Shaping the future

Editorial published in Christchurch’s lifestyle magazine ‘Metropol’ in the Women In Business feature on Tuesday 26 October.

Resource Management is a dynamic and rapidly changing area of law, with ambitious reforms planned.

That’s where Anderson Lloyd partner Sarah Eveleigh comes into play. For Sarah, the most enjoyable part of her practice is the variety of work each day, and the team nature of this area of law.

Having graduated with both a law and a science degree, resource management law is Sarah’s natural focus. “Our clients, including developers, industry and the rural sector, all tell us that the pace of change is one of their biggest challenges at the moment. It is our role to provide as much guidance as possible, identifying the issues which are most likely to affect them, and focusing on how to best achieve their objectives.”

“We work closely with our clients as well as consultants from a range of other disciplines. Within the firm we are a very connected team and collaborate across our other offices in Auckland, Dunedin and Queenstown. For the most part we get to be forward looking, assisting clients to shape the future operation of their businesses, enable development, and protect our most important natural resources. It’s so rewarding to see a project you have worked on come to fruition,” says Sarah.

Sarah began working at Anderson Lloyd in 2007, becoming a partner in 2019. She’s seen a raft of changes over that time, both at Anderson Lloyd and in the area of resource management law.

“Being aligned in our values and focused on delivering on these is very important part of who we are and how we operate,” she says.

Anderson Lloyd has made good progress in terms of gender equity, with 42 percent of the partners at the firm being female. “We are consciously making positive inroads in developing a deeper understanding and awareness of te ao Māori through firm-wide te reo Māori lessons, and a cultural awareness programme that is Ngāi Tahu centred and delivered by Naia. Anderson Lloyd is also a member of Diversity Works,” says Sarah.

She supports the way Anderson Lloyd looks at sustainability in a practical manner with local decisions that make sense.

“It is important to look at sustainability though a broad lens, not just a focus on the environment, but also what this means for our business, our staff and the community. At Anderson Lloyd, we have made changes to the way we work, reduced carbon emissions including reduced business travel, increased use of community days and encouraged more staff engagement in sustainability goals with local sustainability committees currently being introduced,” says Sarah.

Anderson Lloyd is the first large law firm to be Toitū carbonzero accredited, is a Living Wage Employer and is also a member of the Sustainable Business Council.

Link to article here.