Expertise

Phernne practices in the area of civil litigation, resource management, and media and defamation law. 

Phernne’s primary area of specialty is in environmental law, natural resources, resource management, and local government law, (including infrastructure and resource consenting and district and regional plan changes) which have formed the basis of her post-graduate studies.

She acts for a wide range of corporate and private clients as well as community/ environmental groups. She has considerable experience in the areas of water, reclamation, wastewater, quarrying, retailing, subdivision, land development; climate change issues, and renewable energy.

Phernne delivers practical solutions and cost-effective results-based advice to her clients. She regularly appears before Councils, mediations, and in matters before the District Court, Environment Court, High Court, and Boards of Inquiries on projects of national significance. She can also be instructed to provide opinions and is regularly retained by senior counsel to junior on more complex cases.

She has acted as junior counsel on a wide variety of civil litigation, defamation, and Judicial Review and Appeal cases, and in this capacity regularly appears before Disciplinary Tribunals prosecuting on behalf of a wide range of professional bodies.

Phernne joined Harbour Chambers as a Barrister sole in 2010. Prior to this, Phernne gained experience in both civil and resource management litigation working as a law clerk and following her admission to the bar as a Junior Barrister in Chambers working with Andrew Beatson, Matthew McClelland QC, and Hugh Rennie QC.

Experience

• 2007 Law Clerk/ Junior for Barrister Andrew Beatson

• 2007 Admitted to the Bar

• 2007-2009 Junior Barrister Harbour Chambers

• 2010 – present Joined Harbour Chambers, Barrister sole