With a new year always brings new change, and for Amelia Smith this year marks an exciting promotion to the role of Associate at Sharp Tudhope.
Amelia joined Sharp Tudhope in 2016 following the completion of her law and social science degree.
From a rural farming background, Amelia is an integral part of the property and agribusiness teams and has a keen interest in agricultural, horticultural and rural law.
We asked Amelia some quick fire questions to get to know the team’s newest associate.
Tell us a bit about your career to date:
I always had an interest in law, but it was one of a few different pathways I was considering.
I was 17 years old when I started my university study and I was immediately engrossed by the law. I started with ST as a graduate property lawyer and have been here ever since.
I have grown and evolved over my time here and have worked alongside a number of partners in the firm. This has given me the opportunity to learn, grow, challenge myself and work out what area of law really fits my skill set.
What does being an associate entail?
Continuation of existing work with a few added responsibilities. Teaching, delegation of work to others and management of files is a key aspect of the role.
What does it take to move to an associate position?
Hard work, dedication and commitment to the work we do for clients, as well as having the technical ability in the area of practice to best meet client needs.
What do you enjoy about working for ST?
The people, our clients and the mentoring and learning opportunities that I have been provided with in my time here.
What do you enjoy about property law?
The wide scope of work – whether it is orchard or farming transactions, subdivision and development, investment opportunities or assisting a first home buyer into their first home.
What are some of the challenges you face in your field and what are some of the rewards?
Following a year of global uncertainty, I’m not sure that anyone anticipated the property market to not only withstand 2020’s events but also to see the continuation of growth at the speed that it has.
I think one of the main challenges we are facing today is keeping up with the volume of work. There are only so many hours in the day and balancing the workload for most of those working in the property field has definitely been a challenge within this past year. Notwithstanding this, our clients are achieving great things and the growth we are seeing in regional New Zealand is exciting.
What are some personal highlights for your career?
I have been involved in some pretty awesome projects both here in the Bay of Plenty and throughout New Zealand.
I was born and bred in Northland and spent my childhood growing up on my parents’ farm. I have never taken for granted the value, importance and role that property has in both peoples personal and professional lives.
Being able to work on development projects whether that be residential developments or developments within the agricultural/horticultural industry is such a highlight for me. I am invested in the work our clients do and I am grateful that I can assist them along the way.
What are your 2021 goals (professionally and personally)?
There are a few big work projects that we have been working on over the past few years. Getting these over the finish line this year is a big goal of mine.
One of my personal goals is to ensure the mentoring of junior legal staff who join the firm continues at the standard that I received a number of years ago. I believe an open door policy and mentoring at the beginning of your career really sets you up for success.
When you’re not at work, what do you like to do?
Spending time with family and being in the outdoors is and has always been what grounds me. Whether that is helping on the farm, hiking/camping with friends or simply taking time out to read a book on the beach.
What’s the one thing about working at ST you’d like people to know?
The depth of knowledge amongst the partnership and staff here at ST means that we are able to build teams for different projects to best meet the needs of our clients. Having that collaborative environment benefits both our staff as well as our clients.
