciplines for the largest, most complex and urgent transactions.
The firm was referred to by one client voter as having "a wide range of expertise that provides excellent and exceptional advice on a wide range of resource management, general law and business issues. Their personnel are excellent and willing to go the additional lengths to provide well researched advice supported by case law".
The firm also claimed the essenze Resource Management and Environmental Law Award for the third successive year and was praised by one voter as "providing superb all-round performance" and proving "to be exceptional at identifying the key issues, detailing the necessary processes and pathways available for resolution and providing support and expertise to achieve the desired outcomes on a wide range of RMA issues that have arisen in our business."
The award recognised the firm as having solid expertise and excellent client relationship skills across a broad range of resource management and environmental law issues. It demonstrated excellence in advising clients on compliance with environmental regulations and legislation and giving sound policy advice to various government and industry groups. Such work covers advice including prosecutions, commercial agreements, approvals and licences, interpretation of legislation and common law liabilities and other related areas, combined with result-focused commercial pragmatism.
Anderson Lloyd has the largest Resource Management legal team in the country headed by six specialist partners servicing a range of state-owned enterprises, local authorities, commercial developers and special interest environmental groups both in the South Island and the rest of the country.
The firm also took out the KeyTrack Property Law Award recognising solid expertise and excellent client relationship skills in the conduct of a range of commercial and other property transactions such as commercial property development, building constructions, planning and development application processes, subdivision and commercial residential conveyancing transactions. One voter noted the "speed of delivery and approachability of lawyers concerned is second to none and the support staff are also well versed in our business and provide excellent service."
The firm was also voted second runner-up for the Infinity Solutions Corporate and Commercial Award.
"This is an outstanding achievement for Anderson Lloyd. It shows a high level of engagement by the firm with its clients across several different practice areas. Clients rate us not only for our outstanding technical excellence but also our commitment to ensure we deliver the best possible service by meeting and exceeding their expectations," Chairman of Partners, Stephen Christensen, said.
"These awards show that our clients recognise our specialist skills, expertise and local and national knowledge. Our professional staff are dealing with some of the most complex projects you would find anywhere in the country and working for very significant corporate, governmental, commercial and private clients," he said.
"We are continuing to grow in size, adding more specialist advisors, employing more graduates, appointing new partners and associates. We are very proud of how the firm is continuing to develop with the support of good clients."
The firm also received the College of Law Community Service in Law Award recognising the commitment by the firm and individual members of the firm to a number of pro bono or not for profit assistance with community and environmental projects.
"We are particularly pleased to receive the Award for Community Service in Law. Our lawyers provide valuable support to various community special interest groups through their leadership and investment in time in a number of very worthy causes. Our staff also embrace fundraising efforts and participate in a number of very valuable community oriented and social service organisations. We are very proud of what they do," he said.
Anderson Lloyd collected the largest number of individual New Zealand Law Awards which are voted annually by clients and in-house legal departments. The firm is no stranger to success in the New Zealand Law Awards, having won both the Large Law Firm and Resource Management Awards before, as well as the Award for Innovation last year.
The firm was also runner-up earlier this year in the EEO Trust Work and Life Awards Large Organisation Award. The EEO Trust Work and Life Awards recognise employers which support work-life balance initiatives.
Anderson Lloyd is a full service law firm and the largest South Island based law firm. The firm comprises 27 partners and over 130 professional, management and support personnel.
l to r by row: Mark Beale, Maree Baker
Sarah-Jane Weir, Frazer Barton, Arnah Pearson (WinScribe Inc)