Presenters

Jessie Sanders, Associate, Harkness Henry
Jessie works in the Estates, Family and Trust Team at Harkness Henry.  She specialises in the area of relationship property and also advises on estates and other family matters.  She has more than 15 years’ experience working in most areas of Family Law, having previously worked under Rhonda Evans in Auckland.  Jessie likes working with clients and colleagues in a collaborative way to reach resolution of matters without the need for Court intervention where possible.  Jessie’s work is heavily focused on drafting both contracting out agreements and separation and relationship property agreements.


Helen Tyree, Director, McWilliam Tyree
Helen became a Director of the McWilliam Tyree in Wellington in 2021, having previously been an Associate and then Senior Associate at McWilliam Rennie (predecessor of McWilliam Tyree) since 2014. She has been practicing all areas of family law since 2003, initially in Taranaki before moving to Wellington. Helen often acts in complex relationship property matters, including matters involving trusts, companies and economic disparity and maintenance claims. She also takes appointments from the Family Court to represent children in the Family Court, and also people who lack capacity in applications for welfare guardians and property managers pursuant to the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act. Helen is a contributing author for the legal publication Westlaw, writing about relationship property agreements (separation agreements, contracting-out agreements, and setting aside those agreements). She also contributed significantly to McWilliam Rennie and McWilliam Tyree’s submissions to the Law Commission in relation to their reviews of relationship property, succession law and adult capacity law. She presents seminars for NZCLE and Legalwise on a range of family law matters, particularly relationship property and the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act. Helen graduated from Otago University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Laws and from Brunel University of London in 2003 with a Master of Law in Child Law and Policy (with distinction).


Matthew Peploe, Partner, Harkness Henry
Matthew leads Harkness Henry’s Estates, Family and Trust team.  He specialises in helping individuals and families manage the complexities of family property – from estate planning, trust management and navigating the division of property following separation.  He has particular expertise in managing the complexities that arise when trust law and relationship property law intersect.