Sarah and her work

 

 

Sarah is attracted to the human element of employment law and employment relations

 

Sarah is a specialist employment lawyer and accredited mediator.

Sarah advises employers, employees and small unions on their legal rights and obligations in respect of all employment law matters, including contentious (dispute) and non-contentious (no dispute) matters.

Sarah is skilled at resolving employment relationship issues at an early stage, saving time, stress, expense, and uncertainty. As an experienced litigator, she can also represent clients in legal proceedings.

Prior to starting her own practice, Sarah worked as a Senior Associate at Cullen-The Employment Law Firm and as Manager Employment Relations and Employment Law (in-house counsel) at Massey University.

 

Previous appearances

  • Employment Relations Authority

  • Employment Court

  • District Court

  • High Court

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws (2010)

  • Bachelor of Arts (2010)

  • Barrister and Solicitor (2010)

  • Diploma in Spanish as a Foreign Language (2013)

  • Resolution Institute Accredited Mediator (2017)

Current memberships

Sarah is very open-minded, with a broad and inclusive worldview, and is able to communicate easily and effectively with others

As an adult, Sarah has travelled to thirty countries and lived in nine. She is fluent in Spanish and has a strong interest in Latin America. In 2015-2016, she worked for an International NGO in human rights in the context of the protracted armed conflict in Colombia, South America. Sarah has also worked in sectors outside of law including, retail, sales, motor vehicle, entertainment, food, recreation, not-for-profit, hospitality, and tertiary education.  

She is a learner of Te Reo Māori and has a keen interest in the relationship between employment law and tikanga Māori. She has experience in acting for individuals and organisations in a tikanga Māori context.

Sarah wants her clients to have the very best advice and assistance. To this end, she has a large referral network and is able to refer clients to other experts, including independent investigators, mediators, restorative practice facilitators, career and conflict coaches, providers of work station assessments, business advisors, and lawyers specialising in other practice areas (for example, commercial and company law).

Based in Wellington and Whangarei, Sarah assists clients throughout Aotearoa. She meets with clients using online tools or in person, and is able to travel to other cities for meetings, mediations, and hearings in a cost-effective way.