I count myself really lucky to have been practicing law for 18 years or so. It’s a job I really enjoy. Being part of Best + Hancock is particularly exciting. I’ve met (and been able to assist) some wonderful clients and it’s a fulfilling way to work.
My career has included 7 years at one of New Zealand’s large law firms and 4 years as the General Counsel of Unisys New Zealand. I like to call that as working both in-house and out-house. I’ve focused on technology law for the last 12 years or so (including the time at Unisys), but in-house within the public sector (the State Services Commission and the Department of Internal Affairs). So I have a good understanding of what it is to be an in-house counsel and what it is to be a public servant.
During my time at Unisys I drafted and oversaw a high volume of ICT contracts, from large outsourcing arrangements to hosting, consultancy and hardware sales. In the last few years my work has included “all of government” arrangements, software development and system integration contracts and contracts relating to igovt, cloud computing and software licensing.
Intellectual property is often aligned closely with technology law and I have been called on to provide advice on copyright and infringement. More recently I’ve had clients who are aligning their commercial arrangements with Creative Commons licenses. I’ve also advised and presented on open source.
I have assisted public sector clients with a range of different procurements and with interpreting the relevant procurement rules. I have advised on day to day official information and privacy matters, and in my time have personally completed responses to official information requests.
Major ICT projects can of course have their problems and I have dealt with 5 significant ICT project disputes, including taking one through to mediation. I started my career as a litigator and my time at Bell Gully included 4 years in the litigation group, which is a good base for dealing with the legal aspects of disputes. But my time in-house has also given me a practical perspective in these situations.
While I was an in-house lawyer I was closely involved with CLANZ and president in 2006 to 2007. I’ve also been a board member of the Downstage Theatre Trust (from 2009 to 2012), a member of the Wellington District Law Society Council, as it then was (from 2004 to 2007) and convenor of the Lawyers in Commerce and Government Committee of the Wellington District Law Society (2004 to 2007).
Qualifications
Degrees: LLB
Admitted: 1994 (New Zealand)
Contact Genevieve Hancock
Best + Hancock | Sole Practitioners
Level 8
23 Waring Taylor Street
Wellington 6011
Email: genevieve@besthancock.com
Mobile: 021 408 255
Website: www.besthancock.com
About Genevieve Hancock
Genevieve Hancock’s sole practice is one of the two sole practices that makes up Best+Hancock | Sole Practitioners (which is a consortium, not a firm). The Best + Hancock | Sole Practitioners consortium is a member of the All-of-Government External Legal Services panel.
Genevieve’s areas of practice
Technology law
Public law and process
Contracting and procurement
Software licensing
Information law