Chen Palmer wins best public New Zealand law firm again
LawFuel - The Law Jobs and Legal NewsWire For the second year running, Chen Palmer has won the Award for the best Public
Law Firm at the 2008 New Zealand Law Awards. Ten firms were nominated for the category in the Fourth Annual New Zealand
Law Awards held on 7 November 2008. They were:
• Brookfields
• Chapman Tripp
• Chen Palmer
• Greenwood Roche Chiznell
• Kensington Swan
• Lane Neave
• Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
• Russell McVeagh
• Simpson Grierson
• Wilson Harle
This is the second time there has been a public law award category. Chen Palmer won the inaugural Public Law Award in
2007. The award is determined by the votes of clients and invitation-only users of legal services drawn from the public
and private sectors. Chen Palmer was also first runner up in the Boutique Law Firm category.
The Public Law category is judged against the following criteria:
• Solid expertise and excellent client relationship skills in administrative and public law;
• Broad experience in public sector issues;
• Excellence in the provision of timely, relevant and sound policy advice to commercial clients in their interaction
with the public sector;
• Effective strategic advisor to local and central government clients
• Well versed in the policy and legislative process; and
• Strong networks within the public sector
In presenting the award, Christopher Masters of Canon, noted that clients had highlighted Chen Palmer’s “exceptional
knowledge, exceptional networks and immediate and complete response”.
In accepting the Award, Mai Chen said, “Clients don’t go looking for firms; they go looking for the best advice from the
best people. Focusing on a specialty that is valued in the market, and being the best at what you do, means that you
will always be busy and sought after.”
Ms Chen said that “I want to thank all of our clients who presented us with such challenging public law problems, and
who took the time to vote in these awards. With the prospect of a new government and a global financial meltdown in the
fifteenth year of the firm’s operation, 2009 will bring with it many new problems in public law. I am looking forward to
it”.
ENDS