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NZME legal team takes top honours at national awards
The NZME legal team, from left: Genevieve O'Halloran, Isabella Ieremia, Paul Gillick and Lucy Fea.
NZME’s legal team has been named Small In-House Team of the Year at the 2026 In-House Legal Association NZ Awards.
The awards, which celebrate excellence in New Zealand’s in-house legal community, were held in Wellington on May 8.
The honour recognises NZME’s four-person legal team: Genevieve O’Halloran, Paul Gillick, Isabella Ieremia, and Lucy Fea.
Adding to the night’s success, Ieremia also received a Highly Commended recognition in the New In-House Lawyer of the Year category.
Deserved recognition
Providing support in a company with 1,100 employees nationwide, the legal team advises across the full spectrum of NZME’s complex, multi-platform operation. This includes media law, commercial transactions, intellectual property, employment, regulatory compliance and NZX/ASX obligations. The team also manages external legal challenges including defamation, privacy and court-reporting restrictions.
NZME chief executive Michael Boggs says the award is deserved recognition for a team that consistently punches above its weight.
“They’re a talented group of professionals who play a critical role at NZME. This recognition reflects not just their legal expertise, but their sound judgement, genuine commitment and real impact for NZME and across the wider media industry.”
The award recognises an exceptional year of legal achievement for the team including their leadership in a landmark judicial review, successfully challenging suppression orders to enable a high-profile NZ Herald investigation, navigating corporate governance matters and delivering significant commercial agreements.
A huge year
NZME general counsel and company secretary O’Halloran says the recognition means a lot to the team.
“2025 was a huge year for our legal team and our business. Being recognised as the best in our field is a massive accolade, but, more than anything, we were particularly touched by the very kind references from our colleagues and external advisors. A key part of being a successful in-house legal team is being an effective, pragmatic business partner, so their support was really encouraging. We are so privileged to work on a fascinating mix of legal issues, from media law to corporate governance, and everything in between.”
O’Halloran says the team was also thrilled to see Ieremia recognised. “Bella’s highly commended recognition is an acknowledgement of the impact she’s already making in her career. Being a newsroom lawyer for a 24/7 operation like NZME is no mean feat and she juggles this busy, strategically crucial role with grace, humour and a razor-sharp intellect. She exemplifies the quality legal thinking and professional dedication that defines our team, and we’re proud to see her talent recognised on a national stage.”
