Committee

Convenor

Virginia is a senior associate at Wynn Williams, working in their dispute resolution team. She brings a global perspective and a broad range of experience having worked in New Zealand as well as in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Her career spans both prosecution and private practice, giving her a distinctive and valuable insight in litigation matters. Her diverse background allows her to develop innovative solutions tailored to complex legal challenges. As former Legal Counsel for a U.S.-based international media company, she offers commercially astute legal strategies that deliver practical, results-driven outcomes.

Virginia is also a member of the Civil Litigation Committee of the New Zealand Law Society. From Christchurch originally, Virginia graduated from the University of Canterbury with a degree in Law and a BA, before working overseas and being admitted to both the Law Society of England and Wales and the Oregon State Bar.

She has always enjoyed being a part of a strong female legal professional network in each of these different jurisdictions and she is looking forward to continuing that tradition here in Canterbury.

Secretary

Madeleine is a legal counsel at Ryman Healthcare, advising on a wide range of commercial matters. With previous experience in Christchurch firms, Madeleine has advised clients on matters including commercial, property, retirement villages and trusts.  Before joining the legal profession, Madeleine worked in the insurance industry, specialising in corporate and liability matters.  This experience has given her a unique perspective on the challenges faced by businesses and the importance of effective risk management. Madeleine is approachable and always willing to lend a helping hand, having a strong passion for problem solving.

Madeleine takes pride in being on the CWLA committee and is delighted to foster the development and networking opportunities of female lawyers in Canterbury.

Treasurer

Tahlia is a solicitor in Malley & Co Lawyers’ Dispute Resolution Team and assists in resolving a range of civil disputes and court related matters.  In particular, Tahlia specialises in relationship property matters, applications under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988 (including review of power of attorney decisions and the appointment of welfare guardians and property managers), trust claims and estate claims.

Tahlia enjoys being part of a strong committee of women that promotes and supports other women within the Canterbury legal profession.  She is particularly passionate about helping graduates build connections within the legal industry.

Maddy is an Associate at Godfreys Law, where she practises in Life Law. She is passionate about building lasting relationships with her clients and providing practical, straightforward legal advice that helps people navigate important life decisions with confidence.

After graduating from the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Laws, Maddy began her legal career in Gisborne before returning to Christchurch to join Godfreys Law. She appreciates the variety that Life Law offers and finds it rewarding to support individuals and families through many of life's most significant milestones, helping them plan for the future with clarity and peace of mind.

As a member of the Canterbury Women's Legal Association committee, Maddy is passionate about creating opportunities for women to connect, learn from one another and build meaningful professional relationships. She believes that a strong and supportive professional community empowers women to thrive at every stage of their careers and is proud to contribute to initiatives that foster connection, collaboration and professional development across Canterbury's legal profession.

Outside of work, Maddy enjoys spending time with her young family, exploring Canterbury with her two energetic Border Collies, Ollie and Harlow, attempting to keep up with Reformer Pilates, and baking for family, friends and colleagues

Anna joined Rhodes & Co as an undergraduate in 2010 and later graduated as the top law student at Canterbury University. She was admitted in 2014 and worked at the firm for 3 years before taking up a scholarship at the University of Cambridge to complete her Master of Law, which she was awarded with a First. Anna worked in dispute resolution at global firm Herbert Smith Freehills in Melbourne before returning to Rhodes & Co in late 2020.

Anna provides advice on a breadth of contentious and non-contentious issues. She has experience as counsel in District Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court proceedings. Anna also assists clients with a variety of corporate and private matters including capital raising and corporate structure, land transactions, agri-business, relationship property, and trusts and estates.

Outside of the office, Anna is a keen long-distance runner and skier.

Angela owns Infinity Intellectual Property Limited and is a registered trade mark and patent attorney in both New Zealand and Australia, and a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.  Angela has about 30 years experience in the IP world - particularly in trade marks and branding. This includes advising clients as to their ability to use and register a trade mark, applying to register the mark in New Zealand and overseas, and contentious matters such as oppositions, applications for revocation and declarations of invalidity. Angela also has first hand knowledge of Australian trade mark law and practice having worked in a top IP firm in Sydney for 4 years.

Grace is a solicitor at Harmans and is a member of the Private Client team with a focus on property, trusts, asset protection, wills, and enduring powers of attorney. Grace graduated from the University of Canterbury in 2021 with a double degree in Law and Arts, majoring in English, and worked in the litigation and dispute resolution space for about 4 years before moving into private client work.

Grace values strong client relationships and works closely with clients to help them make confident and well-informed decisions. Her experience in dispute resolution gives her a strong foundation for resolving issues efficiently and brings a practical and risk-aware perspective to her work.

In her role as a committee member for the Canterbury Women’s Legal Association, Grace enjoys supporting the connection and development of her colleagues in the legal community.

Pam Harliwich brings a wealth of experience and a genuine passion for her work as a Senior Registered Legal Executive in Duncan Cotterill's corporate and commercial team. A Fellow of Legal Executives New Zealand, Pam has built a diverse career spanning 35 years in small and large private practice firms and in-house roles — including managing the conveyancing team for a large retirement village operator before joining Duncan Cotterill.

Beyond her day-to-day practice, Pam is deeply committed to the profession, serving as an independent council member and Board member of Legal Executives New Zealand. She joined the CWLA Committee in 2025, driven by her belief in the power of connection — creating opportunities for women to build meaningful professional relationships and championing the involvement of legal executives in CWLA.

Emillie is a solicitor at Chapman Tripp, working in the corporate and commercial team.  Emillie graduated from the University of Canterbury in 2022 with a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Commerce and has worked in Christchurch since. 

Emillie is a new member of the Committee and is extremely proud to be a member of an organisation promoting and supporting women in the legal profession.