Presenters

Timothy Orr, Partner, Martelli McKegg
Timothy is a partner specialising in trusts, estates, property and commercial law. Originally from Northern Ireland, Timothy graduated from the University of Dundee with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 2008. He assisted an NGO at the UNHCR in Geneva and then ran a legal aid team in Mombasa, Kenya providing legal advice on a wide range of criminal and family matters. Upon returning to the UK, Timothy worked on a high profile Public Inquiry under a former Court of Appeal Judge. Arriving in New Zealand in 2010, Timothy qualified as a lawyer in New Zealand and was a manager for ADLSI responsible for overseeing a wide range of legal forms and precedents including the standard Agreement for Sale and Purchase of Real Estate and the Deed of Lease. Timothy also worked closely with various Ministries, the Law Commission and the Courts on a wide range of law reform issues, particularly those relating to trusts and property law. Timothy then worked as a Senior Solicitor in a well-established medium sized law firm in Auckland specialising in trusts, estate and property law.


Alison Gilbert, Partner, Brookfields Lawyers
Alison Gilbert is a Partner at Brookfield Lawyers, where she leads the Private Client Team. With a practice spanning contentious estates, trust disputes, elder law, relationship property, charitable trusts, and estate planning, Alison is widely regarded as a leader in her field. She has extensive experience advising trustees, beneficiaries, and private clients on complex trust and estate matters, including asset management structures, estate disputes, and elder law issues. Alison also provides expert guidance on relationship property matters, particularly in the context of trusts and succession planning. Alison serves as the Chair of the New Zealand branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the leading global professional body for trust and estate practitioners, and is a member of the STEP Contentious Trusts & Estates Special Interest Group Global Steering Committee. She is the lead author of Lexis Nexis Succession - Practical Guidelines and has been consistently ranked in Band 1 as a private client lawyer in Chambers & Partners High Net Worth Guide from 2018 to 2024. A dedicated member of the legal community, Alison is involved with several professional organizations, including the Estate and Tax Planning Council and the Auckland Women Lawyers Association, and is a Life Member of the Life Education Trust.


Keely Barnes, Senior Solicitor, Brookfields Lawyers
Keely holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Auckland. Keely was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court in October 2021 and has been part of Brookfield’s private client team since November 2019. She specializes in trust and estate planning, advising on the establishment and registration of charitable trusts, as well as handling relationship property matters. Keely has worked regularly alongside other senior staff in complex matters involving PPPR, FPA and PRA issues. She is a member of the Auckland Women Lawyers Association, Family Courts Association and frequently attends STEP NZ seminars.