Two young women working in Hamilton’s legal sector are among 87 Australasian lawyers described as the profession’s ‘brightest young stars’ across Australia and New Zealand. Viv Posselt spoke to them.
Charlotte Muggeridge
Charlotte Muggeridge and Chantelle Holland are empathetic thirtysomethings who have been recognised for their pursuit of excellence.
Both were named among New Zealand and Australia’s Future Legal Leaders of 2025, a prestigious recognition that celebrates lawyers aged 35 and under who are making outstanding contributions to the legal profession and their communities.
The award covers all areas of law, and while having a specialism is seen as key among those put forward, selectors describe as ‘crucial’ their ability to possess additional attributes that enable them to shape and drive the profession forward.
Both Muggeridge and Holland were put forward by senior colleagues at their respective Hamilton-based law firms. Both were humbled and surprised at being named among the top 87.
Muggeridge, now 32, became a partner at Harkness Henry 15 months ago; her specialist areas centre around environment and property law. She holds a Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts (majoring in political science), and a Masters in Political Science, joining Harkness Henry in 2020 after working at McCaw Lewis and the Waikato District Council. It was while working at the council’s property division that she did her master’s, the focus of which analysed income equality and how it effects on voting patterns.
“I did that full-time while with the council. They were massively supportive, offered me flexible working arrangements … I’m very grateful for that,” she says.
Chantelle Holland
Holland, 34, is with McCaw Lewis and became an associate in 2024. She joined the firm as a law clerk in 2018 then came on board permanently in 2020, specialising in employment law and relationship property. Prior to joining McCaw Lewis, she gained experience in law firms in Cambridge and Auckland.
Holland has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts (political science and geography). Right from her early days of study, employment law triggered her in a positive way.
“I wanted something challenging but people-centric,” she says. “Working in employment law and relationship property, I get an opportunity to help people. They are often going through some really tough times.”
Both young women are guided by strong values and a shared determination to make a difference, both within the legal spaces they occupy and in the wider community.
Outside work, Muggeridge is involved in numerous governance roles. She joined the National Council of Women, later becoming president of the Hamilton branch. That led her to the YWCA of Aotearoa/New Zealand, which in turn led her to the Geneva-based World YWCA Board, on which she is vice-president.
Other organisations with which she is active include the Waikato Conservation Board, the Central Region Property Council committee, the Waikato Housing Initiative, and the Auckland District’s Law Society’s Environmental and Resource Management Law committee.
Beyond that, and when there is a moment to breath, the New Plymouth-born lawyer – who is the first in her family to go to university – is also a runner who has notched up a couple of half-marathons and has more in her sights, and a fledgling crocheter. She has also presented seminars and penned several publications. One of them, last year’s New Zealand’s first textbook (LexisNexis) dedicated to subdivisions, was done collaboratively with her lawyer husband Thomas Gibbons.
Cambridge-born Holland was exposed to the legal world early through her lawyer father. She worked in a law firm between leaving school and settling initially on an arts degree.
Outside the office, she is a committee member on the New Zealand Law Society Waikato/Bay of Plenty Employment committee, a trustee on the Hamilton Budgeting Advisory Trust, and is an ardent supporter of initiatives that inspire young people to maximise their opportunities. At work, that translates to a particular interest in mentoring.“I had wonderful mentors when I was coming up … it’s made me very interested in helping train other lawyers coming through. I enjoy the mentoring side of it,” she said.
She and her husband Josef Holland both enjoy travelling, but some of that might have to go on hold for a while as the couple await the birth of their first child in a few months’ time.
