Our People
The Cruickshank Pryde team have a wealth of knowledge and experience encompassing all areas of law.
With a team of 32 across three branches we are large enough to have all the expertise in-house and small enough to provide friendly, personal service. In fact, we pride ourselves on the fact that our clients become our friends.
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Lester Smith
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Partner Email
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Invercargill
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Heather King , Email
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Lester joined the firm in 1980 and specialises in serving rural clients. He has particular expertise in all aspects of the dairy industry.
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Conveyancing with expertise and emphasis on farming transactions
Wills
Trust and estate planning
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Tennis, Horse racing - Lester owns and breeds Standardbred horses and is well known in sporting circles.
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Rex Chapman
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Partner Email
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Invercargill
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Sharni Frew , Email
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Rex is our senior litigation lawyer and has been with the firm since 1987. He is on the LEADR Panel of Mediators and enthusiastically supports alternative dispute resolution.
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Civil litigation in the District and High Courts
Resource management and environmental Law
Company and commercial law
Employment law
Arbitration as arbitrator and counsel
Mediation and dispute resolution
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Member of the LEADR Panel of Mediators
Past council member of the Southland District Law Society
Chairman of South Port NZ Limited (NZX Listed)
Current member and past President of the Invercargill East Rotary Club
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Fly fishing, mountain biking, gardening, travel
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Murray Little
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Partner Email
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Invercargill
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Suzanne Thomson , Email
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Murray is a born and bred Southlander and has been with the firm since 1987. In that time he has established a large following of loyal clients as a result of his efficiency and easy-going manner. Murray heads the urban conveyancing team and also specialises in commercial, farming and family law.
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Heads the urban conveyancing team
Trusts and estates
Commercial law
Farming
Wills and power of attorneys
Retirement villages and planning
Elder law
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Chairman and Director of several companies
Director of Bainfield Park Residential Care Limited
Committee member of Invercargill Harness Racing Club
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Running and fitness training, harness racing and horse breeding, gardening, travel, horse trekking, breeding golden retrievers
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John Pringle
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Partner Email
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Invercargill
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Georgia Dowling , Email
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John joined Cruickshank Pryde in 1986. He is involved in general practice dealing in most areas of the law and also has extensive litigation experience. John is also a member of the Child and Youth Advocates panel and a Family Court appointed mediator.
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Family law
Farming transactions
Residential conveyancing
Trusts, estates and wills
Accident compensation
Immigration matters
Sports law
Business and commercial law
Liquor licensing
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Chairman of the Rugby Southland Disciplinary Committee
Current member of New Zealand Rugby Union Appeals Council
Southland Representative for Sporting Clubs Association of New Zealand
Former President of Eastern Hawks Rugby Club
Commissioner of Cricket in the Southland region
Former President of the Sunrise Rotary Club, Invercargill
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Family, rugby, gardening, music
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Keith Brown
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Partner Email
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Invercargill
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Tania Fairbairn , Email
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Keith was born and bred in Central Southland and takes a keen interest in advising the rural sector. He became a partner in 2001 after working as a solicitor for the firm since 1995.
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Commercial and conveyancing law
Trusts
Wills and estate planning
Farming and rural business
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Member of NZLS Legal Standards Committee, Southland branch
Trustee of Southland Amateur Sports Trust
Chairman for Talent Development Southland charitable trust
Chairman on Myross Bush School Board of Trustees
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Rugby refereeing - former professional rugby referee for the NZRU, refereeing at test and Super Rugby level, keeping fit, mountain biking, family
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Phil McDonald
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Partner Email
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Invercargill
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Kay Phillips , Email
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Phil was admitted to the bar in 1988 and began working with the firm the same year. He practiced in criminal, family and employment law until 2007 when he took over the estates department after the retirement of Kevin O’Neill.
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Estates, trusts, powers of attorney and wills
Residential conveyancing
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Council Member of Southland branch of the New Zealand Law Society
Deputy Chairman of the Board of Golf Southland
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Family – Phil and his wife Sarah have three energetic children, golf – former representative now social golfer, lawn bowling
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Sarah Maguire
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Partner Email
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Queenstown
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, Email
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Sarah started working for Cruickshank Pryde when she was admitted to the Bar in 1999. Sarah worked for six years in the Invercargill office until 2005 when she moved to the United Kingdom where she lived for two years working as a lawyer and travelling extensively throughout Europe. When Sarah moved back to New Zealand in 2007 she resumed employment with Cruickshank Pryde in the Queenstown office. Sarah became a partner of the firm in 2009 and is the partner in the Queenstown office.
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Corporate/Company
Commercial law
Property law
Financing
Conveyancing
Wills and trusts
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Golf, water skiing, swimming, snow skiing
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John Bannerman
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Partner Email
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Gore
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Julie Hewlett , Email
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John was born and raised in Southland and is married to Yvonne. John has wide experience in property and business acquisitions, asset protection structures, family trusts and company legal work.
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Estate Planning
Succession Planning for farming families
Legal structures for agribusiness enterprises
Family law
Relationship property
Estate disputes
Commercial Law
Property Law and Conveyancing
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Rotary
Hokonui Moonshine Museum and Heritage Trust
Gore Art Gallery
Gore & Districts Multisports Charitable Trust
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Gardening, Boating, Hunting, Ski-ing and golf
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Hilary Copland
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Partner Email
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Gore
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Lisa Boult , Email
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Hilary, a born and bred Southlander, has come full circle returning home to Gore after working in Christchurch, London and Invercargill. The combination of her local knowledge along with her litigation and dispute resolution background bode well for assisting clients in all aspects of the rural sector. Hilary also has a keen interest in employment law, family law, general dispute resolution and compliance/regulatory issues.
Hilary and her husband Todd live on a sheep and beef farm on the outskirts of Gore with their two young daughters.
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Civil litigation
Employment law
Family law
Dispute resolution
Relationship property
Succession planning
Commercial Law
Property Law and Conveyancing
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Family, running, biking, yoga
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Nic Popham
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Partner Email
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Invercargill
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Alice Egerton , Email
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Nic moved back to Invercargill after finishing his law degree at Otago University. He was admitted to the bar in August 2015, and joined the partnership in January 2020. Nic is engaged to Laura, a nurse and they are marrying in March. Nic welcomes new and existing clients to get in touch.
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Residential, rural and commercial conveyancing
Commercial and Rural leases
Estate Planning
Refinancing
Wills and Powers of Attorney
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Playing sport,watching sport and horse racing
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Lynley Price
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Practice Manager Email
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Invercargill
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Kathleen Simpson , Email
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Lynley joined Cruickshank Pryde in 2013 as the firm’s Practice Manager. Lynley is a qualified Chartered Accountant and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the office.
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Monthly and annual reporting for the firm
Supervision of personnel
Supervision of the firm’s Trust Account in conjunction with the Trust Account Partner
Debtors
Marketing
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Member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants
Former treasurer Southland Water Polo Board
James Hargest College Rugby Club Board
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Family, running and fitness, gardening, art
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Victoria Tremaine
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Associate Email
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Gore
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Victoria was born, raised, went to school locally and graduated in 2007 with an LLB at Otago University. Coming from a farming background Victoria has gained experience in many aspects of legal practice especially focused on rural matters including land transactions, leases, succession and trusts together with relationship property, pre- nups and family law.
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Property Law and Conveyancing
Family Law
Relationship property
Dispute Resolution
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Plunket PEPE facilitator
Lead Provider of Legal Aid Services
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family, reading, yoga, swimming, boating
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LLB
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Rebecca Nilsen
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Associate Email
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Queenstown
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Rebecca graduated from Bond University in 2012, and worked professionally in Sydney for 5 years. In 2018 she decided it was time to move back home to Otago and immediately joined Cruickshank Pryde. She is currently practising in the Queenstown office, alongside Sarah Maguire.
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Residential, rural and commercial conveyancing
Commercial and Rural leases
Estate Planning
Refinancing
Wills and Powers of Attorney
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Cooking, tramping and animals
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LLB, BA
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Anna Goble
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Solicitor Email
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Invercargill
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Anna is a born and bred Southlander, joining the team at Cruickshank Pryde early 2018. After graduating from Otago University with an LLB and BA, Anna was admitted to the Bar in 2017 while working in local government. Anna regularly appears in the District Court for clients on issues including driving offences, limited licences and sentencing matters. Anna assists partners John Pringle and Rex Chapman but welcomes new clients.
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Criminal law
Immigration matters
Local government
Civil litigation
Employment law
Relationship property
Resource management
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LLB, BA
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Makareta Coote
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Solicitor Email
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Invercargill
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Makareta was raised in Bluff and is a proud Southlander and Rakiura Māori. In 2018, she moved back home to Bluff from Dunedin after completing her Bachelor of Laws degree. Makareta joined Cruickshank Pryde in May 2019 and was admitted to the Bar as a Solicitor of the High Court in July that same year. Makareta assists partners Keith Brown and John Pringle in the Invercargill office and welcomes all new and existing clients.
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Residential, rural and commercial conveyancing
Commercial and rural leases
Trusts
Wills and powers of attorney
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Walking the Bluff tracks, Watching rugby
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Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
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Kylie McNeilly
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Solicitor Email
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Invercargill
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Kylie was admitted to the bar in 2014 before setting off on her big OE, during which time she lived in Perth, London and Sydney. While in London, Kylie worked for a top tier global law firm specialising in regulatory compliance. During her time in Australia, Kylie worked for an Australian Big Four bank, gaining valuable experience in a range of areas such as governance, Anti-Money laundering and statutory regulation. In 2020, after seven years abroad and still not finding anywhere quite like Southland, Kylie returned to her hometown of Riverton and joined our conveyancing team in Invercargill where she assists Murray Little on a range of conveyancing matters.
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Property Law and Conveyancing
Commercial and Rural leases
Refinancing
Wills and Powers of Attorney
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LLB, Bcom
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Meet the team
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Lester Smith
Lester joined the firm in 1980 and specialises in serving...
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Rex Chapman
Rex is our senior litigation lawyer and has been with the...
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Murray Little
Murray is a born and bred Southlander and has been with the...
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John Pringle
John joined Cruickshank Pryde in 1986. He is involved in...
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Keith Brown
Keith was born and bred in Central Southland and takes a keen...
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Phil McDonald
Phil was admitted to the bar in 1988 and began working with...
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Sarah Maguire
Sarah started working for Cruickshank Pryde when she was...
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John Bannerman
John was born and raised in Southland and is married to...
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Hilary Copland
Hilary, a born and bred Southlander, has come full circle...
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Nic Popham
Nic moved back to Invercargill after finishing his law degree...
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Lynley Price
Lynley joined Cruickshank Pryde in 2013 as the firm’s...
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Victoria Tremaine
Victoria was born, raised, went to school locally and...
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Rebecca Nilsen
Rebecca graduated from Bond University in 2012, and worked...
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Anna Goble
Anna is a born and bred Southlander, joining the team at...
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Makareta Coote
Makareta was raised in Bluff and is a proud Southlander and...
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Kylie McNeilly
Kylie was admitted to the bar in 2014 before setting off on...