Ashleigh Yardley

LLB (Hons), University of Canterbury

Areas of expertise:

• Resource management

• Public law

• Local Government

Ashleigh is a Senior Associate specialising in resource management, public law, and local government law. She has over 15 years' experience advising public and private sector clients on planning, environmental, governance, and regulatory matters.

Ashleigh began her career in the resource management team at a top-tier private practice, advising developers, infrastructure providers, and public sector clients on consenting, compliance, and major project litigation. She has held an in-house public law role at Auckland Council, advising on statutory decision-making, local government legislation, official information and privacy matters, and the development of plans, policies, and bylaws. More recently, she has held senior legal roles at Maritime New Zealand practicing in public international law, and overseas as a Treasury Solicitor at the UK Government Legal Department, acting for central government agencies in planning and public law litigation, including judicial review and statutory review proceedings.

Drawing on her experience across both the public and private sectors, Ashleigh advises councils, developers, and public bodies on complex resource management and public law matters, with particular expertise in strategic planning, plan-making processes, and statutory decision-making.