Queen City Law House
Level 8, 19 Victoria Street West 
Auckland Central 1010

PO Box 6908, Victoria Street West, Auckland Central 1142

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Get practical insights around property, immigration, construction and many more legal related matters.

Yolanda Chen is a capable and detail-oriented administrator with a strong background in property and business operations. She holds a Bachelor of Business in Property from Massey University and brings hands-on experience in property management, financial administration, and client coordination.

Yolanda has supported residential and commercial property portfolios, with expertise in compliance, reporting, and stakeholder communication. Her commercial experience as a business owner also gives her a practical, solutions-focused approach to managing processes and supporting senior leadership.

Fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, Yolanda provides valuable support across immigration and property matters, ensuring efficient administration and a high standard of client service.

Yolanda Chen

Senior Administration Support

Carissa joined QCL’s Property and Disputes Team as a Law Clerk in February 2026 after completing her Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts at the University of Otago. Her formal graduation is scheduled for May 2026. She is currently undertaking her Professional Legal Studies (PROFS) through the College of Law and expects to be admitted to the High Court of New Zealand as a Barrister and Solicitor in July of 2026.

Originally from North Auckland, Carissa grew up in a small coastal community surrounded by her family’s oyster‑farming business. This background has shaped her down‑to‑earth, empathetic, and practical approach to client matters.

Outside the office, Carissa enjoys staying active, spending time with loved ones, exploring local markets and cafés, and cooking for friends and family.

Cloe Sarkis QCL Legal Assistant

Carissa Smith

Law Clerk

Cloe is currently pursuing an LLB/BCom degree at the University of Auckland, she assists the team with administrative tasks, document preparation, client file management, and general office support.

Cloe Sarkis

Legal Assistant

Lolita Chamonte is a highly experienced Trust Accountant with over 20 years in the legal sector. She holds a Bachelor of Accounting from the University of Canberra, alongside a Bachelor’s degree in Education.

Lolita has worked across a range of specialist and general practice firms, bringing deep expertise in trust account management, compliance, and financial reporting. She is known for her meticulous attention to detail, solutions-focused approach, and commitment to ensuring complete accuracy and regulatory compliance.

In addition to her technical skills, Lolita has been trusted by the Law Society to train lawyers in trust accounting practices, reflecting her strong knowledge and professionalism. She is a warm and engaging team member who takes pride in delivering reliable, high-quality work.

Lolita Chamonte

Trust Accountant & AML

Hannah has completed her Bachelor of Law and Commerce Conjoint at the University of Auckland and has since been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor. With over three years of experience in the immigration sector, she has developed significant expertise in handling a variety of visa applications and crafting detailed submissions. Her work includes preparing Potentially Prejudicial Information (PPI) Responses, appeals to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT), requests to cancel Deportation Liability Notices, Ministerial Special Directions, and other immigration-related submissions. Hannah is also fluent in Tagalog.

Hannah Alcantara is fluent in Tagalog and an immigration lawyer with expertise in New Zealand visa applications and submissions.

Hannah Alcantara - Immigration Visa Lawyer

Hannah Alcantara

Providing tailored legal solutions to fit your specific needs

SeniorLawyer

Prior to joining Queen City Law NZ Limited, Harris worked for a former Minister of Immigration as a licensed immigration adviser for 7 years.

Harris has extensive experience in dealing with all types of visa applications, as well as appeals to the Immigration & Protection Tribunal (IPT), Section 61 requests, Ministerial special directions & Ombudsman complaints. He is also an Official Information Act specialist.

Harris obtained his LLB and BCom degrees from the University of Auckland and was admitted to the High Court of New Zealand in October 2021.

Harris currently sits on the Law Association Immigration & Refugee Committee and is a director of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI).

Harris enjoys being an integral member of Queen City Law’s large award-winning Immigration Law team. Harris speaks fluent Mandarin. Harris also publishes widely on immigration and associated issues in the New Zealand Herald and is a regular presenter on Little Red Book.

Harris Gu is experienced in visa applications, as well as appeals to the Immigration & Protection Tribunal, and Ministerial special directions.

Harris Gu - Senior Immigration Lawyer New Zealand

Harris Gu

Providing tailored legal solutions to fit your specific needs

Associate

Leila is a Law Clerk at Queen City Law. Originally from Spain, she holds a dual degree in Business and Law and is currently completing her Master of Laws in Commercial and Corporate Law at the University of Auckland. She brings a strong appreciation for the diversity at QCL and enjoys working alongside people from a wide range of backgrounds, cultures, and languages.

Leila previously completed an MBA in both China and Spain, an experience that introduced her to the Chinese language at a basic level, something she is eager to continue developing. Before joining QCL, she gained valuable experience in recruitment, banking, and other client-focused roles, strengthening her relationship-building skills and attention to detail.

Outside the office, Leila can often be found learning to surf, taking up sailing, enjoying various water sports, or improving her surfing skills in Bali.

Leila de Santiago Law Clerk at QCL

Leila de Santiago

Sonny brings something special to his legal practice – he was formerly an Immigration New Zealand Officer. Sonny was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in 2007 (Sonny is also admitted in NSW, Australia), initially practicing in employment and family law for around 7 years before joining Immigration New Zealand. He has a deep understanding of the New Zealand Immigration system having served with INZ in multiple officer roles before being called back to private practice as a lawyer in 2015.

Sonny focuses on helping families. He has personally taken part in assisting thousands of people obtain residency, whether as an Immigration officer or as an Immigration lawyer. He has particular expertise in the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Residence applications, particularly in Immigration Appeals to the IPT on residency decline decisions. His family law background and his former experience as an Immigration Officer in the partnership assessment teams will give clients an edge when preparing for a partnership application.

Sonny’s services are in high demand in providing Employment and Immigration business advisory advice for companies hiring migrant workers, including applying for the legalisation of overstayer workers which is known as a s61 application. He has acted on Immigration/Employment matters for various international companies for their New Zealand business interests, including collective bargaining with migrant workers and is also specialised in accredited employer work visas.

Sonny came to New Zealand in 1990 from Hong Kong with his parents. He understands how tough and difficult it may be to travel to a new country, to be suddenly without family support, and to have to make it on your own. Applying for residency is not an easy or simple process, and he is here to help.

In his spare time Sonny is an avid tennis player. His favourite musicians are Jacky Cheung 張學友, Leah Salonga and Gary Moore. He is a columnist for https://www.yiju.co.nz/yiju-english. Sonny speaks Chinese, Cantonese and English.

Sonny Lam is an Auckland lawyer with expertise in the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) Residence applications, particularly in Immigration Appeals.

Sonny Lam - Immigration & Employment Lawyer

Sonny Lam

Consultant

Tina Hwang is a Director at Queen City Law and leads the firm’s Property & Disputes Team. She is also the Convenor of The Law Association of New Zealand Property Law Committee and serves on both the Property Disputes Committee and the Civil Litigation Committee. Tina’s practice spans property, construction, and litigation, underpinned by broad experience across commercial, employment, and general practice matters. She regularly advises on some of New Zealand’s largest property development projects and has developed strong expertise in construction law, frequently chairing and presenting at conferences, seminars, and webinars on construction, property, contract, and employment issues. She is also frequently appointed expert to make expert determinations on property and commercial disputes.

She is a regular contributor to the Builders & Contractors magazine and is often invited to speak to banks, real estate professionals, and industry groups. Client-focused and pragmatic, Tina also acts in employment law disputes for both employers and employees, guiding clients through mediations and settlements with efficiency and care. Tina appears regularly in tribunals, authorities, and all levels of court. Her advocacy includes notable successes ranging from complex commercial disputes to saving dogs from destruction orders, with cases reaching the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

Tina Hwang is a Director and is the Leader of the large and award winning Property Team at Queen City Law in Auckland.

Tina Hwang - Director at Queen City Law

Tina Hwang

Director

Marcus is the Managing Director of Queen City Law NZ Limited. His main areas of practice are construction and property law, commercial law, foreign investment, real estate services and immigration. Marcus speaks Indonesian and has spent a lot of time in Asia. Prior to establishing QCL in 2004 Marcus was a lawyer at New Zealand’s biggest national law firm and was then a partner in a leading Auckland commercial law firm.

Over the years, Marcus has represented a range of clients active in different businesses including international aviation (Marcus represented Garuda Indonesia and Korean Airlines with all of their NZ based legal requirements for a total of 25 years), manufacturing, banking and finance, employment recruitment, early childhood education, car-parking, house construction and sales, land development and subdivisions, hotel ownership and theme park operators, super yacht construction, restaurateurs and commercial radio station owners. Marcus has also acted on hundreds of business acquisitions and disposals. More recently, Marcus and his team have been very active in the property development sector and have spearheaded some of the biggest proposed high-rise property developments New Zealand has ever seen. Other property deals Marcus has acted on include the acquisition of the IMAX centre, the disposal of the Finance Centre, the acquisition of the Depot, the sale and purchase of many other major CBD and large land subdivision properties in Auckland and the construction and sales of thousands of apartments in Auckland City and the North Shore. Marcus and some of the QCL team also provide real estate services to select QCL Vendor clients.

Marcus is also widely considered to be one of Aotearoa’s foremost immigration lawyers and has probably acted on more successful residence visas than any other lawyer in New Zealand with particular focus on business immigration. Many of these clients have become major clients of the firm. A quick Google search will reflect that Marcus is a sought-after commentator for tv, radio and news media. Marcus has also presented widely and chaired numerous national law seminars and conferences on topics including construction law, immigration, credit law, and strategic law firm management.

Marcus was also previously Chairman of NZAMI, Convenor of the New Zealand Law Society Immigration Committee, Vice-Chairman of the New Zealand Indonesia Business Council ( when Sir Ron Carter was Chairman ) and Chairman of the Asian Business Association Inc amongst other such positions

Marcus believes Queen City Law’s remarkable results, including winning 8 or more national law awards, are partially attributable to him but moreover to the team at Queen City Law. The firm has been able to recruit some of the smartest lawyers and support staff around and has created a culture that facilitates excellence and is inherently client-centric. The firm also has a unique ability to deal with complex transactions and issues efficiently.

Being commercially minded, Marcus sees himself as a problem solver, always looking for positive results for clients – even where the situation may seem impossible. He believes lawyers need to come down from their “ivory towers” and that legal advice should be focused on direct commercial application.

Marcus Beveridge, one of New Zealand’s top property and immigration lawyers. He leads Queen City Law’s expert legal team in Auckland.

Marcus Beveridge - Leading Property & Immigration Lawyer NZ

Marcus Beveridge

Managing Director

Rita is a seasoned legal professional with extensive experience in Immigration Law. Having recently transitioned from a pivotal administrative role back into legal practice, she now serves as an Associate within our Immigration team, where her precision, depth of knowledge, and client-focused approach continue to set her apart. 

Her expertise spans a wide range of immigration application categories, including Employer Accreditation, Partnership, Skilled Residence, and Appeals. Rita’s meticulous attention to detail and strategic thinking make her a trusted advisor to both clients and colleagues.

Beyond her legal work, Rita plays an active role in mentoring junior staff, fostering growth and confidence in the next generation of immigration professionals. Her insights are highly valued across the team, and her fluency in Spanish adds an important dimension to our ability to serve diverse communities. 

Rita is an indispensable part of our Immigration team as she delivers exceptional service, ensuring clients' confidence and peace of mind throughout their immigration journey.

Connect with Rita Worner, an experienced Immigration Consultant in Auckland at Queen City Law.

Rita Worner - Associate at Queen City Law

Rita Worner

Henny initially joined Queen City Law NZ Limited as legal secretary, assisting the Immigration Team. Henny’s marketing prowess and customer liaison capability has resulted in her since becoming the relationship manager for Queen City Law’s immigration and investor clients. She also assists with a range of applications from Investor to Visitor visas.

She has a wealth of experience from her previous firm in Singapore. Henny’s key areas of focus are Immigration Law, particularly investor immigration.

Henny is a much-valued member of QCL’s large and award-winning Immigration Team. She mentors some of the younger staff and can always be relied upon for sound advice. Henny also speaks fluent Indonesian.

Henny Bunardy is a as legal secretary, assisting the Immigration Team at Queen City Law New Zealand.

Henny Bunardy - Relationship Manager at Queen City Law

Henny Bunardy

Relationship Manager

Michelle Lee is the CEO of Queen City Law NZ Limited. Michelle was born in South Korea and immigrated to New Zealand in the 1990s. She completed tertiary studies in Management.

Over the years, Michelle has played a primary liaison role with a number of the firm’s largest clients. Michelle is a straight shooter and her advice is keenly sought by captains of industry. Michelle is a traditionalist and believes lawyers should be well presented and professional at all times, and regularly reminds the legal team that law is a service industry. Michelle is fluent in Korean. 

QCL is a New Zealand boutique law firm specialising in commercial law, property law, property development, litigation and immigration law. Queen City Law has won many national law awards including Boutique Law Firm of the Year, Property Law Firm of the Year and Construction Law Firm of the Year. QCL won the award as New Zealand’s top boutique in 3 different years and won the top Property and Construction law firm in New Zealand awards 5 times amongst other law awards.

The firm also represents a number of major property developers and offshore investors with all of their New Zealand based legal requirements. We have dedicated teams of lawyers at Queen City Law. These lawyers will go the extra mile to achieve optimum results for the firm’s clients. Our philosophy is to provide an excellent one stop law firm solution to clients who we favour.

Michelle Lee is the CEO, the firm represents major property developers and offshore investors with New Zealand legal requirements.

Michelle Lee - CEO of Queen City Law

Michelle Lee

Bradley So is a Director at Queen City Law NZ Limited and he manages QCL’s large award-winning Immigration Team. Bradley specialises in Business Migration, Foreign Investment and Commercial Law. The firm has represented a significant number of Ultra High Net Worth individuals with all their immigration requirements - such QCL clients have invested in excess of $1,000,000,000 in our economy.

Bradley is New Zealand’s highest profile presenter on business migration-based issues. He has presented at numerous legal summits and conferences both onshore and offshore. Brad has excellent communication and listening skills. Brad enjoys excellent relationships with other professionals including major banks, accountants, investment bankers, property developers and asset managers. Brad also owns NZ Labour Inc, which specialises in the recruitment of Filipino workers for New Zealand employers.

Bradley is a well-rounded person and enjoys learning new things. He is actively involved in sports. He has competed in Kickboxing, MMA and Jiu-Jitsu. Bradley was selected for the NZ kickboxing team. He competed internationally in Macedonia 2011 and in Brazil 2013.

Bradley So brings experience in Business Migration, Foreign Investment and Commercial Law at Queen City Law in New Zealand.

Bradley So - Director of Queen City Law NZ

Bradley So

Luke was admitted to the New Zealand High Court as a Barrister and Solicitor in 2020. His core areas are commercial and property law. However, Luke has been surrounded by lawyers and legal professionals his entire life. Luke has also been heavily involved in the governance of Queen City Law NZ Limited since its inception. He is highly respected by the firm’s lawyers and support staff.

Luke’s practice to date has also included court appearances for both criminal and civil litigation.

Luke’s property work currently includes the development of a surf park, data centre and solar farm which is one of the most ambitious and exciting projects in Aotearoa. Luke is also spearheading the firm’s legal services for a 2000-unit development in Auckland. Luke’s clients include some of New Zealand’s most famous All Blacks (who Luke assists with all their commercial law requirements), entrepreneurs, and some major property players.

He knows the importance of providing real results and adding bottom-line value to his clients.

Outside of work, Luke spends his time playing premier rugby or can be found at the beach catching some waves.

Luke Beveridge assists property developers and entrepreneurs with Property Law, Commercial Law, Criminal Law and Civil Litigation.

Luke Beveridge - Senior Commercial & Property Lawyer

Luke Beveridge

Senior Lawyer

Jade joined the QCL team as our Receptionist in March 2024. Along with welcoming all clients and guests to QCL, Jade also assists both the property and immigration team with administrative tasks.

Jade O’Hanlon assists the property law and Immigration teams at Queen City Law in Auckland.

Jade O'Hanlon - Queen City Law Receptionist

Jade O'Hanlon

Receptionist

Edwin joined Queen City Law NZ Limited in June 2024, bringing over a decade of experience from the banking industry in Indonesia to support the Immigration Team.

As a migrant himself, Edwin intimately understands the challenges and aspirations of those relocating to or residing in New Zealand. He is dedicated to assisting clients with their immigration needs and is fluent in Indonesian.

Edwin is committed to offering practical support and guidance, leveraging both his professional expertise and personal journey to provide exceptional service.

Edwin Gunawan assisting clients with their immigration needs and is fluent in Indonesian at Queen City Law in New Zealand.

Edwin Gunawan - Legal Secretary at Queen City Law

Edwin Gunawan

Legal Secretary

Andrew was admitted to the New Zealand High Court as a Barrister and Solicitor in 2018 and currently supports the immigration law team, assisting with visas and general immigration matters.

With a particular interest in legal research, Andrew also assists the team with a number of Immigration & Protection Tribunal (IPT) cases, using his deft investigation and analysis ability.

Andrew is a humble achiever who is always willing to put his hand up to help get the job done, making him an invaluable and indispensable member of the QCL team.

Andrew Nah is a Barrister and Solicitor that supports the immigration law team, assisting with visas and general immigration matters.

Andrew Nah - Immigration Lawyer Auckland

Andrew Nah

Lawyer

Tom Huang’s areas of legal expertise include Property, Commercial, Immigration and Education.

Tom specialises in all areas of property development work, from two-lot residential subdivisions to large complex developments, property syndication, and property finance. Tom and QCL’s Managing Director Marcus Beveridge have been involved in many significant property transactions including the provision of real estate services, property and due diligence advice. Marcus and Tom have acted on in excess of NZ$1 billion of property acquisitions and disposals. For example, Marcus and Tom acted for a New Zealand publicly listed company disposing of the Finance Centre for $96m.

Tom also works for Reesby & Company, the largest private property finance brokering and lending company in New Zealand.  The company has raised over $12 billion of debt for property projects and companies throughout New Zealand. Most of these loans are in the $5 million to $30 million range. The company has also financed several of New Zealand’s largest commercial and residential property projects. The company sources close to $1 billion dollars per annum on property investments and developments.

Tom’s Chinese background provides invaluable insight into the Chinese market. Tom has provided assistance to many large Chinese corporates setting up their New Zealand subsidiaries. Such corporations include China banks, some top 10 Chinese construction companies and other major public companies including Chun Wo Development Holdings Limited and Country Garden.

Tom’s commercial and accounting background enables him to provide practical advice to his clients on business acquisitions and business structuring through joint ventures, limited partnerships, syndications or other such vehicles as well as advice on arrangements between shareholders.

Tom is also an expert in Business Migration Law specifically for investor migrant clients from China. Tom’s full understanding of business practice in China significantly aids investor immigrants with documentation preparation and communication with INZ. Tom and the Immigration Team at QCL successfully obtained residence, work and other visas for some of the wealthiest and most active businesspeople from China doing business in New Zealand. Tom also represents QCL at New Zealand Immigration and Investment seminars in China.

Tom has a commitment to providing an exceptional professional and client-orientated service as well as creating a warm and friendly atmosphere for QCL’s clients. Tom’s maturity and experience means that he is the “go-to-guy” in any major Sino-New Zealand commercial and legal activity.

Tom Huang’s areas of legal expertise include Property, Commercial, Immigration and Education at Queen City Law New Zealand.

Tom Huang - Director at Queen City Law

Tom Huang

As the firm’s General Manager, Aimee is responsible for managing the business and administration functions of the firm, including HR, Marketing, Finance, Office Systems, Technology and overseeing the Trust Account.

With over 20 years in the legal industry & some of that time spent working in legal IT, Aimee has considerable experience including being with QCL as the original Practice Manager back in 2004 for 2 years and then re-joining the firm in 2012.

Aimee is passionate about ensuring that both QCL staff & clients are provided with a welcoming & productive environment.

Outside of work Aimee enjoys fitness, gardening, home renovations and spending time with her young family.

Aimee Young manages the business and administration functions of Queen City Law in New Zealand.

Aimee Young - General Manager at Queen City Law

Aimee Young

General Manager

Joseph joined QCL in May 2023. He assists the property team with conveyancing, as well as disputes. He speaks fluent Mandarin.

Joseph Diao

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