Paul has acted for large corporates regionally, nationally and internationally and has developed a particular expertise in the energy sector, providing legal support and advice to oil and gas companies in New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia.

Paul has provided primary legal support for Port Taranaki, the Taranaki District Health Board and the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki for over 20 years. He is also a member of the New Zealand Chapter of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators.

Paul has in recent years been involved in a variety of projects including:

• Being lead legal provider in joint venture and shared services agreements with oil and gas companies for support vessels and helicopter services
• Providing day to day legal support for an oil and gas exploration and production company operating a large offshore project in the Taranaki basin, on-shore projects in Western Australia and drilling explorations in Indonesia
• Establishing and developing a statutory compliance regime with a large insurance company for use by organisations within the tertiary education and health sectors and several ports throughout New Zealand
• Presenting at national conferences in respect of topics such as risk management, the changing face of rural law, the National Horticulture Sector on succession planning, the health sector on risks and responsibilities of rest home providers and the New Zealand Law Society Resource Management intensive on the oil and gas legislative interface.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Paul is an Honorary Life Member of the Taranaki Cancer Society, having been the President for a number of years and a former Chairman of the Relay for Life Committee. Paul is a former President of Taranaki Marriage Guidance (now Relationship Services) and was a Trustee of the Taranaki Velodrome Trust, which has brought to Taranaki a state of the art Cycle Park incorporating a road circuit and velodrome.

Paul enjoys cycling, golf, going to the gym and spending time with family.

Alice has a broad range of property and commercial law experience. She has worked with all manner of clients from a national infrastructure company, oil and gas corporates, property developers and farmers through to local entrepreneurs and business owners and residential home buyers and sellers. She has developed particular expertise in property rights and interests, including land access agreements, easement agreements, commercial leases, subdivisions, and residential and commercial sales and purchases. In acting for you, Alice focuses on getting to know you and your business. She strongly believes that developing a good working relationship with her clients is first and foremost.

Alice's experience includes:

• Acting for a variety of home buyers and sellers.
• Assisting commercial clients with leasing, commercial property sale and purchases, shareholder and partnership agreements
• Assisting farming clients with buying and selling farms, rural leases and succession planning
• Providing legal support and advice to oil and gas companies in New Zealand and Australia.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Alice enjoys spending her spare time with her husband, her two young children, and her friends. She appreciates good food and keeps fit by running. Alice is a board member of the Taranaki Hockey Federation.

Rochelle is a specialist corporate and commercial lawyer. She focuses on giving advice that is both pragmatic and legally accurate.

Rochelle advises clients on commercial structures and relationships, company law, share transactions, and governance advice. She works on sales and purchases of businesses, complex commercial agreements, company constitutions and shareholders agreements, commercial leasing, and other matters.

Rochelle’s wide range of clients includes commercial property owners with extensive holdings, councils, national infrastructure companies, corporates, medical practices, wineries and large farming operations, hospitality groups, and business start-ups.

Having recently been seconded to a large energy corporate as in-house counsel, Rochelle has a robust understanding of the energy sector, the challenges it faces, and the need for timely, pragmatic advice which enables executive leadership to make sound decisions.

Rochelle also has several years’ experience specialising in employment law, health and safety, and privacy. She has advised on restructures and change management processes, disciplinary investigations, performance management, and has conducted workplace investigations. She appeared in the Employment Relations Authority and was previously a member of the Employment Law Committee of the Wellington Law Society.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Rochelle is the Chair of Sport Taranaki. She is passionate about the role of sport and exercise in the development of young people and is interested in people’s overall well-being; including mental health, nutrition, exercise, and being connected in the community.

Rochelle loves spending time outdoors in beautiful Taranaki, particularly tramping, running, and going to the beach. She also enjoys reading novels (especially classics), spending time with her family, and cooking healthy food.

When she has some time to herself she loves a good  book.  She also enjoys playing netball and has recently discovered the joys of Gaelic football.

As a dairy farmer and business owner herself, Margaret has experience in hands on dairying as well as legal issues concerning farmers.

Margaret has also dealt and continues to deal with farmers negotiating with oil companies, buying and selling dairy farms, residential property matters, wills, trusts, commercial business sales and trusts. Margaret has a good relationship with many outside organisations. 

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Margaret has five children and is actively involved in the PTA at Sacred Heart Girls' College New Plymouth, as well as the St Josephs Church community in New Plymouth. In addition to her work at GQ, Margaret also owns and operates the Oakura Beach Front Apartments. 

Margaret enjoys ballet, farming and spending time with her family.

Eason is passionate about the intricate nuances of corporate and commercial law, with a keen interest in international investment and arbitration, and specialist work in commercial leases, the sale and purchase of businesses and property transactions.

His expertise in navigating complex legal frameworks coupled with his multifaceted background, linguistic proficiency and commitment to excellence make him a valuable asset to our corporate and commercial team.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Beyond the legal realm, Eason is a dedicated badminton player, a strategic chess enthusiast, and a skilled photographer. His diverse interests reflect his analytical mindset, creativity, and attention to detail, qualities that translate seamlessly into his legal practice.

Julie is looking forward to contributing to the team with a varied background of knowledge. She was the Parliamentary Support for the local MP over the past four years and prior to that, she worked in communications and community support in the energy industry.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Julie is married with three adult daughters. She has a new granddaughter who she loves spending time with and another one due in May this year.

She is an avid fan of most sports but especially netball. She was on the Board of Netball Taranaki for ten years and is a life member of the Tukapa Netball Club. Her and her husband enjoy walking the Coastal foreshore and biking local trails in the weekends.

Sarah has nearly 30 years' experience as a legal secretary in the UK and New Zealand, which she has now called home for more than 20 years. In 2005 she qualified as a legal executive and has worked mainly in the areas of criminal and civil litigation as well as family law. She also spent three years at another local law firm as data manager.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

In her time away from GQ Sarah enjoys spending time with her three adult children or at the beach, with or without her small scruffy dog. She is involved, in a voluntary capacity, with surf lifesaving in Taranaki, Hospice Taranaki and the Breast Cancer Foundation. Weekends will often find her up a ladder, paint brush in hand, as she slowly redecorates her house! She enjoys the local arts scene and is also something of a book worm, belonging to a local book group. She also enjoys swimming and riding her bike along the foreshore and sometimes further afield.