A legal career at Bell Gully

 

Kate Redgewell

Position: Senior associate
Department: Corporate

I originally joined Bell Gully in 2000 as a Law Clerk after summer clerking with the firm in 1998/1999. I returned to the firm in 2006 after working in the United Kingdom for a large waste management company. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, knee deep in landfills and landfill gas, waste transfer stations, materials recycling facilities and incinerators.

I am now a senior associate working primarily in the climate change and government practices of the corporate department. My practice is fairly eclectic, which suits me brilliantly as I get to work with a range of clients across different areas of law. My climate change work is fascinating and involves advisory work and carbon trading for the government and corporate entities.

In 2008, partner Simon Watt and I flew to Indonesia for four days to advise on the world's first deforestation project in Aceh, at the northern tip of Indonesia. Not only did we help the government negotiate the deal, but I got to spend the time between negotiations eating curry out of banana leaves and transferring my knowledge on climate change and carbon trading to the government officials and their in-house counsel. This helped both with the resolution of issues during the negotiations, and in ensuring that the government officials had a better understanding of the project going forward. It was a brilliant experience.

Being named by international legal directory Chambers Global 2009 as one of the world's 18 leading climate change lawyers would have to be the most prestigious highlight of my career to date. To me it epitomises the opportunities that I have been given throughout my career here.

At Bell Gully, I am stretched but feel entirely supported by the partners and the wider team of legal and support staff. I get to do great work – large projects as well as dealing with day-to-day legal issues - and I have the flexibility to have a life outside of the law firm. When the sun is shining and I have no urgent work, I get out and paddle my kayak on the beautiful Wellington harbour. A good life is a balanced life, after all.