Senior-level diversity at Lane Neave

Different things drive three of Lane Neave’s current crop of partners; this highlights the diversity at the senior levels of the firm. Lane Neave announced the promotions of Sarah Duncraft, Julia Strickett and Carlo Wan to the partnership last year. Wan officially became a partner last 1 October, while Strickett and Duncraft stepped into their new roles on, respectively, 1 January and 1 May this year. For Duncraft, the ascension has been the biggest highlight of her career thus far. The University of Otago graduate was inspired to go into the law as a “logical progression” given her inclination towards words-based subjects as a student, as well as by the example of her uncle, a lawyer. Today, she has built a successful legal career focusing on commercial property law, and advocates for the profession to focus on “the progression of more women in leadership roles and diversity in general”.

Strickett shares a similar passion for promoting access to justice across all groups in the country. Her initial goal in enrolling in law school was to provide legal assistance to Indigenous causes, but a uni lecturer’s offer of a part-time job with the late immigration and refugee law barrister Rowland Woods caused Strickett to pivot. It has been 12 years since Strickett made immigration law her forte, and she remains “very grateful for this unplanned exposure”. “I soon realised it is the best area if you want to practise administrative law on a daily basis, as you are always up against a government department. We live and breathe ‘natural justice’ – and regularly remind government of this!” she explains. Meanwhile, Wan may have initially picked a legal career because of a childhood TV show, but the dynamic day-to-day of the job has become his favourite part of being a lawyer. “I am going into 2023 with cautious optimism as everyone expects this year to be choppy – in saying that, this year has turned out to be filled with opportunities so far,” he says.

“Last year we introduced a scheme to top up the majority of government parental leave payments in line with our staff members’ usual salaries. As one of the first recipients of this, I can say it is a fantastic initiative,” Strickett says. “We have made so much progress with the support given to women in the profession to continue their careers once they become parents, but I feel the focus now needs to be on supporting families generally – to support and even celebrate men who want to reduce their hours or take time off to be the primary caregiver. Once we have this, I feel we’ll be on the road to having much happier and more fulfilled parents in the workplace.” Strickett also feels that her immigration law work at Lane Neave has enabled her to contribute to New Zealand’s growth as a whole, particularly during the lockdowns under the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am really proud of the work Lane Neave did during the border closure period. While you would think that having a closed border would be the worst possible situation for an immigration lawyer (and it was initially), it eventually moved into a constant stream of really complex border entry instructions. Necessity made us leaders in this area,” she explains. “Developing workforce mobility programs for some of New Zealand’s largest projects over this time was very challenging but very fulfilling work. There were so many pieces to the puzzle (including securing the coveted MIQ spaces!), but when the specialist workers did arrive and you saw these projects taking shape over time, it felt very rewarding to feel like we had helped in a small way to grow New Zealand.”

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.

Spotlight

Among the opportunities on offer at Lane Neave has been the chance for all staff to expand their knowledge and understanding of te reo Māori, and to pitch in on improving the environment. “We’re currently being offered lunchtime sessions learning te reo Māori, which is obviously a great opportunity and highly relevant,” Duncraft shares. She adds that the firm has joined a tree-planting challenge led by Conservation Volunteers “with the aim of enhancing the biodiversity of rivers in both Christchurch and Auckland” – an initiative she describes as “awesome”. Strickett also highlights the firm’s CSR efforts, which includes “placing a real focus on reducing our carbon emissions”. Not all of Lane Neave’s opportunities are focused on external beneficiaries – the firm also looks to prioritise initiatives that make life better for internal stakeholders.

Lane Neave is recognised as one of New Zealand’s leading full-service law firms. The diverse nature of its lawyers means that it has the depth of knowledge and experience required for any job. Lane Neave has clients both locally and internationally, and its unique position in the legal market allows it to provide the legal capability and depth of resources of a large law firm while enjoying the ability of a boutique-sized firm to develop close and long-lasting client relationships.

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“I am going into 2023 with cautious optimism as everyone expects this year to be choppy – in saying that, this year has turned out to be filled with opportunities so far”

Carlo Wan, Lane Neave

“The focus now needs to be on supporting families generally – to support and even celebrate men who want to reduce their hours or take a period of time off to be the primary caregiver”

Julia Strickett, Lane Neave

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The future is now

Published 08 May 2023

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Three recent additions to the firm’s partnership discuss the different things that drive their burgeoning legal careers and the opportunities they enjoy

BDMs in the spotlight

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Julia Strickett Partner

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY

Carlo Wan Partner

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY

Sarah Duncraft Partner

YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY

Lane Neave Partners

“[My flatmate] was an absolute legend and he told me to stop doubting myself.… His advice and the importance of a positive mindset has stuck with me ever since”

Sarah DuncrafT, Lane Neave

“He was an absolute legend and he told me to stop doubting myself and quoted Henry Ford: ‘Whether you think you can or think you can’t, either way you’re right.’ His advice and the importance of a positive mindset has stuck with me ever since,” Duncraft shares. Strickett has had to learn to pull back emotionally while doing her work. “It is very easy in immigration law to empathise with your client’s situation. At times, you feel as though the work you do will determine the course of their future, which can be a really difficult weight to bear at times,” she says. “Over the years and with some very good guidance from practitioners in the area, I’ve learned to be a little more objective, which has actually helped me to be a better lawyer and represent my clients more effectively.” Wan, who has had the pleasure of representing a knight in one of his cases, believes in never resting on one’s laurels. “You are only as good as your last piece of work,” he says.