Congratulations to our 2026 ILANZ Awards finalists!
This year's ILANZ awards attracted a record number of nominations from across the country and the standard made choosing winners difficult for our judges! A huge thanks to everyone who spent time on the entries.
Our judges want to emphasise that each nominee should be proud of their achievements, regardless of the final outcome. Your hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence have not gone unnoticed.
ILANZ is also excited to announce that following this year’s conference, we will be hosting a webinar series with Michele A’Court, featuring several of the below award finalists. These sessions will shine a light on the outstanding mahi happening across the in‑house legal community, offering a chance to hear directly from those leading innovative, impactful work.
Individual award finalists
MinterEllisonRuddWatts Private Sector In-house Lawyer of the Year:
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Craig Wheatley - HEB Construction
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Luke Strom - Community Housing Funding Agency
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Kristy Redfern - Asteron Life
Public Sector In-house Lawyer of the Year:
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Jacinta Bowe - Gisborne District Council
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Julie Hands - Selwyn District Council
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Kate Broadhurst - National Infrastructure Funding & Financing
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Rebecca Denmead - Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment
New In-house Lawyer of the Year:
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Alicia Williams - Genesis Energy
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Emily Peart - 2degrees
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Harry Rillstone - Crimson Education
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Isabella Ieremia - NZME
Team award finalists
Chapman Tripp Private Sector In-house Team of the Year:
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Mercury Legal Team
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Powerco Legal Team
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Sharesies Legal Team
Greenwood Roche Public Sector In-house Team of the Year:
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FMA Legal Team
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Gisborne District Council Legal Team
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Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council Legal Team
Small In-house Team of the Year*:
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AMP Legal & Governance team (AMP L&G)
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Gallagher Group Limited Legal Team
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NZME Legal Team
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OceanaGold Legal Team
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Selwyn District Council Legal Team
Special award finalists:
ComplyWith Community Contribution Award:
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Carolyn Gardner - Health NZ
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Vatau Sagaga - Department of Internal Affairs
Artemis In-house Innovation Award:
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Dave Barr - NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
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KPMG New Zealand, Legal (OGC) Team
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Sharesies Legal Team
Simpson Grierson People & Culture Excellence Award:
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AIA NZ Legal Team
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Mercury Legal Team
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Selwyn District Council Legal Team
Congratulations to our finalists!
The winners of the 2026 ILANZ Awards will be announced at the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony as part of the ILANZ Conference on Friday 8 May, at Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Tickets to Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony can be purchased when registering for the conference.
*no more than 10 full-time equivalent lawyers