Emma is an experienced commercial, property and private client lawyer in the Duncan Cotterill Christchurch office. She advises individuals and families on a wide range of business and personal law matters.

She is a specialist in trust law and regularly advises clients on estate planning and asset protection. Emma understands the importance of succession planning with multi-generational assets and works with clients to create structures that will be both practical for their business operations and will protect their wealth for the future. Her advice is often in the agribusiness space, assisting farming families with significant assets across a broad range of rural sectors (dairy, sheep and beef, arable).

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Emma’s property experience includes advising clients on the sale and purchase of commercial, rural and residential properties, as well as commercial leases, property developments and subdivisions and financing.

She advises family businesses on a broad range of commercial matters including business sale and purchases, share transactions, and shareholder and other commercial agreements.

Emma is approachable and authentic. She enjoys building strong relationships with clients as their trusted advisor and providing strategic and practical advice for their business and personal activities.

Recent highlights

  • Advising businesses on commercial agreements, property transactions and leasing issues.
  • Advising clients on succession planning and transferring family assets down to the next generation particularly with family-owned businesses including farms.
  • Estate planning including complex trust and will structuring for individuals and families including forming trusts for business risk and protection of personal wealth.
  • Acquisition and disposal of farm properties.
  • Advising clients on property issues relating to large scale irrigation schemes.
  • Advising landowners of development land on property transactions, including some with complex property ownership restrictions.
  • Advising family trusts and charities on trust restructures and modernising their entities as result of Trusts Act 2019.
  • Advising trustees and beneficiaries of trusts on disclosure of information obligations.

Emma's insights

Incorporated Societies Act 2022 Changes - Information Hub

18 November 2022

Court of Appeal confirms manufacturer's duty of care in leaky building cases

29 October 2024

Naming your incorporated society – what are the rules?

27 September 2024

We're driven by our values

They drive our client relationships and connections with our community, and underpin our achievements.

He tāngata

  • Trustee of a community organisation.
  • Provide pro-bono legal assistance on a voluntary basis through Citizens Advice.

Authenticity

“She has married her skill in strategic communication with her expertise to get some great results at great speed, all while being relieving and supportive in her approach.” Private Client

Enterprising

  • Member of the Property Law Section of the New Zealand Law Society.
  • Past member of Canterbury Westland District Law Society Trust Law Committee.
  • Member of Business Networking International.

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