Profile
“I will continue to empower and encourage my staff to perform at their best as I have done for the last decade. I will continue to advocate for my clients, embracing new technology and being open to business and industry changes”
Ken Dixon,
Dixon Insurance Services
Anna Ryan is a recognised New Zealand cartel law specialist who leads the national competition and consumer protection law and intellectual property law teams at Lane Neave, where she is a partner.
She counts founding a successful competition law practice among her most significant accomplishments and prioritises opportunities in these areas. Ryan was named an Elite Woman of 2023 by NZ Lawyer and was shortlisted for Antitrust/Competition Lawyer of the Year at the 2023 APAC Women in Business Law Awards. She has also chaired the Competition Law and Policy Institute of New Zealand (CLPINZ) for four years.
“Having female role models in your career is a very powerful thing; I love supporting my female colleagues, knowing first-hand how impactful it can be,” says Ryan about the importance of being a role model to other female lawyers who aspire to make their mark in the profession.
“Several senior female practitioners in the Australasian competition law sector have guided and encouraged me, and I have also had supportive male mentors throughout my career.”
People development has been a recent key focus for Ryan, as she prioritises helping her team members advance in their specialist areas of interest and expertise and developing the next generation of future partners at Lane Neave.
Her enthusiasm for the collegiality of practice-building in a full-service law firm environment is matched only by her conviction that people can make things happen.
“If I can demonstrate the truth of that to those around me and instil that belief in them, then the sky is the limit regarding what we can achieve,” she says. “Like many others, I have sometimes experienced setbacks in my life and career; on reflection, my confidence in my ability to navigate those challenges assisted me enormously during those times.”
Ryan took a year out to earn her master’s in competition and consumer protection law at the University of Melbourne Law School in 2015. Although it was a significant undertaking, she acknowledged the move as the best investment she had made in herself. She returned to Lane Neave invigorated and determined to capitalise on her expanded knowledge.
While she believes in having a career plan and being open-minded, Ryan employs a three- to five-year timeline regarding significant career goals, which she refines as she moves forward.
“Lane Neave has a proud history of fostering home-grown talent,” she says. “Many of our current partners, including fellow Elite Woman Fiona McMillian and myself, started our careers at the firm as graduates and have a good understanding of what it takes to succeed and advance and ultimately carve out a niche for yourself within the broader Lane Neave landscape.”
Ryan is deeply committed to addressing gender imbalance in the profession, particularly regarding access to opportunities. She encourages everyone to take the one simple action of highlighting gender imbalance where it exists.
An example of her unwavering commitment can be seen in her leadership at CLPINZ, where the percentage of female speakers at workshops has more than doubled in recent years.
“Sunlight can often be a good first step towards addressing unintentional gender bias,” she says.
141 Cambridge Terrace, Christchurch 8013
+64 211 174940
anna.ryan@laneneave.co.nz
linkedin.com/in/anna-ryan-05587936
laneneave.co.nz
Anna Ryan
Partner
Lane Neave
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“To be able to give back to the community is rewarding and fulfilling. I am honoured to be in a position where I can raise funds for those less fortunate and in need”
Ken Dixon,
Dixon Insurance Services
2007
2014–2015
2016
2018
Present
Commenced career in Lane Neave’s corporate team as a graduate
2007
Completed a master’s degree in Competition and Consumer Protection Law at the University of Melbourne Law School
2014–
2015
Returned to Lane Neave as a senior associate
2016
Made a partner at Lane Neave
2018
Chair of the Board of the Competition Law and Policy Institute of New Zealand since 2019
Chambers 2023 Antitrust/Competition
Finalist in the 2023 APAC Women in Business Law Awards – Antitrust/Competition Law
Present
Assistant Vice President and Senior Broker at MJ Hall & Company since 2018
Present
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
How does he distinguish himself among fellow brokers?
“I believe all brokers are working very hard in a difficult market,” he says. “However, I have demonstrated continued growth, advocacy and performance on my client’s behalf, which is now recognised [for 10 consecutive years] in the Elite Broker awards.”
In 1990, Dixon got started with FAI, working in claims and as a team leader. From the late 1990s up until 2003, he worked at FAI and Suncorp in underwriting and as an area manager at VACC, CGU (South East Queensland). From 2003 to 2012, he got into broking and eventually started Dixon Insurance in 2013. Since then, he’s accumulated numerous acccolades, including Elite Broker, Diversity and Equity, and Fast Broker awards.
During the pandemic, Dixon challenged insurers over the Quarantine Act application to insurance wordings. His argument was that the Quarantine Act does not apply as an exclusion, as the Biosecurity Act was invoked by the Morrison Government, and this was not a subsequent amendment to the Quarantine Act. The test case in the Appeals court was won for Dixon’s client with a unanimous five-judge verdict.
He remains focused on transport, manufacturing, motor trade, engineering and large farm clients.
What are his plans for the future?
On a business level, “more of the same. I will continue to empower and encourage my staff to perform at their best as I have done for the last decade. I will continue to advocate for my clients, embracing new technology and being open to business and industry changes.”
On a personal level, Dixon invests significant time, effort and funds, along with his GT3, to support many charities through his passion for motorsport. From participating in and sponsoring the Thunderbolt Run (which provides tens of thousands of dollars in support for Beyond Blue and Prostate Cancer), to organising and running the Track Knights for Amira charity night where 28 Exotic Supercars raised funds through passenger laps in wet conditions, Dixon states “this is our time to give back to the community and those in need. My friendships and association with those seeking to do the same, allows us to contribute to those less fortunate and raise funds and awareness”.
He adds: “To be able to give back to the community is rewarding and fulfilling. I am honoured to be in a position where I can raise funds for those less fortunate and in need.”