Lauren is a highly respected lawyer, specialising in environmental and local government law, construction law and civil litigation.
 
Lauren has been involved in a variety of environmental and local government matters throughout her career. She has a broad client base and acts for local and regional authorities, individuals and families, national corporations, local businesses, iwi and PSGE, and community organisations. Her key areas of practice include:

• assisting to draft and provide advice on district and regional plan provisions; 
• project management of resource consent projects, including; with respect to large residential and coastal subdivisions; commercial developments and industrial facilities;
• minerals and petroleum development, including assisting to obtain consents for offshore installations in the coastal marine area and EEZ and with respect to access arrangements and iwi consultation; 
• acting for affected parties in opposition to consent applications;
• advising on all aspects of the Resource Management Act and Local Government Acts; 
• assisting iwi to development environmental plans, strategies and guidelines;
• assisting developer clients to formulate and implement consultation strategies;
• appearances and advice with respect to Council Hearings, Environment Court, High Court and Board of Inquiry processes;
• prosecution and enforcement; and
• assisting to draft and providing advice on local government policies and bylaws, including; Local Alcohol Policies, Gambling Policies and Development Contribution Policies

Lauren also regularly acts for our construction clients and has considerable experience in building law and with respect to construction contract disputes and weathertight homes claims.
 
Lauren’s civil litigation experience includes appearances in the District Court and High Court involving a range of contractual disputes, lease and property disputes, debt recovery, and judicial review proceedings. She is a skilled negotiator and enjoys helping clients to find the best solutions possible to resolve disputes quickly and cost effectively. 

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Lauren is the founding member of the Taranaki branch of the Resource Management Law Association (and past president and secretary) and the honorary solicitor of the Friends of the Govett Brewster/Len Lye Centre and of Heritage Taranaki Incorporated. She is also a trustee on the Moturoa School Board of Trustees.

Lauren enjoys mountain biking, skiing and travel but generally spends most of her spare time as Mum to her young sons. She is a keen supporter of the arts and New Zealand music and a self-confessed "foodie". 

Troy specialises in general civil and commercial litigation and employment law.  He worked in the United Kingdom for the London office of a large US national commercial law firm and a top 100 UK firm.  He has also worked for a large commercial national firm based in Auckland. 

Troy has an extensive background in general civil and commercial litigation, including breach of contract, employment, insolvency, property law, debt recovery, and company law disputes.  Troy also regularly appears in the Maori Land Court dealing with Maori land and governance issues for Maori organisations.

Troy also advises on day-to-day employment issues, developing employment policies and implementing disciplinary procedures (and conducting disciplinary meetings). He has advised a number of Maori organisations in this regard.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Troy regularly provides pro bono legal work to a number of community organisations and charitable trusts. He is also a Trustee on the Parihaka Papakainga Trust.

Ellie has a particular interest and expertise in all areas of health law including ACC processes, complaints and investigations, civil claims, professional disciplinary processes, and privacy matters. She has worked from almost all angles in this space – including for patients, practitioners, regulators, and insurers. Her broad experience provides a holistic and practical approach to health care matters.

She has extensive and broad litigation experience, appearing in a range of jurisdictions from Tribunal level to the Court of Appeal. She also works within our Family Team, providing advice and expertise on relationship property matters.

In 2023, Ellie was recognised by NZ Lawyer as a Top Female Lawyer in New Zealand in the Elite Women category.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

A recent escapee from Wellington, Ellie enjoys spending time exploring the Taranaki region – and always welcomes suggestions of what she should try out next. She maintains her fitness by running around after her two young boys, and goofy Labrador. She loves a coffee whenever time allows, and has been enjoying New Plymouth’s excellent cafes.

She is passionate about supporting Mums and whanau, and is a Board Trustee for the Little Miracles Trust (formally the Neonatal Trust).

Rebecca has been involved in a range of resource management and local government matters throughout her time at GQ and her career, including:

•    Assisting local authorities to draft and providing advice on district and regional plan provisions;
•    Advising submitters on a number of district and regional plan reviews;
•    Project management and strategic advice with respect to resource consent and plan change applications;
•    Advising and representing parties affected by resource consent applications;
•    Advising clients with respect to National Policy Statements, National Environmental Standards and National Planning Standards;
•    Advising and representing clients with respect to marine consent applications under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act;
•    Appearances and advice with respect to Council hearings, Environment Court, High Court and Board of Inquiry processes; 
•    Assisting to draft and providing advice on local government policies and bylaws;
•    Advising on all aspects of the Resource Management Act and associated legislation and regulations. 
  
Rebecca also advises both employers and employees on employment law matters including individual employment agreements, workplace change processes, personal grievances, and represents clients in disciplinary meetings, mediations and hearings before the Employment Relations Authority.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Outside of work, Rebecca is kept on her toes by her young daughter and a house full of animals. When she gets the chance (and the weather cooperates) Rebecca enjoys spending time at our glorious beaches, making the most of New Plymouth's thriving café scene or relaxing behind a good book. 

She is a past and present Chair and co-chair of the RMLA (Resource Management Law Association) Taranaki Branch.

Heather began her career at GQ as a graduate, before heading overseas to London, and eventually spending 6 years working in the Cayman Islands. Whilst in the Cayman Islands, Heather was most recently a Senior Associate at Appleby (Cayman Limited) where she was part of the Dispute Resolution Team, working on fund disputes, commercial litigation and a range of insolvency and restructuring matters.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

You will usually find Heather, her husband and two young sons at the beach, hiking or enjoying one of Taranaki’s many playgrounds.

After kickstarting her career as a Research Assistant and Chief District Court Judge’s Clerk in Wellington, Bayley returned to her roots in the Taranaki region in 2018 and delved into general practice. This saw Bayley in the realms of family law, personal planning, commercial, property and other areas. As part of her general practice role, Bayley most regularly appeared in the Family Court, but she also represented clients in Māori Land Court, District Court, Tenancy Tribunal and Court of Appeal cases.

Bayley has also assisted with matters related to resource consent applications, private plan changes and district plan reviews, drafted submissions on central government legislation and assisted with legislative reform.

In joining our Litigation Team, Bayley shifted her focus to her key areas of interest – resource management and civil disputes. Her broad experience and strong research expertise assists Bayley with easily understanding and advising on different legal issues.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Bayley is committed to making a positive impact on her community and preserving our local environment. She actively contributes to the Taranaki Kiwi Trust, where she has served on the board since 2020 and was appointed chairperson in 2023. In addition to her environmental governance work, Bayley frequently participates in local musical theatre productions, showcasing her passion for the arts.

Robyn has a strong background in Real Estate, having worked as a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson for over twelve years in the Taranaki Region. Robyn’s time in Real Estate has given her many skills she can utilise in her Legal Support Role with the Resource Management, Litigation, and Employment Teams at Govett Quiliam.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Originally from Queenstown, Robyn moved to New Plymouth twenty years ago after travelling and living in various countries. When Robyn isn’t heading outdoors for some hiking, skiing, or snorkelling, you might find her cooking up a storm or enjoying a good book.