“My strength is in communication. I always try to transform complex procedures into plain English, ensuring my clients feel comfortable and informed”
Allanah Cunningham, a born and bred Southlander, has cultivated an impressive legal career in her beloved home region. After completing her studies at Otago University, Allanah returned to Southland to serve the community she knows so intimately.
She joined AWS Legal in 2017 as part of the Private Client team. She developed her expertise in trust and property law before joining the Rural and Agribusiness team. That extra feather in her cap allows Allanah more insight into big-picture thinking in a rural context.
Allanah’s primary focus now is on farm succession planning and restructures, areas where she deftly applies her trust and property law expertise. She enjoys a challenge, and as part of the rural team, has undertaken complex trust and farming transactions, including advocating for a client to transform what could have been a modest inheritance of $3K into a significant payout of $145K, and an ongoing farm succession case that’s lasted four years.
Beyond her rural and agribusiness focus, Allanah extends her expertise to first-time homebuyers, guiding them through the often stressful process of property acquisition.
“My strength is in communication. I always try to transform complex procedures into plain English, ensuring my clients feel comfortable and informed,” she shares.
“Every transaction, no matter the scale, is meaningful to our clients. Whether it’s drafting a will, facilitating the purchase of a new farm, or something as simple as setting up a new mortgage, I put the same level of care and consideration into each task.”
Away from her legal duties, Allanah actively contributes to her local sports community. She holds multiple roles as a coach, umpire, and player in netball, fostering both elite and grassroots competitions. Allanah’s passion for sports indicates a fervor for teamwork and competition that mirrors her legal practice. Allanah has recently been elected to the Netball South board as the next step in her sports governance journey.
Allanah looks forward to her future at AWS Legal, where she aspires to help navigate the future through leading technology and project management initiatives. Her commitment to client service, community involvement, and robust knowledge make Allanah an integral part of the AWS Legal team.
“It’s a great place to work. AWS Legal values me as much as I value them,” she says.
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