Individual award finalists and winners 
 
New In-house Lawyer of the Year: 

Winner: Harry Rillstone – Crimson Education 

Harry has demonstrated exceptional impact for someone new to in‑house, taking on responsibilities well beyond expectations.   
In less than four years, he has single‑handedly built and led the global legal function for Crimson Education, an NZ‑founded organisation operating across more than 20 jurisdictions with over 1,000 staff worldwide. Working as a sole in‑house counsel in a high‑growth, high‑impact environment, Harry supports international expansion into highly regulated sectors, engages directly with regulators globally, and advises senior executives and boards. Alongside this, he manages M&A, governance, and critical risk areas such as child safeguarding and data privacy. The judges noted that for someone new to in‑house, Harry is doing an extraordinary amount, and he is a worthy winner of this award.   

 
Highly Commended: Isabella Ieremia - NZME   
Bella joined New Zealand Media and Entertainment (NZME) in 2024 and has quickly distinguished herself as an outstanding in‑house lawyer and emerging leader. As Editorial Legal Counsel, she provides legally sound, pragmatic advice at speed, supporting NZME to deliver news and entertainment safely while meeting the intense demands of a national newsroom. Her work has contributed to some of New Zealand’s most significant stories of the past 24 months, with judges also noting the exceptional volume of endorsements reflecting the strong impact she has made across NZME and beyond. 

 
 
MinterEllisonRuddWatts Private Sector In-house Lawyer of the Year: 

Winner: Luke Strom – Community Housing Funding Agency 

It has been an extraordinary year for Luke by any measure.  He has made an enormous impact in delivering transformational outcomes across capital markets, lending, regulatory, and corporate structuring for the Community Housing Funding Agency (CHFA). From leading the legal and operational structuring of CHFA, to being central in negotiating and documenting key funding facilities that have underpinned CHFA’s growth 

Collectively, Luke’s achievements in legal excellence, strategic leadership, relationship management, best-practice governance and innovation demonstrate an exceptional contribution to CHFA and the wider housing finance sector. The judges noted that the scale, complexity, and enduring impact of his work make Luke a deserving winner of the MinterEllisonRuddWatts Private Sector In-house Lawyer award for 2026.   
   

 
 

Public Sector In-house Lawyer of the Year: 

Winner: Rebecca Denmead - Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment  

Rebecca exemplifies the very best of public service law.   
 
Having worked over 25 years at MBIE, she has led some of the most complex and consequential litigation in Aotearoa, impacting thousands of lives through her work across immigration, employment, tenancy, consumer protection, and workplace safety. As leader of MBIE’s Auckland litigation team, Rebecca combines exceptional legal skill with deep integrity, empathy, and courage -ensuring accountability, giving victims a voice, and upholding the rule of law. The judges described her nomination as extraordinary, noting the complexity, scale, and longevity of her contribution even remarking that if there were a lifetime achievement award, Rebecca would already be a clear recipient.   

Congratulations Rebecca. 

Highly Commended: Jacinta Bowe - Gisborne District Council  
Jacinta Bowe leads Gisborne District Council’s legal team, supporting one of New Zealand’s most disaster‑affected regions. During the January 2026 state of emergency, she embedded her team in the Emergency Coordination Centre for 26 days, delivering real‑time operational legal advice, enabling critical statutory decisions, shaping central government responses, and establishing an embedded legal model for future emergencies—all while effectively reprioritising work, securing external support, and safeguarding team wellbeing.   

Internally, Jacinta modelled values-based leadership. She acknowledged stress openly, encouraged mutual support, and reinforced the importance of resilience. Humour and perspective were maintained where appropriate, recognising that sustained performance requires psychological safety. She did not hesitate to bring in external counsel to support overall team wellbeing. 
 

Sole In-house Lawyer of the Year: 

Winner: Joe Bergin, Tāmaki Regeneration Company   

Joe is General Counsel of Tāmaki Regeneration Company (TRC) and Tāmaki Housing Association (THA), serving as sole in-house counsel across a complex urban regeneration and social housing programme in Tāmaki, Auckland.  

Operating as a single‑lawyer function within a complex, multi‑entity organisation, Joe has provided end‑to‑end legal leadership across development, housing and corporate activity during a period of significant organisational transition. He advises the Board, CEO and senior leaders on strategy, governance and risk, while also supporting a large‑scale housing development pipeline from land acquisition through to construction and infrastructure.  

Joe oversees commercial contracting, manages disputes and litigation, leads compliance across demanding public‑law and regulatory frameworks, and provides company secretarial support across the group - all while expertly managing external counsel. 
 

Team award finalists and winners 
 

Chapman Tripp Private Sector In-house Team of the Year:  

Winner: Sharesies Legal Team 

Over the past year, Sharesies has transformed from a retail investment platform into a diversified wealth development business, with its legal team playing a central role. Embedded alongside product and business leaders, the team abandoned traditional silos to enable speed, innovation, and accessibility, supporting 13 companies, 13 products, and multiple licences across two jurisdictions while launching new wealth products, navigating complex regulation, enabling major partnerships, and embracing technology- including AI -to modernise legal delivery. 
 
The judges praised the team’s outstanding nomination and references, describing them as nothing short of exceptional – they were especially impressed by the team’s video.   

Greenwood Roche Public Sector In-house Team of the Year: 

Winner: Gisborne District Council Legal Team   

The Gisborne District Council legal team has redefined what excellence in public in‑house practice looks like during times of crisis. In January 2026, during a declared state of emergency for Tropical Depression 5F, this exceptional team embedded directly within the Emergency Coordination Centre for 26 consecutive days—working seven days a week as part of incident command, not from the sidelines.  

Drawing on the hard‑earned lessons of Cyclone Gabrielle and earlier severe weather events, they delivered real‑time, high‑consequence legal advice, enabled decisive statutory action, and influenced central government legislative settings, all while protecting long‑term organisational integrity.  

The judges described the application as a standout - beautifully laid out, clear, innovative noted that the team has created a model that will value the entire in‑house sector.  

Small In-house Team of the Year*: 

Winner: NZME Legal Team  

NZME’s legal team exemplifies what an outstanding small in‑house team can achieve. Supporting a national workforce of around 1,300 people, this four‑person team sits at the heart of one of New Zealand’s most dynamic and influential media organisations.   

In an exceptionally demanding year, they navigated urgent litigation, complex governance challenges, sensitive editorial decisions and major commercial negotiations, all while managing the day‑to‑day legal needs of a multi‑platform business operating at speed. The judges were impressed with how much this small team have achieved in the past year and noted that the nomination itself was fantastic and contained an expectational number of supporting references – making NZME’s legal team a worthy winner of Small In‑House Team of the Year for 2026. 

Special award finalists: 

Artemis In-house Innovation Award: 

Winner:  Dave Barr - NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi   

Dave Barr has been recognised for in‑house innovation because he has fundamentally reshaped how dispute resolution works in the public sector.  

Through the creation of the Land Acquisition Resolution Scheme, or LARS, Dave helped transform compulsory land acquisition under the Public Works Act into a process that is faster, fairer, and more trusted by both NZTA and landowners. From the outset, Dave was central to designing not just the legal framework, but the system itself.  

He combines deep expertise in Public Works Act compensation with a genuinely people‑centred, problem‑solving mediation approach. By co‑designing bespoke training with FairWay, service designers, LINZ, and NZTA’s Property and Legal teams, he strengthened the foundations of the programme and prepared participants for meaningful mediation.  
  

Highly Commended: Sharesies Legal Team 

Over the past year, the Sharesies legal team has truly redefined what in‑house innovation looks like. They didn’t just adopt new technology - they built it.  
 
They developed three internal AI assistants: First‑sies, providing first‑pass marketing reviews using internal guidance; Compare‑sies, analysing counterparty NDAs against the Sharesies playbook; and Update‑sies, delivering tailored regulatory and case law research.  

Alongside this, they implemented Slack workflow integrations to streamline legal requests, improve triage, and drive continuous improvement through AI‑powered insights and stronger relationships across the business.


Simpson Grierson People & Culture Excellence Award: 

Winner: Selwyn District Council Legal Team 

Selwyn District Council Legal is a powerful example of how a people‑centred work culture drives exceptional outcomes.  

Co‑designed around six clear behaviours, the team has positioned itself as an approachable, highly trusted partner - empowering the organisation through practical advice while building confidence and capability, In a short time, they’ve delivered critical projects, reduced forecast external spend by over a million dollars, and handled more than 300 instructions this year alone.  

The judges were particularly struck by how this team normalises trust and kindness, lives its culture every day, and and particularly loved the motto in the legal team '“Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.” My strength is not that of an individual, but that of the collective’  

ComplyWith Community Contribution Award: 

Winner: Vatau Sagaga - Department of Internal Affairs   

Outside of his very busy day job as a Senior Solicitor at the Department of Internal Affairs, Vatau is deeply involved in the work to transform the landscape of community sport and wellbeing in Wainuiomata, Wellington. Vatau helms the Ulalei Wainuiomata Sport, a small, but visionary club dedicated to breaking down barriers and ensuring that every tamariki has access to sports. Vatau’s work has reshaped community participation, strengthened whānau wellbeing, and created lasting pathways for all Tamariki in Wainuiomata, especially within Māori and Pasifika families.   
 
Every initiative is free-to-enter and designed for all six Wainuiomata primary schools, as well as the kura kaupapa Māori in Alicetown. Beyond his leadership in Ulalei Wainuiomata Sport, Vatau is also a board member of Capital Football, a trustee of the Tauawhitia Trust, the Deputy Chairperson of the Wainuiomata Community Board (elected in October 2025), and up until February 2026, a board member of the Pacific Health Service in Hutt Valley.