Our PeoplE
Doug leads Cowan Law with a vision to provide clients with accurate, effective and solutions-focused legal services. His long-standing collaborative approach is the hallmark of the practice and is recognised by many clients as being an excellent way to provide support to them. He is an experienced advocate and litigator and has appeared in a wide range of New Zealand's Courts and Tribunals.
Lisa recently joined Cowan Law and has over 15 years of experience in relationship property and the surrounding family, trusts and estates laws and litigation. She aims to settle matters where possible as this is usually the best approach from an emotional and financial perspective for everyone involved. Lisa is personable, empathetic and dedicated to assisting clients through sensitive matters.
Jose is an experienced litigator who has represented clients in a wide range of legal forums. He has excellent experience working for commercial clients on complex disputes. Jose is fluent in Tagalog and a proud member of the Filipino community.
Oliver has a wide range of legal experience and has advised on property, trust, asset planning, company, commercial, banking, relationship property and alternative dispute resolution issues. He enjoys navigating complex legal issues and giving personalised guidance and support to our clients.
Jackie completed degrees in Law and Arts at Victoria University and also studied in the Netherlands in 2024. Jackie has a strong interest in a number of areas of law including finance and commercial law.
Gabi is interested in construction law, property disputes, litigation and relationship property. She engages with our staff to help clients deal with a range of issues.
Toni is passionate about helping first-time home buyers secure their first homes, helping negotiate relationship property matters, assisting in estate planning and helping individuals and families understand their rights before or after the sadness of a bereavement.
Janet has been our Business Support Manager for some time and brings a high standard of support to the team. She is often the person you will speak with first when making contact with us and makes things happen around here.
Sarah has extensive experience in litigation support. Her document management and software expertise provides the team with effective and comprehensive support through all the components of discovery, file management and dispute resolution processes. Given her skillset, Sarah is also responsible for the day to day management of many processes within Cowan Law.
Bree has completed her studies at Victoria University and in Canada and assists our lawyers on many legal matters, including research and drafting. She is interested in a wide range of law.
Ella is currently focused on litigation matters, including in the District Court, Tenancy Tribunal hearings and commercial disputes, including one being held in the High Court. In her spare time, Ella enjoys the great outdoors and crossword puzzles.
Dean has a range of professional and commercial experience that makes him a highly valued Consultant to our lawyers and clients. He is particularly adept in dealing with complex transactions, disputes between business owners and the settlement of disputes through negotiation instead of Court and litigation processes.