LLB (Auckland)
Debra’s first law job was for a sole practitioner, primarily carrying out conveyancing work and subdivisions, administering estates, incorporating companies and setting up incorporated societies. She then spent a number of years working for a large Auckland city firm practising in the areas of civil litigation and employment before joining Wood Ruck in 1998. She was a partner of Wood Ruck Manukau from early 2001 until the partnership dissolved on 30 September 2010.
Debra is results driven and enjoys working alongside clients to achieve sound commercial outcomes. With her extensive litigation background she recognises the benefit of Alternative Dispute Resolution and in 2010 became a LEADR accredited mediator.
In her spare time Debra helps wrangle alpacas on her lifestyle property.
LLB (Auckland 1984)
Tony commenced his legal career as a Law Clerk with Wood Ruck, when its offices were situated in Otahuhu, and was admitted to the bar as a barrister and solicitor whilst at the firm.
He has since then gained varied legal experience. Following his time with Wood Ruck he worked in London for 2 years with firms specialising in Criminal and Personal Injury law.
On his return to New Zealand he worked in Panmure for 3 years, with his primary areas of work being Family and Civil litigation. He then worked as Senior Associate and then Partner in an Auckland City firm specialising in Civil and Commercial and Civil litigation, before returning to the southern suburbs of Auckland, and to general practice.
At Law & Associates he continues in general practice with an emphasis on Estates, Trusts, Relationship Property, and Civil and Commercial litigation.
Tony’s philosophy in legal practice is to provide timely legal advice and representation to clients in a personal and when appropriate, informal manner. Throughout the process Tony’s aim is to ensure the best possible outcome for the client, both economically and personally, no matter how small or major the issue may be.
Chris first joined Wood Ruck in 1981 and (apart from a period of absence in 2007/2008) worked continuously for Wood Ruck Manukau and its predecessor until the practice dissolved. She has extensive knowledge of the practice and our clients.
Aman was born and raised in Auckland with parents that had emigrated from Punjab in Northern India. She completed a degree in Law at the Auckland University of Technology and admitted to the Bar in 2020.
Aman has a keen interest in all aspects of court work and loves being an advocate for those who may struggle to be heard, with a particular passion for the care of children proceedings. Aman prides herself on being accessible to her clients so that they can have their questions answered and their concerns addressed during the most challenging time in their lives. She is always happy to work with clients on the resolution of their disputes, whether through negotiation, mediation, or litigation.
In her spare time, she prioritizes spending quality time with her friends and family. Aman can read, write and speak Punjabi.
Registered Legal Executive (Fellow NZILE)
Marie has been employed by Law & Associates since January 2021 after working in a central city law firm for over 20 years. With a passion for conveyancing, she is part of our busy property and commercial law team.
Marie began her career as a junior Legal Secretary in a local law firm in 1998 while she studied and qualified as a Legal Executive in 2001. Marie became a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives in March 2019.
Marie enjoys the busy working environment with the team at Law & Associates, loves a nice glass of Sav and outside of the office is kept busy with her two children.
Sharmila joined our team in September 2020 after 9 years of working for another South Auckland Law Firm. Prior to that, she worked in law firms in Fiji for over 4 years. Her principal focus is on property matters, including residential conveyancing and subdivisions. She also enjoys estate planning, family trust, wills, and the power of attorneys.
Sharmila is looking forward to further advance her legal career by completing her Legal Executive Diploma.
Outside of work Sharmila enjoys spending time with her family and friends and loves traveling and exploring nature.
She is a fluent speaker of Hindi and marginally understands the Punjabi language.
Dominique is the daughter of Debra Law, who twisted her arm into joining the Law & Associates team in April 2021. Her natural abilities at bossing people around make her ideal for this role.
When she isn’t at the office she is managing the family’s equine farm and surrounding herself with a menagerie of animals from dogs to alpacas to horses.
Philippa is an experienced property litigator having practiced at the English bar since 1997.
She has broad experience in property-related disputes including trust, commercial, and insolvency matters. Philippa brings a personal approach to each case, enabling clients to resolve disputes in the most cost-effective and appropriate way, recognizing that, as each client is different, the most appropriate solution to their problem will differ according to the individual case.
A CEDR accredited mediator, Philippa has extensive mediation experience which she draws on to compliment her litigation practice.
In her spare time, Philippa is a committed sailor, having fallen in love with the Hauraki Gulf.
Law & Associates was established by Debra Law, a former partner of Wood Ruck Manukau, following the dissolution of that firm on 30 September 2010.