Olivia leads the Wellington employment and health and safety, and dispute resolution team, helping clients navigate unexpected major events and crises including workplace incidents, regulatory investigations and prosecutions, employment and commercial disputes, professional complaints and discipline. She provides strategic support to ensure clients can act decisively to minimise the potential adverse impacts on their business or organisation whilst preserving the reputation, integrity and relationships of all interested parties.

Olivia acts for clients in a range of sectors including public, corporate, small business, insurance, and not for profit in a range of industries including agriculture, construction, education, forestry, health and disability, hospitality, litigation and dispute resolution, manufacturing, and transport.

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Her specialist expertise includes:

  • Complex workplace incident response
  • Regulatory investigations and prosecutions
  • Professional complaints and discipline
  • Coronial inquires and inquests
  • Employment advisory and disputes
  • Workplace investigations and cultural reviews
  • Health and safety advisory

Recent highlights

  • Successfully defending a quarry operator in a WorkSafe NZ prosecution by obtaining a rare dismissal of the charges with no case to answer and a significant adverse costs award.
  • Successfully defending a registered plumber facing a disciplinary charge before the Plumbers Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board.
  • Acting for HASANZ in obtaining a declaration from the New Zealand Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority as to whether health and safety investigators and auditors are subject Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Act 2010 and need to be licensed.
  • Acting for a bus driver in a WorkSafe NZ and Coronial Inquiry into the death of a child in a bus accident.
  • Acting for the second-largest gas and largest electricity distributor in New Zealand in respect of a gas explosion that harmed several people where no charges were laid.
  • Acting for a school board of trustees in a WorkSafe investigation into an incident where a student was severely injured at the school swimming pool.
  • Acting for a number of agricultural, construction, forestry and transport operators in respect of WorkSafe NZ investigations and prosecutions involving fatalities and serious harm.
  • Acting as defence counsel for a number of forestry and other organisations in respect of prosecutions bought by local authorities under the Resource Management Act.
  • Acting for individuals and organisations in coronial inquires and inquests into suspected suicides.
  • Providing advice on health and safety obligations and management of COVID-19 in respect of athletes undertaking international travel for training, Olympic qualifying events and the Olympics Games in Tokyo.
  • Providing advice to an association on an independent inquiry into multiple complaints of bullying, sexual harassment, and sexual assault including dealing with multiple media requests and coverage.
  • Providing advice and representation to health professionals facing professional conduct complaints, investigations and disciplinary charges before their respective disciplinary bodies and the Health and Disability Commissioner.

Olivia's insights

Navigating court orders and privacy issues

1 August 2024

Academic freedom and health and safety – one does not trump the other

31 July 2024

Health and Safety newsletter: update from our national team

17 November 2023

We're driven by our values

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

He tāngata

  • Leads the Duncan Cotterill partnership with the Health and Safety Association of New Zealand
  • Former Chair of the Duncan Cotterill People and Culture Committee
  • Provides seminars, training and workshops for boards and senior management

Excellence

  • Recognised as ‘Next Generation Partner’ by the Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Included in Doyle’s Guide Leading Workplace Health and Safety Lawyer Rankings – New Zealand 2023 and 2024
  • Recognised as a rising star by NZ Lawyer 2021

Enterprising

  • Member of NZ Institute of Safety Management
  • Regular contributor to Safeguard Magazine
  • Provides media commentary on workplace issues
  • Recently completed a Postgraduate Diploma in workplace health and safety at Victoria University of Wellington

Authenticity

“Clear, approachable and practical.”

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