Taupō solicitor Alan Vane started at Le Pine & Co on April 1, 1982. This year he celebrates 40 years of law at the Taupō based law firm. Photo / Grabb - Jeremy Bright
Taupō solicitor Alan Vane started at Le Pine & Co on April 1, 1982. This year he celebrates 40 years of law at the Taupō based law firm. Photo / Grabb - Jeremy Bright
"The community provides business for my wellbeing and in return, I provide for the community".
So says lawyer Alan Vane, who recently celebrated 40 years working at Taupō lawyers Le Pine & Co.
On April 1, 1982, Alan stopped off at Wairakei Forest, stripped off his shorts and jandals then donned a suit for a job interview. He got the job and 40 years later he is thriving.
His 46th year as a solicitor, Alan, 71, is still working, has no plans to retire, and has introduced a nine-month working year for himself. He takes one month off at a time three times throughout the year to go skiing and biking with his wife Toni.
"It's a work-life balance and will let me bow out at some point."
Last year he had to live in Tauranga for six months while undergoing surgery on his scalp. He enjoyed the remote working experience so much he decided to work from home permanently "with two half days in the office for socialisation and catching up on technology".
Alan says remote working is the way of the future for solicitors. However, he likes to meet new clients in person until he has established a relationship.
"Nuances and body language are harder to pick up through Zoom."
His expertise is in the areas of resource management, local government, and public law and he has acted for local authorities and Māori trusts and incorporations in the Central North Island.
Alan says some of the most interesting work of his career relates to the Resource Management Act 1991. In early 2000, he was involved in Environment Court cases relating to the operation of geothermal power stations in the Taupō District. Resolving the issue around subsidence arising from geothermal extraction was a "long process" and saw the creation of new policy and conditions of consent.
"Then Contact Energy wanted to build a new power station and the way had been paved with these new policies. The new power station used the new policy settings and the resource consent process was a hell of a lot smoother."
The last few years have seen him involved in what he says is the most profound work of his career, and could set a precedent for the way trustees deal with each other. It involves taking litigation to the Supreme Court on behalf of a Māori trust.
"The case is about the application of English Trust law in New Zealand as it relates to Māori land administered by Māori trusts.
"The issue that will probably get dealt with is the extent to which the old English law on Trusts should be modified in the New Zealand context."
He says the heart of the issue is whether or not the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court will incorporate the Māori worldview of Tikanga into common law.
"Doing this sort of work, I've enjoyed the law in the last two or three years, more than at any other time of my legal career."
Alan Vane celebrates 40 years practising law at Taupō lawyers Le Pine & Co. Photo / Grabb - Jeremy Bright
His seniority has earned him the status of special counsel at Le Pine & Co with expertise in resource management and civil litigation. Over the years he has learned to read the dynamics of people suing each other.
"Frequently they are not ready to settle and want to keep fighting.
"There is a huge amount of psychology involved in dispute resolution. There is a time when the dispute becomes ripe for settlement, either they have run out of energy or have resigned themselves to the outcome."
For many years Alan was a partner and says Le Pine & Co has been a wonderful company to work for and Taupō has been a fantastic place to raise his family.
"I've had the opportunity to do what I really enjoy, to develop my skills in dispute resolution, and it's been incredibly satisfying."
Alan has been actively involved in government and community organisations, he is the former chairman of the Lakes District Health Board, and is the current chairman of Lake Taupō Hospice.
He also acts as an honorary solicitor (or bills at a greatly discounted rate) for numerous community groups including Bike Taupō, Taupō Football Club, Taupō Harriers Club, Taupō Pathways Trust, and Taupō Hospital & Healthcare Society.
