First form of Anderson Lloyd is established in Dunedin – followed by offices in Queenstown (1978) and Christchurch (1994)
1862
Meet the lawyers spearheading NZ’s latest projects
Projects and infrastructure is a creative, big-picture thinking area of law, and it attracts lawyers who love thinking outside of the box. It is also facing some major challenges in New Zealand, from costs and funding to legislation reforms, market volatility and the impact of climate change.
To meet growing demand, New Zealand law firm Anderson Lloyd recently boosted its projects and infrastructure practice with the addition of two new partners. Alex Booker began her career in 2006 and has been promoted to partner after working on a number of ambitious property, energy and resources projects. Lauren Whitehead joined Anderson Lloyd in April and brings to the firm more than 16 years of industry experience; she most recently held the role of acting general counsel at KiwiRail.
For Booker, the opportunity to work with “diverse technical teams over many months” is a huge part of why she loves this area of law.
“You can form great friendships and have a lot of laughs,” she tells NZ Lawyer.
“I also have a degree in science and have come from a practical farming and quarrying background. My life experience, skill set and keenness for direct client engagement and achieving results has naturally seen my practice grow successfully in this space.”
Whitehead’s journey began with a three-month internship at a global Sydney law firm, and she hasn’t looked back since. She says working with talented people has been “inspirational” and an important part of her career journey, and being a projects lawyer has allowed her to engage across a broad variety of disciplines, keeping her work consistently varied and interesting.
“I absolutely loved the internship,” Whitehead recalls. “The lawyers took me under their wing, offered me great opportunities to learn, and I loved the camaraderie of working on public-private partnership [PPP] transactions – even the all-nighters!
“As a projects lawyer, you interact with many other specialists across the firm and industry, whether with finance, tax, environment, resource management and planning or corporate,” she adds. “You’re never working in a silo, so the work is both interesting and engaging.”
“There is another issue to resolve around the construction industry’s contribution to emissions reductions, and a switch to new types of construction materials that have less of an environmental impact.”
She notes that labour and skills shortages have continued to be a challenge, along with constraints in the supply of materials. The uncertainties around the future pipeline of work haven’t helped and are making it tough for New Zealand to effectively address the shortages because of the lack of commitment in the sector.
“New Zealand has a large backlog of infrastructure needs,” Whitehead says. “I’m concerned with how and when these critical projects are going to be sponsored and funded. My personal view is there is a strong rationale for the PPP model and other alternative financing options. We have already seen this in New Zealand, with some path-finding infrastructure projects. We need to do more of this.
“None of these issues are new, but we need strong leadership in this sector and political will.”
Booker agrees that the shift to a low-emissions economy is going to be “in sharp focus” over the next few years, with resource management reforms and the promotion of renewable energy. She says there are “both challenges and opportunities” for the future, and Anderson Lloyd is positioning itself to become a prominent player in the renewable energy space.
In addition to their impressive track record in the projects space, Booker and Whitehead are also actively involved in encouraging young lawyers to develop their technical abilities and further their careers.
Booker points out that diversity of thought has always been valued at Anderson Lloyd, and she has seen this consistently when sitting around the table as a project consenting lawyer.
“I would encourage all young lawyers to be aware of how much value their skills and viewpoints can add to discussions, and to not be shy about expressing their opinions,” she says.
Spotlight
It’s no secret that New Zealand – like most of the world – is facing a challenging economic environment. Adding to the ongoing market volatility, there is an increasingly urgent need to address climate change and reduce emissions, but with costs rising and legislative reform ongoing, kicking this into full gear is proving challenging.
Whitehead says she’s seen “a lot of issues” around cost escalation and funding, not only in terms of labour and materials but also energy and resources, and this is adding to overall inflation. However, she says this is unlikely to be a “long-term trend” post-pandemic, though it continues to be an issue for ongoing projects.
“A more lasting challenge is to address climate change, which impacts not only where infrastructure is built, or rebuilt in the case of recent catastrophic weather events, but also address risk allocation and delays due to weather and changes in building codes,” she explains.
Anderson Lloyd is a leading New Zealand law firm with 29 partners and over 160 staff, located in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), Ōtautahi (Christchurch), Tāhuna (Queenstown) and Ōtepoti (Dunedin). Anderson Lloyd is an accredited Living Wage Employer and was the first large New Zealand law firm to become Toitū Net Carbon Zero accredited.
Founded over 160 years ago, Anderson Lloyd is a law firm with a long history of supporting the infrastructure and project development sector in New Zealand. It takes a leadership role within the legal profession and acts with conviction in steering the industry towards a better future.
Company Profile
4
Offices across NZ
29
Equity partners
45%
Female partners
79%
Female staff
26
Weeks of paid parental leave
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“I have a degree in science and have come from a practical farming and quarrying background. My life experience, skill set and keenness for direct client engagement and achieving results has naturally seen my practice grow successfully in this space”
Alex Booker, Anderson Lloyd
“New Zealand has a large backlog of infrastructure needs. I’m concerned with how and when these critical projects are going to be prioritised and funded. My personal view is there is a strong rationale for the PPP model and other alternative financing options”
Lauren Whitehead, Anderson Lloyd
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2021
Meet the lawyers spearheading NZ’s latest projects
Karen Adams has had a remarkable journey to her current role as CEO of Fundserv. Originally from Toronto, Adams earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics at Queens University, followed by an MBA in international finance at the University of British Columbia. After graduating, she set off across the globe, holding various positions with HSBC that took her to London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul and Mumbai.
That global experience gave Adams a unique perspective, prompting her to develop a leadership style that’s based on developing relationships with each individual, listening and understanding to help them reach their potential. That approach goes well beyond her own team, allowing Fundserv to succeed in creating solutions for its members.
“Having worked in many different countries, people ask if I am an expert in multicultural leadership,” Adams says. “I always say there is no such thing because that assumes you manage people based on their background. I have learned that people all want the same things: to develop our careers, give our kids a good future, etc. When she returned to Canada learned that people all
Spotlight
Fundserv is the indispensable connectivity hub for the Canadian investment industry. Headquartered in Toronto, we electronically connect Manufacturers, Distributors, and Intermediaries, enabling them to buy, sell, and transfer investment funds. With more than 100 employees, Fundserv serves hundreds of members—executing up to 63 million yearly network transactions—and provides online access to more than 70,000 investment fund products.
Established in 1993, Fundserv is a private corporation that is owned by the industry we serve. Our 10 shareholders are a cross-section of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Service Providers who represent our members.
We operate using a cost-recovery model, meaning any unused profit may be rebated back to our members. In addition to our network and applications, we lead and facilitate industry committees and working groups that promote automation initiatives and establish the industry’s electronic standards.
By ensuring every trade is processed timely, accurately, and securely, Fundserv has rightfully earned a reputation for service excellence—a hallmark of more than 25 years in the investment industry.
Company Profile
4
OFFICES ACROSS NZ
29
EQUITY PARTNERS
45%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN AMONG FUNDSERV EMPLOYEES
79%
PROPORTION OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
63,514,128
NUMBER OF ORDERS PROCESSED IN 2019
Karen Adams
Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent
Read on
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2012
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
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Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
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Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2019
Curabitur feugiat eget leo id tempus. Maecenas commodo, nibh at ultricies pulvinar, ipsum erat porta metus, et tempus justo tellus euismod dolor.
2021
Meet the lawyers spearheading NZ’s latest projects
Karen Adams has had a remarkable journey to her current role as CEO of Fundserv. Originally from Toronto, Adams earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics at Queens University, followed by an MBA in international finance at the University of British Columbia. After graduating, she set off across the globe, holding various positions with HSBC that took her to London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul and Mumbai.
That global experience gave Adams a unique perspective, prompting her to develop a leadership style that’s based on developing relationships with each individual, listening and understanding to help them reach their potential. That approach goes well beyond her own team, allowing Fundserv to succeed in creating solutions for its members.
“Having worked in many different countries, people ask if I am an expert in multicultural leadership,” Adams says. “I always say there is no such thing because that assumes you manage people based on their background. I have learned that people all want the same things: to develop our careers, give our kids a good future, etc. When she returned to Canada learned that people all
For Booker, the opportunity to work with “diverse technical teams over many months” is a huge part of why she loves this area of law.
“You can form great friendships and have a lot of laughs,” she tells NZ Lawyer.
“I also have a degree in science and have come from a practical farming and quarrying background. My life experience, skill set and keenness for direct client engagement and achieving results has naturally seen my practice grow successfully in this space.”
Whitehead’s journey began with a three-month internship at a global Sydney law firm, and she hasn’t looked back since. She says working with talented people has been “inspirational” and an important part of her career journey, and being a projects lawyer has allowed her to engage across a broad variety of disciplines, keeping her work consistently varied and interesting.
“I absolutely loved the internship,” Whitehead recalls. “The lawyers took me under their wing, offered me great opportunities to learn, and I loved the camaraderie of working on public-private partnership [PPP] transactions – even the all-nighters!
“As a projects lawyer, you interact with many other specialists across the firm and industry, whether with finance, tax, environment, resource management and planning or corporate,” she adds. “You’re never working in a silo, so the work is both interesting and engaging.”
From those forums, a common theme arose that has plagued the industry for years: the amount of paper required in transactions.
“We have a motto to ‘axe the fax,’ and we saw this opportunity where members didn’t want their staff going into the office, but there are still physical cheques going back and forth,” Adams explains. “We put in place, in just six months, Ad-Hoc Money Movement [A$M]. We responded to the industry and are in the process of replacing cheques, which I think is awesome. We launched in January and have seen so much volume. We think ultimately we are keeping people healthier by not having to travel into the office.”
“None of these issues are new, but we need strong leadership in this sector and political will.”
Booker agrees that the shift to a low-emissions economy is going to be “in sharp focus” over the next few years, with resource management reforms and the promotion of renewable energy. She says there are “both challenges and opportunities” for the future, and Anderson Lloyd is positioning itself to become a prominent player in the renewable energy space.
The firm already has specialists in wind, solar, hydro and green hydrogen projects, and has a strong track record of delivering large-scale water conservation, storage and irrigation projects.
While she’s proud of the strides Fundserv made in 2020, Adams acknowledges that it was a challenging time as a leader. Not only did she have to ensure Fundserv kept running efficiently as her team transitioned to working from home, but she was also filled with concern for her team members.
“I just worried about our employees, their mental health and if they would be OK,” Adams says. “I like to see people, so I set up one-on-ones just to connect with them.
Moving forward, Adams says Fundserv’s goals remain aligned with those of its members, and her team will continue listening and understanding what members need so the organization can evolve accordingly. She adds that she wants Fundserv to be so good at providing a secure and reliable service that members forget it’s there – and she wants the company to continue to inspire change in the industry.
“It is sad that it took a pandemic to recog-nize the cheque issue and solve it,” Adams says. “What we will do in the future is root out those things in the industry and not wait for a pandemic to ignite change. There is no reason we can’t change. Change, like auto-mation, will accelerate from now, and we’ll do our part to keep it going.”
Spotlight
It’s no secret that New Zealand – like most of the world – is facing a challenging economic environment. Adding to the ongoing market volatility, there is an increasingly urgent need to address climate change and reduce emissions, but with costs rising and legislative reform ongoing, kicking this into full gear is proving challenging.
Whitehead says she’s seen “a lot of issues” around cost escalation and funding, not only in terms of labour and materials but also energy and resources, and this is adding to overall inflation. However, she says this is unlikely to be a “long-term trend” post-pandemic, though it continues to be an issue for ongoing projects.
“A more lasting challenge is to address climate change, which impacts not only where infrastructure is built, or rebuilt in the case of recent catastrophic weather events, but also address risk allocation and delays due to weather and changes in building codes,” she explains.
Fundserv is the indispensable connectivity hub for the Canadian investment industry. Headquartered in Toronto, we electronically connect Manufacturers, Distributors, and Intermediaries, enabling them to buy, sell, and transfer investment funds. With more than 100 employees, Fundserv serves hundreds of members—executing up to 63 million yearly network transactions—and provides online access to more than 70,000 investment fund products.
Established in 1993, Fundserv is a private corporation that is owned by the industry we serve. Our 10 shareholders are a cross-section of Manufacturers, Distributors, and Service Providers who represent our members.
We operate using a cost-recovery model, meaning any unused profit may be rebated back to our members. In addition to our network and applications, we lead and facilitate industry committees and working groups that promote automation initiatives and establish the industry’s electronic standards.
By ensuring every trade is processed timely, accurately, and securely, Fundserv has rightfully earned a reputation for service excellence—a hallmark of more than 25 years in the investment industry.
Company Profile
Karen Adams
Before becoming CEO of Fundserv, Karen Adams held a variety of leadership roles around the world – and she learned that listening and understanding are key to both providing service and developing talent
Read on
1862
2015
2019
2020
2022
2023
First form of Anderson Lloyd is established in Dunedin – followed by offices in Queenstown (1978) and Christchurch (1994)
1862
Auckland branch of Anderson Lloyd is established
2015
Anderson Lloyd becomes an accredited Living Wage Employer
2019
Anderson Lloyd becomes Toitū Net Carbon Zero accredited
2020
The firm is recommended in the Legal 500 Asia-Pacific Green Guide. Its renewable energy and infrastructure expert Anton Trixl is highlighted
2022
Alex Booker and Lauren Whitehead join the Anderson Lloyd partnership. The firm now has 29 partners
2023
Milestones
Big challenges and opportunities for New Zealand projects
Backing the next generation of lawyers
Big challenges and opportunities for New Zealand projects
Backing the next generation of lawyers
Published 06 Jun 2023
Find out more
Find out more
Find out more
Find out more
Being picked to lead ORDE's distribution team
career highlight
3 years
tenure at current position
25
Years of experience
More
Alex Booker
Lauren Whitehead
Read on
Anderson Lloyd’s new partners discuss the trends, challenges and opportunities for New Zealand’s projects and infrastructure sector
BDMs in the spotlight
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Alex Booker
Partner
Lauren Whitehead
Partner
16
YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY
New partners
Whitehead's key piece of advice to junior lawyers is to be grounded, authentic and genuine every day, and to have a supportive group of mentors who hold you up and inspire you. Ultimately, she encourages them to “back themselves” – to decide how they want to live and just go for it.
She says having this mentality is particularly important for young women, who often feel they have to choose between growing their careers and starting families.
“Another thing I would say is, don’t give up,” Whitehead says.
“This might be changing more and more now, but I’ve seen quite a few female lawyers give up their careers when they start to have families. I would encourage those women to keep connected to their careers in some way, even if there are some challenging times.
“You can have a long-term career that will continue to grow and build, and you will look back when your children are older and be grateful for an amazing career that can take you in many directions.”
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While she’s proud of the strides Fundserv made in 2020, Adams acknowledges that it was a challenging time as a leader. Not only did she have to ensure Fundserv kept running efficiently as her team transitioned to working from home, but she was also filled with concern for her team members.
“I just worried about our employees, their mental health and if they would be OK,” Adams says. “I like to see people, so I set up one-on-ones just to connect with them.
Moving forward, Adams says Fundserv’s goals remain aligned with those of its members, and her team will continue listening and understanding what members need so the organization can evolve accordingly. She adds that she wants Fundserv to be so good at providing a secure and reliable service that members forget it’s there – and she wants the company to continue to inspire change in the industry.
“It is sad that it took a pandemic to recog-nize the cheque issue and solve it,” Adams says. “What we will do in the future is root out those things in the industry and not wait for a pandemic to ignite change. There is no reason we can’t change. Change, like auto-mation, will accelerate from now, and we’ll do our part to keep it going.”
Backing the next generation of lawyers
From those forums, a common theme arose that has plagued the industry for years: the amount of paper required in transactions.
“We have a motto to ‘axe the fax,’ and we saw this opportunity where members didn’t want their staff going into the office, but there are still physical cheques going back and forth,” Adams explains. “We put in place, in just six months, Ad-Hoc Money Movement [A$M]. We responded to the industry and are in the process of replacing cheques, which I think is awesome. We launched in January and have seen so much volume. We think ultimately we are keeping people healthier by not having to travel into the office.”
“None of these issues are new, but we need strong leadership in this sector and political will.”
Booker agrees that the shift to a low-emissions economy is going to be “in sharp focus” over the next few years, with resource management reforms and the promotion of renewable energy. She says there are “both challenges and opportunities” for the future, and Anderson Lloyd is positioning itself to become a prominent player in the renewable energy space.
The firm already has specialists in wind, solar, hydro and green hydrogen projects, and has a strong track record of delivering large-scale water conservation, storage and irrigation projects.
It’s no secret that New Zealand – like most of the world – is facing a challenging economic environment. Adding to the ongoing market volatility, there is an increasingly urgent need to address climate change and reduce emissions, but with costs rising and legislative reform ongoing, kicking this into full gear is proving challenging.
Whitehead says she’s seen “a lot of issues” around cost escalation and funding, not only in terms of labour and materials but also energy and resources, and this is adding to overall inflation. However, she says this is unlikely to be a “long-term trend” post-pandemic, though it continues to be an issue for ongoing projects.
“A more lasting challenge is to address climate change, which impacts not only where infrastructure is built, or rebuilt in the case of recent catastrophic weather events, but also address risk allocation and delays due to weather and changes in building codes,” she explains.
Big challenges and opportunities for New Zealand projects
For Booker, the opportunity to work with “diverse technical teams over many months” is a huge part of why she loves this area of law.
“You can form great friendships and have a lot of laughs,” she tells NZ Lawyer.
“I also have a degree in science and have come from a practical farming and quarrying background. My life experience, skill set and keenness for direct client engagement and achieving results has naturally seen my practice grow successfully in this space.”
Whitehead’s journey began with a three-month internship at a global Sydney law firm, and she hasn’t looked back since. She says working with talented people has been “inspirational” and an important part of her career journey, and being a projects lawyer has allowed her to engage across a broad variety of disciplines, keeping her work consistently varied and interesting.
“I absolutely loved the internship,” Whitehead recalls. “The lawyers took me under their wing, offered me great opportunities to learn, and I loved the camaraderie of working on public-private partnership [PPP] transactions – even the all-nighters!
“As a projects lawyer, you interact with many other specialists across the firm and industry, whether with finance, tax, environment, resource management and planning or corporate,” she adds. “You’re never working in a silo, so the work is both interesting and engaging.”
Between the three of them, Duncraft, Strickett and Wan have more than 30 years of experience in the industry. Over this period, they have watched the legal profession increasingly welcome technology into operations, making life easier for lawyers.
“Certainly the role that AI has in law is an interesting one. There is some excellent technology out there that can improve efficiency and allow us to focus on the legal work, but keeping abreast of changes in this area, particularly for larger firms with more embedded systems, can be challenging,” Strickett says. “Understanding and taking the time to consider potential implications of new technology as it comes to market will be important.”
Duncraft sees climate change issues also having a big impact in her field of specialisation given the prevalence of climate-change-related natural disasters.
As the three partners settle further into their positions and help bring Lane Neave into the future, they share the important life lessons that have helped them to get where they are today. For Duncraft, the encouragement from a flatmate she had in her 20s had a lasting effect on her.
Between the three of them, Duncraft, Strickett and Wan have more than 30 years of experience in the industry. Over this period, they have watched the legal profession increasingly welcome technology into operations, making life easier for lawyers.
“Certainly the role that AI has in law is an interesting one. There is some excellent technology out there that can improve efficiency and allow us to focus on the legal work, but keeping abreast of changes in this area, particularly for larger firms with more embedded systems, can be challenging,” Strickett says. “Understanding and taking the time to consider potential implications of new technology as it comes to market will be important.”
Duncraft sees climate change issues also having a big impact in her field of specialisation given the prevalence of climate-change-related natural disasters.
As the three partners settle further into their positions and help bring Lane Neave into the future, they share the important life lessons that have helped them to get where they are today. For Duncraft, the encouragement from a flatmate she had in her 20s had a lasting effect on her.
Anderson Lloyd
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From left: Lauren Whitehead and Alex Booker
The firm already has specialists in wind, solar, hydro and green hydrogen projects, and has a strong track record of delivering large-scale water conservation, storage and irrigation projects.
“With a team of specialists in climate change law, Anderson Lloyd is well equipped to advise clients on the New Zealand emissions trading scheme and other climate change responses,” Booker says.
“We are working across a number of comprehensive property developments, and projects in the energy and resources sector, including renewable energy projects.
“As infrastructure and project trends continue to evolve, Anderson Lloyd is poised to provide clients with innovative solutions and strategic advice to navigate the changing landscape.”
Auckland
LOCATION
Infrastructure and projects; construction
EXPERTISE
Environment, planning and natural resources; infrastructure and projects
EXPERTISE
Christchurch
LOCATION
16
YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY
2,000
Native trees donated annually
In addition to their impressive track record in the projects space, Booker and Whitehead are also actively involved in encouraging young lawyers to develop their technical abilities and further their careers.
Booker points out that diversity of thought has always been valued at Anderson Lloyd, and she has seen this consistently when sitting around the table as a project consenting lawyer.
“I would encourage all young lawyers to be aware of how much value their skills and viewpoints can add to discussions, and to not be shy about expressing their opinions,” she says.
FEMALE STAFF
26
WEEKS OF PAID PARENTAL LEAVE
In addition to their impressive track record in the projects space, Booker and Whitehead are also actively involved in encouraging young lawyers to develop their technical abilities and further their careers.
Booker points out that diversity of thought has always been valued at Anderson Lloyd, and she has seen this consistently when sitting around the table as a project consenting lawyer.
“I would encourage all young lawyers to be aware of how much value their skills and viewpoints can add to discussions, and to not be shy about expressing their opinions,” she says.
26
WEEKS OF PAID PARENTAL LEAVE