Posted by Kelvin Davies on Dec 12, 2019

We were delighted to catch up with Alison’s life history at our last meeting. Overall Alison is an extremely busy person who has worked hard to become a Partner in the Brookfield’s management team.

Alison spoke about her life and the influences that have impacted on where she is now and focussed under four headings. In reading her story one should also bear in mind she has made her way in times when women had to prove their worth many times over.

1/ Alison is the second eldest of six children. As a child she was shy and retiring. She is related to the late Les Hammond, who was a Past President of our Club. When it came time for Alison to head off to University at the end of the seventh form year her parents were reluctant to allow her to move to Auckland to study law.
Instead she studied for a Bachelor of Social Science at Waikato University. This course of study did not interest her that much so she went to work for the Public Service.
Within six months she was promoted and then travelled to Wellington to work for the Department of Education. She attended the Outward Bound course and this enhanced her confidence.
2/ Alison shared some of the joys and sorrows in her life including getting married to Stephen, and the birth of her five children. We shared the heartbreak of the loss of their eldest child and then their youngest child.
 
3/ Alison then  highlighted her qualifications obtained whilst studying part time at Victoria University until the family moved to Melbourne. She subsequently moved back to Auckland and completed her papers in 1996.
She graduated with a Law degree from Victoria University, and was admitted to the Bar in 1997 and then commenced working as a lawyer.
She went on to complete a Bachelor of Business Studies at Massey University in 2003. 
 
4/ Alison is now a wife, mother and grandmother. Main interests are walking her dog, gardening and is an avid reader.
Professionally, Alison is a partner at Brookfields Lawyers, where she heads the private client team and is a member of the Brookfields management team. She regularly presents at Seminars and Conferences both here in NZ and offshore.
She is also the lead author of a Lexis Nexis text on succession law and the NZ Chair of an international organisation in the Trust and Estate areas.
She is also serving a second term as a member of an international steering committee on mental incapability.
We were delighted to know that Alison is ranked by Chambers as one of the top private Client lawyers in NZ.
 
Finally Alison is a Trustee of the education Trust Counties Manukau and the Botany Charitable Trust.
 
And of course Alison is the current Vice President of our Rotary Club. Next year, she will be the first female president of the club.