Mackenzie Elvin

Having returned to New Zealand from the UK early in 2009, David has joined Mackenzie Elvin’s commercial team. David’s background is in civil litigation and banking and says that his great enjoyment in life is people and places. His wanderlust has seen him travel widely through Europe & Asia, living in both London and Denmark along the way, though he maintains his return to New Zealand was always inevitable. Having grown up on a dairy farm in the heart of the Waikato he just couldn’t imagine calling anywhere else home. He even bases his professional approach to the law on an old farming maxim:

“Growing up on the farm I was always taught that the most important thing to remember is that if you are going to use a gate then you have to make sure to shut it behind you. I think the same can be said about the law. It’s about taking care. In legal practice it is important to get things right for the client at the outset to avoid running into problems later on”

Evan has been a Legal Executive for over 20 years working for law firms in Levin, Wellington and Tauranga with varied experience in small to large law firms along with a Corporate Trustee Company.

Specifically employed by Mackenzie Elvin to manage and administer Trusts and Estates, Evan ensures MacKenzie Elvin provides a higher level of administration, compliance and support to ensure our clients obtain a better service and understanding of these processes.

Most of his spare time is taken up by his family including the children’s sports and schooling activities. Evan is an avid Hurricanes supporter, a keen fisherman and gardener and a part-time golfer

"I take a practical approach to my work. I enjoy both the interaction with clients and making sure I get the job done properly to achieve the best result for the client."

Ilati is part of our Family Team focussing primarily on parenting issues as well as matters of Relationship Property. Ilati is also developing an interest in Employment Law.

Ilati has a wife and 3 young children. His recent interests include alpine running, boxing, rugby and surfing.

“I have a particular interest in Family Law. It presents a challenging environment where the day to day reality of family issues have to be worked through against the backdrop of the Family Court and legal principles. My approach is to walk with clients through this process. I advocate strongly on their behalf and seek robust and sensible solutions while trying at the same time to prevent unnecessary damage to relationships.”

Katie began her career with a prominent law firm in Auckland, gaining valuable experience in a specialised litigation team. In 2002 she moved to the UK where she was admitted as a solicitor and practised in commercial litigation both as an in-house solicitor and in private practice. Katie moved to Tauranga in 2007 and joined Mackenzie Elvin to specialise in family law.