Mary
Hill

I’m a litigator specialising in resource management, planning and local government law. I also have expertise in competition and consumer law, intellectual property,  and information and privacy issues. I have 20 years’ litigation experience, appearing regularly at all levels of the court system.  

Since joining Cooney Lees Morgan in 2004, my practice has concentrated on the local government sector, following a secondment into Tauranga City Council’s legal team. I have a Masters in Commercial Law, focussing on competition law and intellectual property, and maintain an interest in those areas.

I regularly engage in mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution  and have acted as an independent facilitator of community disputes. I advise local authorities and private clients on all aspects of resource management law and work with councils on a range of local government and policy issues. I have particular expertise in Public Works Act and Reserves Act matters, and advise on statutory information requests and Ombudsman’s investigations.

I’m a former President of the Resource Management Law Association and an Associate Member of the New Zealand Planning Institute.  I am the independent Protected Disclosures Officer for Hamilton City  Council and sit on the Board of the NZ College of Law Mentoring Programme.  I am also a faculty member of the New Zealand Law Society's Litigation Skills Programme.

I’m especially interested in supporting and encouraging women in business through the firm's support of the Chamber of Commerce Business Women's Network.