Media Release
Monday 1 August - for immediate release
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts adds four more senior practitioners
Trans-Tasman law firm, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, has added more senior legal experts to its fold - one partner, one
special counsel, and two senior associates.
Christopher Young joins the Auckland office as Partner and Head of the Intellectual Property team, with Michael Wilson
joining the Wellington office as Special Counsel, Public Law. Auckland lawyers Helen Andrews and Jeremy Muir have been
appointed Senior Associates in the Resource Management and Corporate teams respectively.
Christopher Young joins the firm after 12 years at another major New Zealand law firm. He has wide experience in
intellectual property law, including commercialisation, protection, brand development and trade mark registration,
portfolio management, audits, marketing and advertising, and policies and procedures. Christopher also has significant
experience in the intellectual property aspects of corporate transactions.
Michael Wilson is a public lawyer with backgrounds in policy and litigation. He has previously worked as Senior Advisor
to the Ministers of Immigration, Commerce and Justice, and the Attorney-General. Prior to that he was a barrister in
private practice in Auckland. Michael has advised companies, Crown entities and government departments on aspects of
public law and legislative compliance, and also on processes for making representations to government about policy
development and legislation.
Helen Andrews is an internal promotion for the firm. She has experience in a wide range of environmental and resource
management matters and, in particular, large infrastructure projects. She provides environmental advice to clients in a
variety of sectors including mining, telecommunications and electricity, as well as developers, public bodies and
private individuals. She appears before local authorities, the Environment Court and High Court on resource management
issues, as well as representing clients at mediations.
Jeremy Muir returns to the firm as a Senior Associate after five years practising international financial law in
Guernsey and the Cayman Islands. He has particular expertise in the areas of investment funds (including hedge funds,
private equity ad venture capital funds and property funds), corporate transactions, securities issues, banking,
insurance and offshore finance.
The four appointments are the latest in a string of recent senior additions to the firm. Earlier this year the firm
welcomed seven new partners and one senior consultant to the partnership.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts occupies a unique position among the New Zealand law firms, being part of the Minter Ellison
Legal Group. Minter Ellison is one of Australia's largest law firms and the worldwide group has over 280 partners and
1,100 lawyers in 16 major financial centres worldwide.
ENDS