Maria Clarke Lawyers

Maria Clarke Lawyers was established in October 2007, however the firm's origins date back to 2000 when Maria Clarke commenced her own practice specialising exclusively in sports law. It was (and remains) the first legal practice in New Zealand to exclusively provide legal advice to sport and recreation organisations and athletes.

Maria began advising sports organisations and athletes in the early 1990s when she practised at Wellington law firm, Brandon Brookfield, which later merged with national law firm Simpson Grierson Butler White. In the late 1990s rugby union became professional in New Zealand and this heralded a new era for sport and the law and provided the stimulus for growth in this area. A three year stint in Melbourne, working exclusively in sports law leading into the Sydney Olympic Games, prompted Maria to come back to New Zealand to establish her own sports law practice.

Over her 18 years in practice Maria has built a client base of several elite athletes and over 20 national sports and recreation organisations together with clubs, regional sports trusts, and other sports organisations at every level of sport in New Zealand. She has also acted for sports organisations in Australia, the Oceania region, and internationally.

Maria has worked with a variety of sporting codes in some capacity including tennis, bowls, surf life saving, gymnastics, cycling, canoeing, equestrian, swimming, netball, triathlon, rowing, shooting, golf, athletics, touch, badminton, diving, squash, motorsport, handball, American football, motorcycling, rugby league, pony club, aero sports, snow sports, softball, cricket and yachting.

Maria Clarke Lawyers has grown significantly since 2007 and now has a larger team and clients from all levels of the sport and recreation sector in New Zealand and internationally seeking expert advice from the team.

Our Values
We have strong values which underpin how we work with our clients and as a team.