Chen Palmer Partners is pleased to announce that Leo Donnelly has joined its Auckland office as a Special Counsel after previously working in the firm’s Wellington office last year.
During his time with Chen Palmer Partners, Leo has been advising on public and administrative law issues in central and local government and the wider State sector to a range of clients including large corporations; small businesses; central government and local authorities; statutory bodies; early childhood centres, schools, tertiary education organisations; and individuals.
Leo is a former Ombudsman from 2016-2018, and Deputy Ombudsman from 2004-2016. He has also occupied the roles of Assistant Ombudsman, Senior Investigating Officer, and Investigating Officer with the Office of the Ombudsman, and previously worked for the Parliamentary Counsel Office.
Leo also has significant expertise in advising on education law, law reform and advising District Health Boards, local authorities, state sector agencies and Crown entities on matters relating to administrative and procedural fairness – in particular, the application of the Ombudsmen Act, the Official Information Act, the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act, and the Protected Disclosures Act.
Leo is also a Principal Advisor with the Superdiversity Centre for Law, Policy and Business advising clients on their diversity and inclusion strategies, delivering Cultural Intelligence (CQ) training, and assisting with its research into the implications superdiversity has for workplace health and safety, and other areas of law and policy.