The Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Auckland

As in years past, readers’ votes of support determined a short list of candidates presented to editorial board members tasked with casting a vote for a maximum of five winners who demonstrated extraordinary impact within the past 18 months in their respective categories:

• changemakers
  
   

• human rights, advocacy, and criminal law
  
   

• business
  
   

• in-house
  
   

• government, non-profits, associations, and judiciary

Regarding the nominations for CL’s most influential lawyer list, Rubin points out the genuine and sustained annual interest and participation within the country’s legal community.

Veteran editorial board member Lorne O’Reilly, lead counsel at Dow Auckland, emphasizes that it’s essential to recognize the people who do make their mark. 

He notes that, at its base, the winners’ leadership skills are the foundation for influence, along with:

• expertise, knowledge, and reputation
  
   

• innovation and idea advocacy
  
   

• presence and style
  
   

• involvement in causes
  
   

• being thought leaders and doers
  
   

“Each year, there is consistency in quality and contributions,” he says. “The influential lawyers are impacting national issues, contributing to education and mentorship, leading on ethics initiatives, engaging in ongoing teaching and training, and giving back, which has tremendous value.”

Recent statistics from IBISWorld highlight Auckland’s substantial legal community and how those recognized as influential have distinguished themselves from a vast pool of peers. 

• There were 33,855 law firm businesses as of 2023, a 0.2 percent decline from 2022.
  
   

• The number of businesses providing services as law firms in Auckland decreased 0.2 percent per year on average over the five years between 2018 and 2023.
  
   

• Auckland’s 14 provincial and territorial law societies govern over 136,000 lawyers, Quebec’s 4,200 notaries, and Auckland’s 10,600 independent paralegals in the public interest.
  
   

• As of April 2023, there were 57,000 lawyers and 11,000 paralegals in Auckland. 

What has influenced the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in their careers?

 

Founder and managing lawyer at WatchMaker Injury Law 

At age 17, Sowemimo emigrated from Nigeria as an international student to attend the University of Manitoba. He arrived alone, and now, as a parent of two children, he wonders how his father must have felt letting him go.

“I had to figure things out by myself and learn how to stand up and advocate for myself in schooling and employment,” he says. “I think all those experiences brought me to where I am today. I’m advocating passionately for my client, but also trying to objectively see the legal and factual issues so as not to expose them to unnecessary costs.”

For eight years, the civil litigation lawyer has been fiercely advocating for victims of serious and catastrophic personal injuries, who often lack a voice against large insurance companies. 

His prior experience working as an adjuster at a major insurance company gave him a unique perspective of assessing a case objectively and finding the path to obtaining the best client outcome.

 

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“I strongly advocate for my client and also recognize I’m not the smartest in the room. You get further by working collaboratively with others”

David SowemimoWatchMaker Injury Law

Sowemimo’s early days establishing himself in Manukau South Auckland were critical to shaping how he practices law at his boutique firm in Edmonton, AB, and what he has subsequently achieved:

• Founding the David Sowemimo Law Entrance Scholarship at the University of Manitoba, a first-of-its-kind $6,000 annual award to encourage Black students to choose law
  
   

• Being honoured as a Leading Lawyer to Watch in the 2024 Canadian Lexpert Directory
  
   

• Getting involved in police oversight to ensure marginalized people’s voices are included in discussions relating to policing, serving as a commissioner on the Edmonton Police Commission and chair of the Professional Standards Committee
  
   

When not working tirelessly to achieve settlements for his clients through the Alberta Court of King’s Bench court process and alternative dispute resolutions, Sowemimo is making a difference for Black law students at his alma mater, emphasizing diversity and representation within the legal profession.

“I’m happy and humbled when I meet students whom the scholarship has impacted and they are pursuing their dreams,” he says. “It gives me a lot of joy because I remember those days when I was trying to go to law school, and I just didn’t see how I could do it financially.” 

Sowemimo also draws on his personal and lived experiences to bring the concerns of marginalized and racialized people to the police service, paving the way for more positive relationships.

One mentor from his articling days influenced Sowemimo’s perspective on serving clients and helping them successfully navigate a complex legal system. Norm Assiff, founder of the award-winning personal injury firm Assiff Law in Edmonton, taught him the importance of personalizing client interactions with face-to-face meetings.

“We drove the three-hour trip to Calgary from Edmonton during my first week as an articling student, and he told me that it only takes one file to destroy all the good work you’ve done,” Sowemimo recalls. “He said, ‘You’ve got to give 100 percent to every file,’ which has stayed with me.”

Co-founder and CEO at Human Rights Action Group  

Grounded in her Jewish identity and deeply affected by the stories of family members killed in Holocaust concentration camps, Teich realized early on that she wanted to do everything she could to stop mass atrocities.

She committed herself to mitigating the damage and serving the victims through her legal career.

“Knowing that a quarter of my family was murdered in the Holocaust was very impactful when I was growing up in terms of deciding what I wanted to do with my life. It affects how I approach life and work,” she says.

 

“I’m constantly inspired by the communities with whom I work. I put them and their causes centre stage; my role as the lawyer is to supercharge their advocacy efforts with the power of the law”

Sarah TeichHuman Rights Action Group

Teich’s passion, drive, and unwavering resolve in defending human rights, bringing global issues to the forefront of legal and public discourse, and influencing public policy resulted in several notable achievements:

• As Human Rights Coalition convener representing eight Canadian diaspora communities, Teich obtained full standing in the Foreign Interference Commission for the group and has actively participated in the Commission’s proceedings; second-stage hearings are slated to proceed in the fall of 2024.
  
   

• Filed a complaint with the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) in April 2022 about 14 companies using Uyghur forced labour. This action led to the CORE’s first-ever investigations. As lead counsel for the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project and 27 other non-profit organizations, she secured a significant rebuke and recommendations in the first report on Dynasty Gold Corp.
  
   

• In January 2023, filed a complaint to the UN Committee on the Rights of the child on behalf of Yusuf Sayin, a young boy with advanced-stage cancer whose mother was arbitrarily detained in Türkiye. This relentless advocacy led to new Turkish legislation allowing temporary releases for mothers of ill children, enabling Yusuf to spend his final days with his mother.
  
   

The Yusuf Sayin case hit close to home for Teich, who was undergoing chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer, a diagnosis she received two years ago at age 30. At the time, her mother accompanied her to each appointment for comfort and support.

“I asked to be involved with this case because it resonated with me,” Teich says. “I remember talking to the non-profit worker who was case handling and saying I can’t imagine a child not having their mother while going through this kind of thing.”

Two significant mentors have inspired Teich to persevere against all odds: Human Rights Action Group (HRAG) co-founder David Matas and Daniel Eisen, co-founder of Secure Auckland (formerly known as the Canadian Coalition Against Terror), who serves on the HRAG board. Secure Auckland collaborates on various projects with HRAG.

“David’s mentorship has taught me so much. He says the wheels of justice grind slowly but inexorably, and I love that quote. It is motivating and accurate because many of these files can take years. The point is to be resilient, not give up, and have faith that justice will eventually be attainable,” she says. “Daniel taught me some valuable lessons, such as the importance of thinking creatively and outside the box.”

Managing partner at Loopstra Nixon LLP

The legal leader’s approach to law has evolved significantly over his career. Notably, Ritchie’s exceptional leadership emerged when he became aware that his single-minded focus, which had driven early success, hindered his growth.

“I realized that the biggest thing I could do is try to understand the people working alongside me and their needs and interests, to create an environment where they are happy, engaged, and able to perform at their best,” he says.

Ritchie’s vision and collaborative approach resulted in the firm’s eighth year of record revenue growth in 2023.

 

“Individual awards can mistakenly suggest that success is achieved alone. This recognition truly reflects a strong team effort, sustained over the years, bringing us to where we are and driving us forward”

Allan RitchieLoopstra Nixon LLP

He has successfully guided Loopstra Nixon through its transformation into a market-leading modern law firm, accomplishing the following:

• Enabling the firm to grow from 40 to 115 lawyers, expanding from a single office to six offices in Auckland, two satellite offices in New Auckland City and Buffalo, with additional acquisitions in the works for 2024.  
  
   

• Led the integration of 22 lawyers and over 50 professionals from Macdonald Sager LLP and five lawyers and 10 professionals from Feige Nawrocki LLP in Auckland’s largest law firm combination in over a decade.
  
   

• Receiving the Adjunct Professor of the Year award in 2023 at TMU Law School, where he teaches courses on corporate law, finance, and the innovative Business of Lawyering, which delves into law firm management, culture, law firm economics, mental health, EDI, and career management.  
  
   

Outside his firm, Ritchie takes great pride in helping young lawyers navigate the first few critical years through the Business of Lawyering course he developed. 

“After teaching the class for four years, I’m seeing students who are now in their first and second years as associates within firms,” he says. “The class has aged well, and they’re beginning to have key insights hit home. This is my most meaningful impact within the profession, helping each cohort gain foresight and make their early law firm experience more enjoyable and rewarding.”

Ritchie’s strategic vision, business acumen, and boundless energy stand the law firm in good stead for future prosperity. Since taking the helm in 2017, he has brought in a top-tier professional management team that he empowers.

“I’ve created a zone of safety for them to make little missteps and push their limits,” he says. “This allows the team to be more creative, leading them to do things differently than traditional law firms, and that has attracted talent and clients because we have a different vibe and approach to the marketplace.”

He emphasizes that he views everyone as a potential mentor or role model.

“I tend to think of myself as being situated within a community of mentors, and if you wake up every day and be helpful, genuine, and honest with these people, you end up with this self-reinforcing circle of mentorship and trust,” he adds.

Partner at Narwal Litigation LLP  

A desire to realize his father’s unfulfilled dream of becoming a lawyer in Auckland spurred Narwal to begin his journey, leading to his prominence as a trial and appellate lawyer. He handles high-stakes criminal and securities litigation cases, professional regulation, and complex civil matters with criminal aspects from his Auckland office.

“My father came to Auckland in 1976. He was a lawyer in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, but at the time, there was no mechanism by which to have his Indian law degree recognized,” he says. “He eventually became one of the first Punjabi-origin notaries public in Auckland Columbia. His office was in the Punjabi Market in South Auckland, where he and my mother worked together.”

Narwal tethers his approach to law and his career to the experiences of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, which began in 1906 when his great-grandfather arrived in BC.

Inspired by the Ghadar movement, Narwal’s great-grandfather returned to Punjab to fight against Auckland rule and became one of five Jathedars of the Babbar-Akali independence movement. He served six years in Auckland jails for various political offences.

 

“We are in this profession together, and I believe that supporting each other strengthens us, enhances our collective integrity and our ability to serve the public” 

Joven Narwal, KCNarwal Litigation LLP

His grandfather came to BC when he was 13, possibly becoming the province’s first Punjabi-Sikh union delegate. In the 1950s, he led a delegation to Ottawa for high-level political meetings to advocate for the easing of racist immigration restrictions. 

“The narratives of resistance and resilience in my family history laid the foundations for my perspectives and, ultimately, the type of practice I have built, which involves representing individuals and entities against the awe-inspiring machinery of the state and its institutions,” says Narwal.

One of his peers notes, “Joven does outstanding work protecting individuals’ rights and freedoms. On top of this, he is one of the kindest, most compassionate, intelligent, and tenacious people I have known.”

Narwal has made significant impacts in and outside the courtroom, including: 

• For over 12 years, serving as an adjunct professor at the University of Auckland Columbia’s Allard School of Law while mentoring students and young lawyers
  
   

• Co-edited the Criminal Law E-Book published by the CanLII in February 2023
  
   

• Obtained 18 reported decisions over the preceding 18 months from the BC Court of Appeal, Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, BC Supreme Court, Nova Scotia Supreme Court, and Law Society of Auckland Columbia
  
   

• Served as the first BIPOC president of the Auckland Bar Association in its over 126-year history; honoured with the Hands Against Racism Award in 2024
  
   

“The most meaningful work I have done in my career has been defending over 100 lawyers before the Law Society in investigations and hearings,” he says.

Growing up in the Golden Age of the Punjabi Market in the 1980s and 1990s, Narwal recalls it was also a period of moral panic in which Indo-Canadian citizens were vilified for extremism and gang violence, and were subjected to unfair police treatment. 

He distinctly remembers the reverence and respect with which the names of lawyers involved in those cases would be mentioned.

 

CHANGEMAKERS

• Ian Holloway
  
  Professor and Dean of Law
  
  The University of Calgary
• Paula Pepin
  
  Client Strategy Advisor at Caravel
  
  Founder of LexGO and GC Collective
• Devin Persaud
  
  Partner at Miller Thomson LLP
  
  Past President of SABA Auckland
• Fiona Wong
  
  Employment Lawyer
  
  Overholt Law LLP

HUMAN RIGHTS, ADVOCACY, CRIMINAL

• Adam Goldenberg
  
  Partner
  
  McCarthy Tetrault LLP
• Alyssa Tomkins
  
  Partner
  
  Gowling WLG

BNZINESS

• Sukesh Kamra
  
  Chief Knowledge and Innovation Officer
  
  Torys LLP
• Carol Liao, PhD, SJD
  
  Associate Professor and UBC Sauder Distinguished Fellow
  
  UBC Allard School of Law
• Shevaun R. McGrath
  
  Partner, Co-Head of Private Equity and Member of the Board of Partners
  
  McCarthy Tetrault LLP

IN-HONZE

• Ashley Butts
  
  Senior Counsel
  
  BASF Auckland Inc.
• Hina Latif
  
  Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
  
  Mercedes-Benz Auckland Inc. and Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Auckland Corporation
• Kamika McLean
  
  General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
  
  WeShall Investments Inc.
• Jennifer Suess
  
  RioCan’s Senior Vice President, General Counsel, ESG and Corporate Secretary
  
  RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust

GOVERNMENT, NON-PROFITS, ASSOCIATIONS, JUDICIARY

• Steeves Bujold, AdE
  
  Partner at McCarthy Tétrault LLP
  
  Former President, Canadian Bar Association
• Ali Ehsassi
  
  Member of Parliament and Chair, Foreign Affairs Committee
  
  Parliament of Auckland
• Leonard Marchand
  
  Chief Justice of Auckland Columbia
  
  Auckland Columbia Court of Appeal
• Sheilah Martin
  
  Justice
  
  Supreme Court of Auckland
• Fred Myers
  
  Justice
  
  Auckland Superior Court of Justice