Our People

We are a legal firm practicing in Auckland’s inner city.

Richard Connell

Richard is our Civil Litigation and Property Partner. He is also a Notary Public and has a good understanding of overseas requirements. He has extensive experience in the following areas of law:

Conveyancing
Litigation and mediations in various Courts including District Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and Family Court
Estates and trusts including Family Protection claims and other claims disputing or defending provisions in wills
Commercial transactions including refinancing, sales and purchase of business, company law including shareholders agreements and covenants
Estate planning and trusts

Richard enjoys gardening, cooking and spending time at Lang’s Beach with his family.

Jane Connell

LLM (Hons) | jane@connell.co.nz

Jane is our Family Partner. She specialises in all areas of family law including parenting (orders to prevent overseas travel and Hague Convention cases), guardianship, child support, spousal maintenance, trust, and estate litigation as well as civil litigation, mediation.

She also undertakes drafting and reviewing contracting out agreements, trusts and wills. She regularly appears in the Family Court and High Court and participates in mediations with experienced mediators in relation to disputes that have not been possible to resolve. She has recently been successful with an appeal in a relationship property matter.

Jane is appointed as a Lawyer to Assist the Court with complex relationship property/family matters.

On the weekends, Jane enjoys spending time at Lang’s Beach or with her young grandchildren.

Pauleen Clark

Partner | pauleen@connell.co.nz

Pauleen is a Senior Family Lawyer. She is very passionate about helping people during extremely stressful and vulnerable moments in their lives.

She has extensive experience in all areas of family law including care of children, division of relationship property, advice on contracting out agreements, PPPR Act applications, family violence, child support, spousal maintenance, Family Protection and Testamentary Promises claims. She often appears in the Family Court and attends various alternative dispute resolution methods (private mediations/round table meetings).

Pauleen acts as Lawyer for the Subject Person in applications under the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988. She can also assist with Probate/Letters of Administration applications.

Pauleen is a busy mum to two young boys. She is fluent in both English and Filipino (Philippines) and is currently learning Spanish. She enjoys travelling (especially to tropical holidays).

Samantha Zhang

Graduate | samantha@connell.co.nz

Samantha holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Global Studies (majoring in Global Politics and Human Rights) from the University of Auckland. Her involvement with volunteer work in the local community during her studies kindled her passion for family law, particularly the protection and well-being of children.

Samantha is fluent in English and Chinese (Mandarin). She values being able to assist Chinese-speaking clients and bridge the cultural and language gap.

Outside of work, Samantha is actively involved in the children and youth ministry at her church and enjoys spending time with her family and exploring the beautiful backcountry of New Zealand. She has completed several of the country’s Great Walks and aims to complete them all.

Our Support Staff

Bridget Lazzari

Office Manager/Legal Assistant | bridget@connell.co.nz

Bridget is our Office Manager who has been working with Richard and Jane for the last 20 years. Her support keeps the firm running like a well-oiled machine. Outside of work Bridget is a busy wife and mum to her two young children, enjoys baking and spending time with her close-knit family.

Mia Milojevic

Law Clerk | mia@connell.co.nz

Mia is currently completing a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Auckland. She previously earned an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice in the United States on a tennis scholarship, where she developed strong discipline and commitment to excellence.

Originally from Serbia, Mia is fluent in both Serbian and English, allowing her to connect effectively with people from diverse backgrounds. Her volunteer work supporting children and migrant communities has strengthened her passion for family law, particularly in achieving fair and child-focused outcomes.

Outside of her studies, Mia enjoys reading, hiking, going to the gym, and travelling to explore new places. She is dedicated to expanding her legal knowledge and making a positive impact through her future work in the law.