Birthday to remember for lawyer
Fiona Guy Kidd will never forget her 50th birthday.
In terms of birthday presents, the Invercargill lawyer says they don’t come much better than what she was presented with yesterday.
Guy Kidd was sworn into the Queens Counsel at a special ceremony at the Invercargill District Court. It was an occasion which was not only a poignant one for herself, but the Invercargill law community as a whole.
She is the first Invercargillbased lawyer to become a QC since the honour was introduced in New Zealand in 1907.
Just 130 people have been appointed as a QC during the past 112 years, highlighting just how well regarded the honour was.
Guy Kidd was one of 10 in New Zealand to be appointed this year after she applied to join the Queens Council.
It was the fact that she had notched up a first for Invercargill which had her bubbling with pride yesterday.
Guy Kidd was delighted chief justice Dame Sian Elias made mention of Invercargill during the ceremony. A ceremony which was attended by various QC’s from throughout New Zealand, fellow Invercargill lawyers, and Guy Kidd’s family who had travelled from as far as Taupo.
‘‘Invercargill I would have to say has a very fine legal tradition which has produced some of the best lawyers we have ever had in New Zealand, but there has never been a Queen’s Council appointed from Invercargill,’’ Elias said.
‘‘Most of those who have gone on to higher office after beginning their practice here had to leave to advance their careers and gain work that demonstrates the leadership required in the profession.
‘‘It is testament to your work Ms Guy Kidd.’’
Guy Kidd has carved out an impressive law career which was highlighted when the chief justice talked the packed courtroom through what she had achieved.
Initially from Auckland, in 2011 Guy Kidd moved with her family to Southland where they took over a farm at Forrest Hill and she joined AWS Legal.
Prior to that Guy Kidd had graduated with a degree in law from Otago University in 1992, and a masters in law from University of Virginia in 1995, before gaining work at Russell McVeagh McKenzie Bartleet & Co, and later as a junior barrister for David A R Williams QC. She was a crown prosecutor from 1997 to 2000, then moved to the criminal team in the Crown Law Office, where she worked until 2011 before moving to Invercargill.
In 2016 Fiona commenced practice as a barrister sole after 24 years’ experience working in both civil and criminal litigation.