Law Society elects four new Vice-Presidents

MEDIA RELEASE – For immediate use, 20 April 2012

Law Society elects four new Vice-Presidents

The New Zealand Law Society now has four new Vice-Presidents. They were elected at the Law Society’s annual Council meeting on 13 April in Wellington.

The Vice-Presidents represent four areas of New Zealand: Auckland, Central North Island, Wellington and South Island. One nomination was received from each of the four areas.

The new Vice-Presidents are Allister Davis (South Island), Chris Moore (Auckland), John Unsworth (Central North Island) and Nerissa Barber (Wellington).

Law Society President Jonathan Temm was also re-elected at the Council meeting for a further one-year term. The President and the four Vice-Presidents comprise the Law Society Board. The Law Society’s Council is made up of all branch Presidents and representatives of the three Law Society sections, the New Zealand Bar Association and the Large Firm Corporation.

The new Vice-Presidents replace outgoing Vice-Presidents Andrew Gilchrist, Bruce Gilmour, Mary Jeffcoat and Anne Stevens, whose terms expired at the Council meeting.

Brief Background information on each of the new Vice-Presidents (Photos will also be sent in a separate email)

Allister Davis (South Island Vice-President): Allister Davis is currently President of the Law Society’s Canterbury-Westland branch. He was elected to that position in June 2010 and his two-year term will expire this year.

He has been active in Law Society affairs since 1997 when he was elected to the then Canterbury District Law Society Council. He is also a Past President and life member of the Canterbury Criminal Bar Association.

Mr Davis is a partner of Christchurch law firm Clark Boyce. He is a litigator and practises mainly in criminal, family, employment and civil law. He and his partner have four children

Chris Moore (Auckland Vice-President): Chris Moore is currently President of the Law Society’s Auckland branch and Chair of the Law Society’s Property Law Section.

He was an inaugural member of the Property Law Section executive when the section was established in 2000 and has been the section chair since 2003.

Mr Moore is a partner of Auckland law firm Meredith Connell, where he works in commercial law and commercial property. He and his wife Heather have three children.

John Unsworth (Central North Island Vice-President): John Unsworth was President of the Law Society’s Whanganui branch until he stepped down on 30 March 2012 after four years in the position. He has actively participated in Law Society affairs for a number of years, and is convenor of the Whanganui Lawyers Standards Committee.

Mr Unsworth is a partner with Whanganui law firm Horsley Christie, where he has a general litigation practice and works in civil, employment and family law. He also appears in the Māori Land Court. Mr Unsworth is married with three children.

Nerissa Barber (Wellington Vice-President): Nerissa Barber is currently President of the Law Society’s Wellington branch, having been elected to that position in 2010 after a year as Vice-President.

Ms Barber is Chief Legal Advisor at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, and has appeared in the Māori Land Court in claims for ownership of Māori cultural objects. She worked in private legal practice before moving to in-house lawyer roles. Ms Barber is married to musical broadcaster David Morriss.

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