Insight

The Best Lawyers in New Zealand™ 2024 Awards

The Best Lawyers in New Zealand 2024 awards include an elite field of top lawyers and law firms.

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Published: April 19, 2023

The Best Lawyers in New Zealand Awards

For its 15^th consecutive edition, New Zealand is celebrating the launch of its esteemed Best Lawyers awards with The Best Lawyers in New Zealand™ 2024.

Each year, Best Lawyers uses our Purely Peer Review® methodology, a combined effort that includes nominations, outreach, voting and research to determine the most illustrious legal talent around the world.

The 15^th edition of The Best Lawyers in New Zealand honors the legal talent of 618 lawyers across four metropolitan areas. Auckland is the metropolitan area with the most recognized lawyers in New Zealand for 2024.

Red and black font with gold symbols for New Zealand Launch Stats 2024

“Lawyer of the Year” Awards

Along with the individual lawyer recognitions, the 15th edition awards also include the “Lawyer of the Year” honorifics, which distinguish one lawyer per practice area in each metropolitan area. For 2024, we awarded 61 lawyers as “Lawyer of the Year” across New Zealand.

The Practice Areas Behind Each Award

An incredible 72 practice areas are included among The Best Lawyers in New Zealand awards this year, covering an impressive range of lawyers and legal talent through the country. Of these practice areas, the 10 with the highest numbers of recognized lawyers include Corporate Law, Litigation, Intellectual Property Law, Banking and Finance Law, Labor and Employment Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Real Estate Law, Insurance Law, Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Capital Markets Law.

Best Lawyers offers a Find a Lawyer page for users to search attorneys in practice areas needed for legal counsel. Website visitors in New Zealand searched the Best Lawyers website for these 10 practice areas the most this year: Labor and Employment Law, Health Care Law, Litigation, Intellectual Property Law, Real Estate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Arbitration and Mediation, Banking and Finance Law, Criminal Defense and Insurance Law.

Showcasing Your Award

Best Lawyers offers several options to showcase awards through impactful marketing.

Please contact sales@bestlawyers.com to learn more about how you can highlight individual lawyer and firm awards through your website, social media channels, Best Lawyers Profile Suite packages and commemorative items.

Use the Find a lawyer in New Zealand page to connect with experienced lawyers, and visit the Find a Lawyer page to explore additional legal expertise and resources worldwide.

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Resources For Lawyers

Lawyers in Columbus, Ohio

Lisa M. Kathumbi

Littler

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Employment Law - Management

Litigation - Labor and Employment

Specific Focus

COVID-19

Recognized since 2020 by

Lisa M. Kathumbi

Lisa Kathumbi represents and advises companies, ranging from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies, in a broad range of labor and employment matters arising under state and federal law and in denial of benefits claims arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). An experienced employment law litigator with a national practice, Lisa has represented companies and executives in more than twenty jurisdictions in labor and employment matters involving allegations of discr...

Lisa M. Kathumbi

View Profile 614.463.4201

Misty H. Aldrich

Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Trusts and Estates

Recognized since 2024 by

Misty H. Aldrich

Misty Aldrich concentrates her entire practice on trust and estate planning law, including the formation, implementation, and administration. She has more than 30 years of experience, and before entering private practice, Misty spent six years at the Huntington National Bank as Trust Counsel in the personal trust department. At CPM, she steers her clients through all aspects of trust and estate planning. Misty assists clients in drafting all appropriate legal documents and structuring financi...

Misty H. Aldrich

View Profile 614.228.6135

Mary Barley-McBride

Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote PC

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Recognized since 2007 by

Mary Barley-McBride

Mary Barley-McBride is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Mary, who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2007. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mary is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mary Barley-McBride

View Profile 614.258.6000

David J. Butler

Taft

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation

Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs

Recognized since 2014 by

David J. Butler

David J. Butler is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs. David J., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2014. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David J. Butler

View Profile 614.221.2838

Anthony T. Betta

Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation

Recognized since 2025 by

Anthony T. Betta

Anthony joined the Carlile Patchen & Murphy Litigation Department in 2020 as Of Counsel. Anthony is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and Ohio, including Ohio’s Northern and Southern districts. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, probate litigation, securities litigation, receiverships, landlord-tenant and collections.

Anthony T. Betta

View Profile 614.228.6135

Michael A. Smith

Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

Corporate Law

Recognized since 2013 by

Michael A. Smith

Michael Smith practices business law and securities law at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP. He concentrates on business, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, technology transactions, technology licensing, and banking and securities. Mike joined CPM in February 1991. He currently serves as Chairman of CPM’s Business Law Practice Group.

 
Michael A. Smith
  Website    Email    Address

View Profile 614.628.0788

Michelle Meis

Trolinger Law Offices LLC

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Family Law

Recognized since 2027 by

Michelle Meis

Michelle Meis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law. Michelle, who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michelle is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Michelle Meis

View Profile 380.266.2553

William A. Nolan

Barnes & Thornburg LLP

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Education Law

Employment Law - Management

Labor Law - Management

Specific Focus

Covenants Not to Compete

Recognized since 2006 by

William A. Nolan

Bill Nolan serves as managing partner of the firm’s Ohio office, which he opened in 2009. Bill works to bring attentiveness and clarity to bear on employment, contract and other disputes, but is most passionate about helping clients build teams, policies and processes to minimize the frequency, cost and severity of disputes. Bill's litigation and trial work includes covenant not to compete and trade secret cases in many states. He regularly represents employers in discrimination and dis...

William A. Nolan

View Profile 614.628.0096

James J. Chester

Taft

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)

Corporate Law

Real Estate Law

Specific Focus

Automobile Dealerships

Recognized since 2008 by

James J. Chester

James J. Chester is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law and Real Estate Law. James J., who practices law in Columbus, Ohio, has been recognized since 2008. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

 
James J. Chester
  Website    Email    Address

View Profile 614.221.2838

David H. Thomas

Taft

Columbus, OH

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense: General Practice

Criminal Defense: White-Collar

Recognized since 2011 by

David H. Thomas

Dave Thomas is a partner in Taft’s Compliance, Investigations, and White Collar Defense practice. He advises and represents companies, executives, public officials, health care providers, and other professionals who are the subject of state and federal investigations and prosecutions involving the United States Department of Justice and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, as well as county prosecutors throughout the state. He has defended clients in complex matters involving feder...

 
David H. Thomas
  Website    Email    Address

View Profile 614.221.2838

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The Best Lawyers in New Zealand™ 2024 Awards

The Best Lawyers in New Zealand Awards

“Lawyer of the Year” Awards

The Practice Areas Behind Each Award

Showcasing Your Award

Lawyers in Columbus, Ohio

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