Our People
Laura Bielby
Laura has worked for many local authorities throughout New Zealand and is an expert communicator with extensive experience in resource management, environmental and local government law.
Specialist areas:
- Resource management
- Governance advisory
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
Laura is accomplished in a wide range of issues including resource consenting, plan and policymaking, bylaws, and financial and development contributions.
She acknowledges the challenges that councils often face performing their consenting functions, liaising with multiple stakeholders and managing community expectations. She has an intimate understanding of the complex interplay between the various local government functions and has become a ‘go to’ for all things related to natural and coastal hazards.
Her expertise makes her skilled at providing pragmatic solutions in a down-to-earth and understandable manner, that support councils to deliver for their communities.
Qualifications:
- LLB/BA, University of Canterbury
Simon Waalkens
Dedicated to achieving successful outcomes for councils in civil litigation matters, Simon combines first-rate advocacy and legal intuition with practical commercial business sense.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Insurance
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
As a former Crown Prosecutor, Simon has significant trial and Appellate Court experience. He’s also a firm believer in alternative dispute resolution processes, particularly mediation.
Simon’s legal career has taken him all over the world, exposing him to diverse areas including civil litigation, insurance, health law and dispute resolution.
Simon tackles new challenges head-on, making him a powerhouse at solving some of the most complex cases. Those who have worked with Simon describe him as incredibly hard-working, someone who goes above and beyond to strive for the best outcomes for his clients.
Qualifications:
- LLM(1st Class Hons), University of Auckland
- LLB/BA, University of Otago
Helen Rice
Helen is one of the country’s most successful local government lawyers for mediation and works as a consultant specialising in civil litigation and dispute resolution.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Insurance
- Governance advisory
With 30 years of experience in local government law and insurance, Helen has developed an aptitude for what motivates people, which she expertly uses to determine when and how mediation and other modern dispute resolution techniques should be used to achieve the best outcome for all parties involved – without the cost or delays often associated with more conventional methods.
She is a persuasive advocate and has appeared extensively before the judiciary. Well-known for her sincere demeanour, Helen can always provide strong and fair representation for clients.
Helen established the firm in 2013 and was Managing Partner until 2020.
Qualifications:
LLB, University of Otago
Cori Barkle
Drawing on over two decades of legal experience both in top-tier private practice and in-house at Auckland Council, Cori brings a dynamic approach and deep understanding of infrastructure and property law, and local government intricacies.
Specialist areas:
- Infrastructure funding
- Property and property development
- Governance advisory
Cori’s unwavering commitment to excellence, coupled with his grounded integrity, ensures he consistently delivers outstanding outcomes. He has played pivotal roles in transformative urban regeneration projects, strategic funding initiatives and corporate restructures in the local government context, most notably with the Housing Acceleration Fund, reimagined Auckland’s waterfront ownership, and council social housing joint venture Haumaru Housing projects.
Outside of work, Cori is an avid follower of American Football and a family man. Additionally, he serves on the board for Habitat for Humanity Northern Region, reflecting his personal commitment to community engagement and development.
Qualifications:
- LLB / LLM (1st Class Hons), University of Waikato
Charlotta Harpur
Charlotta has worked extensively with local government clients and their insurers for the past 12 years. She is a highly skilled and practical problem-solver who is passionate about working with and supporting councils.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Insurance
- Governance advisory
Charlotta is an advocate for alternative dispute resolution, believing strongly that some of the best solutions are often found outside of the courtroom. When needed, she is also an extremely persuasive courtroom advocate.
In an area of law that is constantly evolving, Charlotta expertly and confidently provides strategic advice, underpinned by an appreciation of the dedicated work from the people who make up local government.
Charlotta is empathetic and a fantastic listener, which gives her a real edge when negotiating successful outcomes for councils and their insurers.
Qualifications:
- LLB/BSoSc (1st Class Hons), University of Birmingham
- Postgraduate Diploma in Law, University of Central England
- Master of Legal Studies, University of Auckland
Alex Cumming
With close to two decades of experience across resource management, alcohol licensing, civil litigation and regulatory legal matters, Alex is well-placed to assist in the multifaceted issues faced by our local government clients.
Specialist areas:
- Resource management
- Sale and Supply of Alcohol
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
- Governance advisory
Alex excels in negotiating and mediating successful outcomes and finding cost effective solutions to complex issues. His recent 6-year tenure in the Auckland Council legal team has provided him invaluable experience and insight into managing the intricate balance between legal and regulatory requirements, stakeholder interests, community expectations and budgets.
Outside of work, Alex is an avid supporter of community initiatives and is a Regional Advisory Committee Member for Supporting Families in Mental Illness. He is also a proud family man and his love for sports and passion for running and outdoors reflects his positive and energetic attitude.
Qualifications:
- LLB / BA, University of Otago
Sarah Farnell
Passionate about achieving the best results for her clients, Sarah combines her skill set as an experienced civil litigator and former Crown prosecutor to give her clients pragmatic advice on a wide range of disputes.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation and dispute resolution;
- Insolvency, recoveries and enforcement; and
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement.
Sarah has extensive experience in acting for private, commercial and government clients on a wide range of litigation. She has acted for the Official Assignee and private liquidators in a range of insolvency disputes including acting for clients bringing claims against directors, bankrupts and related parties using the suite of remedies available under the Companies Act 1993, Property Law Act 2007 and the Insolvency Act 2006.
With an approachable manner Sarah draws on her experience as a court room advocate to provide high quality advice to help her clients achieve their goals.
Qualifications
- LLB/BSc, University of Auckland
Katia Fraser
For more than 25 years, Katia has been practising environmental and local government law in top-tier national firms, most recently joining Rice Speir as Special Counsel.
Specialist areas:
- Resource management
- Governance advisory
- Alcohol law
Katia has spent the bulk of her career assisting and advising councils under local government legislation, including in relation to alcohol law, resource consent applications, bylaw reviews, district and regional plan reviews, and designations. She has also represented a wide range of private interests including listed companies and property developers.
It’s this broad mix of experience, skill and relationship networking that makes Katia ideally placed to advise councils and ensure risks are appropriately managed.
In addition, Katia is an author of the Brookers Sale and Supply of Alcohol annotated legislation handbook.
Qualifications:
- LLB (1st Class Hons), BSoSc (1st Class Hons), University of Waikato
Jodi Libbey
Jodi is an accomplished senior lawyer who brings a refreshing new dimension to Rice Speir. Intelligent and approachable, Jodi has built a reputation for her insight and collaboration and regularly enjoys working with Queen’s Counsel.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
- Employment and professional disciplinary matters
Jodi is a fully qualified solicitor in Canada and New Zealand, bringing an impressive breadth of expertise to Rice Speir. She has worked as a Crown Prosecutor in Calgary, lectured on contract and criminal law in Auckland and has assisted senior barristers before the High Court, Court of Appeal, Employment Court and most recently the Judicial Conduct Panel.
Jodi joined the team in 2022 and has quickly built great working relationships with her clients, resolving even the most challenging commercial and regulatory cases.
She welcomes the unique opportunity to work alongside local authorities with her employment law skills in both contentious and non-contentious matters.
Qualifications:
- LLB/BA, University of Alberta (Canada)
- LLM, University of Toronto (Canada)
- Admitted as a barrister and solicitor in both Canada and New Zealand
Nick Ravaji
Highly experienced in public law and civil disputes, Nick is well-known for his strategic and pragmatic advice that gets results. Nick joined Rice Speir in September 2023 and has quickly become an integral part of the firm.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation and dispute resolution
- Governance advisory
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
Nick has spent over a decade advising government ministers and senior public servants on strategic legal risks, the exercise of public law powers, commercial disputes and technology/privacy issues. He enjoys advocacy and thrives when faced with even the most complex disputes. That’s underpinned by a deep desire to do right by his clients with whom he collaborates closely.
Over the years, he’s been involved with several community bodies related to his profession and personal passions. While two energetic sons keep family life busy, when he can he enjoys stepping outside his comfort zone and engaging in road cycling here and overseas.
Qualifications:
- LLB/BSc – University of Auckland
Beth Butler-Ford
Backed by over a decade in law, Beth is driven to help people make robust decisions and achieve the best outcomes possible. Through collaborating with experts and communities, she knows that her work has a real impact on Local Government practice and policy and therefore on people’s everyday lives.
Specialist areas:
- Resource management
- Governance advisory
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
After starting her career as a hearing manager and research officer for the environment court, Beth worked in-house at Auckland Council in the Resource Management team before moving into private practice to work with a range of local government and private clients.
Enthusiastic, solutions-focused and open-minded, Beth is also a self-proclaimed “film and TV nerd and reader.” On weekends, she loves catching live music or a theatre performance or sitting at a café with her dog Sally.
Qualifications:
- LLB/BA – University of Auckland
Charlie Wilkinson
Joining Rice Speir in June 2023, Charlie brings her extensive commercial and civil litigation experience from working with a wide range of private and government clients, including advising on regulatory prosecution matters. Charlie has regularly appeared as a Crown Prosecutor in the District Court, High Court and Court of Appeal and has experience in appearing on civil matters in the High Court.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
- Regulatory advisory
Charlie served as president of Victoria University of Wellington Law Student’s Society in 2017 and began her legal career in Wellington, moving back to Tāmaki Makaurau in late 2019. A disciplined, approachable and people-focused person, she’s passionate about the work she does for her clients, employing a collaborative approach to ensure the best results. Given her background in Crown prosecution, Charlie particularly appreciates mentoring our junior lawyers with their advocacy skills and court appearances.
When she’s not working, Charlie enjoys all things adventurous and active – on the weekend, you’ll find her in, on or around the water.
Qualifications:
- LLB/BA – Victoria University of Wellington
Rosie Argyle
Prior to joining Rice Speir, Rosie was an in-house solicitor at Auckland Council. Practical and client-focused, she has excellent insight into the complex legal frameworks local governments operate under.
Specialist areas:
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
- Resource Management
- Governance advisory
During her time at Auckland Council, Rosie worked on various regulatory and local government issues, including providing advice on resource management and Building Act matters, bylaw enforcement and dog control prosecutions.
Rosie is community-minded with a kind and confident approach. Through her work in resource management and compliance, she is committed to assisting local governments to achieve great outcomes for their communities.
Qualifications:
- LLB/BA, Victoria University of Wellington
Bodene Robertson-Wright
Bodene joined Rice Speir in 2022. She has a perceptive ability to grasp the ‘big picture’ whilst keeping an eye on complex details – a skill that lends itself well to local government law.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
Since completing her qualifications, Bodene has hit her stride in construction and property law including negligence claims and contractual disputes.
Between co-writing articles for the legal column in Building Today magazine and providing advice to clients, Bodene is passionate about sharing her knowledge and skills.
Bodene always brings a unique perspective to the table and ensures her clients are armed with the right information to get the best outcome.
Qualifications:
- LLB/BSc, University of Canterbury
Emma Caro
Joining Rice Speir in 2022, Emma brings with her a wide variety of experience in civil litigation and a focus on achieving great outcomes for her clients.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
Previously, Emma has worked for both a general litigation law firm and a conveyancing law firm, and has acted for Councils, commercial entities and private individuals around the country. She has also worked on several large commercial dispute matters, with a particular focus on bankruptcy and Companies Act proceedings.
Emma uses her sharp mind and positive attitude to ensure her clients receive timely and pragmatic advice.
Qualifications:
- LLB, University of Canterbury
Dylan Lafaele
With a keen focus on litigation, Dylan embarked on his legal journey in 2020. His early courtroom experiences have equipped him with a robust understanding of navigating complex legal landscapes, including untested legislation.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
Known for his disciplined and organised approach, Dylan brings insight and a goal-oriented perspective to every task. His structured methodology and commitment to outcomes align seamlessly with the firm’s values of excellence and precision.
Dylan’s professional interests are deeply intertwined with advocacy, allowing him to easily excel in both written and verbal communication. He is fascinated by the regulatory frameworks around where private and public sectors intersect, a skill set particularly beneficial in his work with Councils.
To further bolster his expertise, Dylan recently pursued postgraduate study in public law at the University of Auckland.
Outside of the office, Dylan enjoys the outdoors and cherishes quality time with friends and family, balancing his passion for law with a well-rounded lifestyle.
Qualifications:
- LLB, Auckland University of Technology
Maria Sefo
A self-proclaimed proactive, curious and considerate person, Maria uses her sharp eye for detail and passion for law to help achieve the best outcomes for her clients. Maria joined us in April 2023 after being admitted to the bar in November 2022.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
Throughout her study, Maria volunteered at the South Auckland Community Law Centre, doing legal research for senior solicitors. Most of her legal experience comes from recent work with Inland Revenue, where she got a wealth of experience in insolvency work and company liquidations in the court process.
Maria is also passionate about the advancement of tertiary education for Pacific peoples and addressing cultural capabilities in corporate Aotearoa, demonstrated in her involvement as a leader in Pacific associations and projects throughout her school and university life.
Outside the office, Maria enjoys fostering her self-taught photography skills, cross-fit and spending time with family.
Qualifications:
- BA/LLB Double Major – Sociology and Criminology – Auckland University
Shamika Pujara
Impressively balancing her legal studies with working full time as an Investigator for Auckland Council, Shamika brings to Rice Speir more than 11 years’ experience at the coalface of the largest Council in Aotearoa.
Specialist areas:
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
- Civil litigation
- Alcohol law
With a diverse background and practical local government experience across Alcohol Licensing and Regulatory Enforcement, Shamika brings an end-to-end perspective to Rice Speir. She is committed to helping Councils create empowered communities.
Shamika is passionate about learning new skills, relishing the opportunity to get into Court and add a new chapter to her already remarkable career story.
Qualifications:
- LLB/Post Graduate Diploma in Business, Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
Vanessa Falcunitin
Vanessa joined the Rice Speir team in 2022 and recently completed her studies at the University of Auckland. Through passion and determination, Vanessa has already gained a wide variety of legal experience. She has quickly become an indispensable support to our civil litigation team, assisting with defective construction cases, weathertightness claims, professional disciplinary proceedings and regulatory prosecutions
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
Vanessa enjoys learning about the challenges and practicalities of local government law and is excited to continue expanding her understanding of the profession with the Rice Speir team.
Qualifications:
- LLB/BA, University of Auckland
Tyler Wilton
Vivacious, driven and inquisitive, Tyler hit the ground running when she joined the Rice Speir team in 2023. She’s an innovative problem-solver who leaves no stone unturned and is squarely focused on helping our clients get the best results.
Specialist areas:
- Civil litigation
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
Tyler supported herself through law school by working in several of Auckland’s busiest restaurants, which is where she learned the invaluable skill of staying calm and methodical while under pressure.
She has quickly become an asset to her team, providing assistance with complex building and regulatory matters for both councils and regulatory boards.
Beyond work, Tyler is passionate about travel, firmly convinced that it instils tenacity and compels individuals to step out of their comfort zones.
Qualifications:
- LLB – Auckland University of Technology
Claire Marra
In 2022 Claire became our all-round operational leader for Rice Speir. Alongside the daily management of the practice, Claire assists the Directors with finance, compliance, personnel, marketing and IT.
Specialist areas:
- Finance
- Business management
- Leadership
As a chartered accountant with a background in IT, Claire brings creative solutions and innovative business practices to the firm. She is constantly driving efficiencies while successfully creating a work culture that enables our team to thrive.
Claire is a born leader, critical thinker and incredibly hard worker. She takes each challenge in her stride, always finding a way to keep the firm moving in the right direction.
Qualifications:
- BAcc, Massey University
- Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accountancy
Helena Santos
Helena has been an integral part of Rice Speir’s administration team since the beginning of 2022.
After five years at one of Auckland’s largest litigation firms, Helena steps into an executive assistant role, providing energetic and highly organised support to her team and the wider firm.
Having worked her way up from a junior office role to a sole-legal administrator at her previous firm, Helena is a proactive people-person with advanced secretarial skills that have become essential to maintaining our firm’s efficiency.
Alexis Hukui
Alexis came to Rice Speir in 2022 after working at a mid-tier law firm in Auckland. As an executive assistant, she provides top-level, comprehensive support to her team and the wider firm. She is relied on for her administrative leadership and her ability to keep the firm’s daily operations running smoothly.
With a pioneering spirit, Alexis is all about streamlining business processes and improving productivity. She consistently finds ways for the firm to perform more efficiently and contributes to developing internal policy and procedures as we continue to grow.
Amelia Cudicio
Amelia’s role as an executive assistant is pivotal to the success of her team and the wider firm.
With previous roles in both large and small New Zealand and Australian firms she has extensive experience supporting authors in insurance law, commercial law, conveyancing, trusts/estates and litigation.
For many years, Amelia toured the world as a professional softball player. While she only plays locally these days, her team-player mentality means she can always be relied on to lend a helping hand and spot opportunities to improve process efficiency.