Partner

Melissa Hammer

Partner, Tāhuna | Queenstown / Ōtepoti | Dunedin

LL.B (First Class Honours), B.A, University of Otago

Expertise

Dispute resolution

Health and Safety

Insurance

Insolvency and restructuring

Contact

d: +64 3 450 0733

m: +64 27 466 7884

e: melissa.hammer@al.nz

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Melissa is a Partner in our Dispute Resolution Team with a national practice, leading the team across Otago / Southland. She is a specialist dispute resolution lawyer with broad expertise having worked as both a civil litigator and Crown prosecutor. Melissa has extensive experience acting in civil disputes, including experience in contract disputes, insurance and professional indemnity claims, property, construction and equity related disputes, insolvency and debt recovery matters, as well trust and equity related claims. She has also acted in numerous shareholder and trustee / beneficiary disputes, as well as for a number of commercial landlords in leasing related matters. Her experience includes bringing claims against professionals for negligence.

Additionally, given Melissa’s background as a prosecutor, she also acts in criminal and regulatory prosecutions and defence, and has extensive experience in health and safety regulation. She is adept at guiding clients through regulatory investigations, providing sound strategic advice throughout. Melissa also acts for clients on urgent High Court injunction hearings.

Melissa is an experienced advocate in the Court room having represented clients in High Court and District Court trials, arbitrations, and extensively for the Crown prosecuting serious crime, as well as appearing in the Court of Appeal for both criminal and civil appeals. She also assists clients through the mediation process as a form of alternative dispute resolution.

Melissa is known for her deep knowledge of the law, but also her commercial and pragmatic approach to dispute resolution. Melissa is recognised for her expertise in dispute resolution including being selected for the NZ Lawyer Rising Stars 2021 list. She was also named on the Lexology list for Insurance in 2026.

Melissa worked as a Summer Clerk in our Dunedin office over the 2008/2009 summer. She graduated from the University of Otago in 2010 with a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (majoring in History) and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 2011. In 2016 Melissa was awarded a Pegasus Scholarship where she spent time in London working alongside barristers and the judiciary.

Melissa returned to Anderson Lloyd in April 2019. Prior to joining Anderson Lloyd, Melissa commenced her career as a Judges’ Clerk in the Wellington High Court. She has also spent time working as a Crown Prosecutor and an Associate in two leading litigation practices in Auckland.

Melissa has authored the New Zealand Chapter for the Insurance and Reinsurance Law Review. Melissa is also a member of the New Zealand Insurance Law Association, and the Restructuring Insolvency & Turnaround Association of New Zealand.

Publications