Pastoral care and courtroom powerhouse litigators might not always seem a natural fit but as leader of the Harkness Henry litigation team, Sarah Rawcliffe believes it’s care that adds a real point of difference to the work she does. Fostering a team culture that creates a happy, engaged team also supports and delivers more satisfied clients and better outcomes.
An experienced commercial litigator, advising clients on a broad range of commercial disputes, Sarah joined Harkness Henry in 2008, quickly rising through the ranks and her impact was recognised by the firm in her promotion to partner in 2016.
“While the law is important it’s also critical to have a sense of care for the people you’re advising” Rawcliffe says.
Sarah frequently advises on complex commercial disputes, property matters and her ability to understand financial accounts sees her regularly instructed by insolvency practitioners and creditors regarding liquidations, receiverships and compromises, dealing with issues relating to securities, insolvent transactions, director breaches and recoveries. It’s a high stakes, high emotion environment that demands the best.
She also has in-depth experience helping clients grapple with tough matters like prosecutions by Worksafe and the Ministry of Primary Industries, advising clients during the investigation phase, negotiations with prosecutors, dealing with insurers and appearing in court to defend charges or for sentencing.
Professional Conduct Committees conducting investigations against health practitioners under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 also call on Sarah to act as legal advisor.
She’s also a cheerleader in the firm; building strong collegial bonds and fostering solid client relationships; having fun is important to Sarah and that fits well with the culture of Harkness Henry. “It’s great to have partners here, like Sarah, that are top lawyers and top people,” says Harkness Henry Chief Executive Simon Wickham.
“It helps break down any stigma about stuffy hierarchical, ego driven, old firm thinking that some law firms became known for. Sarah’s definitely a powerful woman but a lot of that power is the mana and respect she’s earned from clients and our team through demonstrating strength and care.”
This became even more evident during the Covid lockdowns which, like many Kiwi businesses, forced the Harkness Henry team to work from home. Sarah took her pastoral care role to heart and relished the opportunity to recreate a sense of connectedness, albeit online.
“I wanted to make sure that our team felt really connected to each other and connected to Harkness Henry and to our clients.”
This included the usual team meetings and Thursday drinks, but Sarah added an element of challenge and fun to the Zoom catch ups.
“During the lockdowns, we would have at least two activities a week. We all took photos of our fridges and then submitted them to guess whose fridge it is. We did virtual escape rooms, quizzes, a scavenger hunt where we had to run away and find something in the house and bring it back.”
In a busy legal firm, Sarah says staying in touch with your colleagues plays an important role in keeping people connected to their work and their wellbeing.
“We have got amazing people here, although it can be too easy to get very busy and focused on the client work and the outcomes. Making sure that everyone is personally okay is really important to all of us on our leadership team.”
As well as having a real heart for her colleagues, Sarah also gives back locally in many ways. She has been on the True Colours Charitable Trust board for around 12 years and for the past seven years she’s been one of the key figures behind the Melbourne Cup Day Long Lunch, the major fundraiser for the trust.
The True Colours’ team provide wraparound support to Waikato families who have a child with a serious health condition or who are grieving the death of their baby or child. They receive no funding from the DHB and only through volunteer effort like Sarah’s and the generous support of local businesses and sponsors do they get what they need to make a real difference locally.
“I feel very fortunate to be involved with the trust and helping them do the very important work they do.”
Sarah is passionate about her litigation work, her career and getting the best possible outcome for her clients.
“When clients come to see me, it’s usually not for a positive reason. I’m not the kind of lawyer that you come to see when you’re happy about something,” she says.
“Usually, something has gone wrong and it’s my job to do the problem solving in a stressful time for them, providing clients with practical solutions, and advising them on all the options available to them that they don’t always see initially by themselves.”
Holding honours degrees in both law and management, Sarah has a broad range of experience, developed across an impressive career that includes previous work at Phillips Fox in Auckland, as a senior solicitor for Islington Borough Council in London, and as in-house legal counsel for one of the United Kingdom’s largest housing developers. She loves helping others build their career and assisting the team at Harkness Henry build better lives for them and their clients (plus of course a win in the courtroom!)
www.harknesshenry.co.nz | +64 7 838 2399