OWLS got off to a funny start in 2020 with a virtual Meet-the-Committee event via Zoom.

The OWLS Committee was lucky to hold the AGM at Ombrellos in early March before New Zealand went into national lockdown.

A number of events were planned then canned.

We were able to hold the following events from June to December :

CPD:

An Update on the Trusts Act by Professors Nicola Peart and Jessica Palmer held at Anderson Lloyd Dunedin. This event was so popular that there was a wait list.

Helen Mackay Juno Legal founder held a discussion on different ways of practising law as a means to achieving a great work/life balance.

Social Events:

Beauty Face Masks (Facials) via Zoom during lockdown hosted by Lenore Brady.

Midwinter Christmas Dinner and first live Meet-the-Committee meeting held at Plato.

Monthly Coffee Catch-Ups – A couple of OWLS committee members meeting with practitioners in small groups to get to know and support each other

Quiz Night – the ever popular event at the Kensington Pub. Won by the team from Marks and Worth – no pressure in 2021!

Suffrage Day Lunch – held at Catalyst with guest speaker Vanya Thurston. Vanya formed a group to assist investors who had suffered financially and emotionally.

The inaugural OWLS (Outdoor Wild Ladies Stomping) Tramp held at Paradise, Glenorchy.

The Ethel Benjamin Address was initially planned for May but we were grateful that it was able to take place in November.

Christmas Lunch – held at Ironic.

OWLS have been busy this winter!

This year our mid-winter dinner was packed! A big thank you to the many OWLS who braved the cold and came out to celebrate with us at no. 7 Balmac. We had such a lovely night.

Some of the other fun winter events included:

• Heritage Building Tour
• Lunch ‘n’ Learn – A wonderful presentation from Brylee Sawyer, Jessie Paterson and Kate McLay of the Ngai Tahu Maori Law Centre about Maori Land Law
• OCHO Chocolate Tour
• Women’s Wellness in Menopause lunchtime seminar

In July we published our mid-2019 newsletter and you can find it linked below:

OWLS Newsletter July 2019

 

 

It was a delight to have Sian Wingate (ILANZ President) and Gabrielle O’Brien (NZLS Executive Director) join us for lunch and enlighten many of us as to all of the different aspects of a role as an inhouse lawyer. We had a great turn out from members and learned so much from the discussion.

It was fantastic.

Thanks to Anderson Lloyd for hosting and providing lunch.

We met at Vault 21 on Friday 5 April 2019 to honour the achievements of Fiona Guy Kidd QC and Anne Stevens QC on their appointment to the Inner Bar.

These women have excelled in their fields and it was a pleasure to host and celebrate with them.

Our women QCs below – Anita Chan QC, Fiona Guy Kidd QC and Anne Stevens QC.

First catch up of the year was held 27 March at the Law School. Look how many we fit into a room (or two)!

We were so pleased to see so many students interested in what OWLETS has to offer and we hope to see you at many more events this year!

Three members of the OWLS Committee, Joy Liddicoat, Lizzie Rutherford and Allie Cunninghame, spoke about their involvement with the Regulatory Working Group, the new National Standards Committee and the NZLS National Panel of Friends training sessions.

Anderson Lloyd were kind to host us in their Boardroom. Reports are that it made for an enjoyable lunchtime.

Thank you all for coming!

Members arose (too) early in the morning to begin the day watching the livestream direct from Parliament to view an address to celebrate International Women’s Day 2019.

UN Women NZCANZ and Zonta Wellington hosted Jacinta Adern, Julie Anne Genter and Steph Dyhrberg.

We enjoyed a yummy breakfast and great company – what a great way to start the day!

 

The annual OWLS 20 year lunch celebrates OWLS members who have been in practice for 20 years or more. This year Megan Bartlett of Webb Farry and Louise Garthwaite of Bond Street Chambers joined the 20 year club and were presented with flowers to mark the occasion. Congratulations to Megan and Louise and to our other OWLS members who have been in practice for 20 or more years. This is a very impressive achievement. The lunch at Nova was a lovely opportunity to catch up with colleagues and celebrate each other’s achievements. We look forward to hosting this event again in 2018 and to the continued celebration of our long-standing female practitioners.

On Tuesday 19 September, 20 OWLS members gathered at Vogel Street Kitchen to celebrate Suffrage Day and to listen to a captivating talk over breakfast by Dr Louisa Baillie about her life and family history and how that has shaped her career path to date and ultimately finding her way to becoming a facial forensic approximator.  Thank you to both Dr Baillie and to Vogel Street Kitchen for a lovely way to start the day!

Our fellow OWL, the esteemed Professor Nicola Peart of the Faculty of Law, University of Otago, presented the 21st Annual New Zealand Law Foundation Ethel Benjamin Commemorative Address at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery on Friday 8 September 2017. The Address was entitled “Property rights on death:  Policies in conflict”.  Professor Peart captivated the audience of more than 180 members of the profession and public with the evolution of property rights on death in New Zealand culminating in today’s piecemeal legislation.

The topic of the Address was very timely, given the review of the Property (Relationships) Act 1976 currently being undertaken by the Law Commission.  Professor Peart outlined efforts over many years to improve the law, which continue today with the review being carried out.

The OWLS committee were thrilled with the turnout which reiterates the high esteem within which Professor Peart is held within the New Zealand legal profession, and was pleased to host another extremely successful event with the help of our generous sponsors the New Zealand Law Foundation, the University of Otago Law Faculty, and the Williams Trust. The Address will be available on the OWLS website and the DVD recording will be available to watch on the New Zealand Law Foundation website <http://www.lawfoundation.org.nz/> for those who missed out. The Address will also be published in an upcoming issue of the Otago Law Review.