Customer Announcement: New Partner as of 1 January 2026 MDS Law is delighted to announce that Nicole Gibson will be joining the MDS Law Partnership on 1 January 2026. Congrats, Nicole, on your well-deserved promotion!

Special Counsel

Steph Gifford

Steph is a Special Counsel who brings extensive experience across a breadth of private client and property related matters.    AT MDS Law her focus is on the specialist areas of estate planning and administration, trust law and relationship property.

Steph prides herself on her approachable and relatable manner delivering commonsensical and solutions focused advice.    She is not only empathetic but a fierce advocate for her clients, considering it a real privilege to support them at, what is often, their most vulnerable time and is mindful of those sensitivities.

Outside of work, Steph is kept busy looking after her two young boys and endeavors to stay fit and active, when time permits.

  • New Zealand Law Society

Partner
Vaughan Taylor
Partner

Vaughan is a Partner in our corporate and commercial team. Vaughan advises clients on a range of corporate and commercial work from business acquisitions and dispositions through to finance, employment, and general commercial issues. Vaughan’s expertise also includes guiding his clients through all aspects of their private and personal affairs, including trust and asset planning (with a strong focus on long term planning and care), relationship property, elder care & managing estates.

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Vaughan Taylor
Associate
Ruperte Dobson
Associate

Ruperte is an Associate whose primary areas of practice are estate administration, estate planning and trust administration.

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Ruperte Dobson
Consultant
Robyn Loversidge
Consultant

Robyn has over 40 years experience as a solicitor and advises on all aspects of family law, as well as protection of personal and property rights, estate issues, wills and enduring powers of attorney.

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Robyn Loversidge
Senior Solicitor
Robbie Hill
Senior Solicitor

Robbie is a Senior Solicitor in our Private Client and Estates team and advises on a number of areas including wills and succession planning, enduring powers of attorney, trust administration, occupation right agreements and residential care subsidy applications.

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Robbie Hill
Solicitor
Vicky Pankhurst
Solicitor

Vicky works in the private client team, with a focus on trust and estate administration, estate planning, wills and enduring powers of attorney.

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Vicky Pankhurst
Estate Administrator
Frances Cattermole
Estate Administrator

Frances primarily focuses on administering estates and preparing legal documents, including wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney.

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Frances Cattermole
Legal Secretary
Ashley Steber
Legal Secretary

Ashley supports the Private Client team at MDS Law, assisting with Trust and Estate matters.

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Ashley Steber