Partner - Auckland
Danae Weston
Danae is an expert in commercial property. Pragmatic, strategic and knowledgeable, she is a trusted advisor who works with clients to drive value on matters of varying scale, complexity and value.
Danae is an expert in commercial property. Pragmatic, strategic and knowledgeable, she is a trusted advisor who works with clients to drive value on matters of varying scale, complexity and value.
About
Danae’s clients are diverse, ranging from Government organisations and listed companies to private individuals. She is valued for her straight-forward and non-adversarial style and works closely with clients to navigate legal and commercial complexities.
She works across the entire spectrum of property matters from the most complex transactional, development, contract and leasing matters involving privately held, Crown, Māori and reserve land, to more straight-forward instructions for clients requiring ad-hoc assistance or ongoing support to manage leasing portfolios, or acquiring or redeveloping land.
Danae has previously held roles as in-house counsel and as an acquisition manager for a Government organisation, so has valuable insights in managing volume (including outsourcing) of legal work to get the best value – skills which are highly sought after by in-house counsel.
Danae has an in-depth knowledge of the full spectrum of property legislation, including specific expertise in the Public Works Act 1981 and Urban Development Act 2020.
Recent Cases & Achievements
Large-scale land development
Advising on a $120M+ land acquisition and large-scale mixed-use housing development in the North Island.
Complex building upgrade and lease
Negotiating a redevelopment agreement for an incoming tenant, recording both the terms of a complex seismic upgrade and a new long-term lease, a transaction which represented a commitment from the tenant (over the term of the lease) in excess of $100M.
Portfolio support
Providing ongoing strategic legal support in the management of a national portfolio of retail stores for an ASX/NZX listed company, across leasing, store upgrades and development of new stores.
Ground leasing and land swaps
Advising a Crown entity on options for ground leasing, including ground leasing Māori Land, and providing advice on land swaps with local authorities.
Credentials
Admitted as NZ Barrister and Solicitor, 1999
LLB(Hons)/BA, University of Otago