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Gemma Livingston

She/herSpecial Counsel
Responsible Business and Pro Bono Director
Wellington
About

Gemma Livingston is a human rights and ESG lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience advising across New Zealand and Australia. As Special Counsel, Responsible Business and Pro Bono Director, she leads our pro bono strategy in New Zealand and works with global colleagues to advance access to justice and protect human rights across multiple jurisdictions.

Gemma advises corporates, public sector entities and NGOs, with a particular focus on modern slavery, human rights due diligence, supply chain governance and compliance. She supports organisations to identify, address and mitigate human rights risks, and to develop systems that strengthen accountability and responsible business practices.

She has a long history of representing disadvantaged individuals, community law centres and civil society organisations. Her experience as a criminal prosecutor, commercial litigator and human rights consultant, provides her with a broad understanding of regulatory systems, organisational risk and complex stakeholder environments.

Areas of FocusLitigation, Arbitration and InvestigationsEnvironmental, Social and Governance
Bar admissions / Professional QualificationsBarrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New ZealandSolicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising New Zealand corporates, listed entities and public sector organisations on compliance with emerging modern slavery and human rights legislation, including development of governance frameworks, due diligence systems and reporting processes.
  • Supporting a major New Zealand corporate to identify, assess and mitigate human rights risks across its business operations and supply chains, establishing an end-to-end due diligence and remediation framework aligned with international standards.
  • Guiding board and executive teams through consultation, implementation and annual reporting obligations in Australia and New Zealand pursuant to the Australia's Modern Slavery Act.
  • Advising a global food and beverage operator on modern slavery compliance and supply chain governance during a period of significant operational expansion in Asia-Pacific.
  • Providing strategic legal advice to an international NGO on human trafficking and child sexual exploitation issues, including cross-border risks and victim-centred remediation.
  • Leading pro bono litigation and advisory matters for disadvantaged individuals, community law centres and civil society groups across New Zealand and Australia, involving complex family violence, refugee, discrimination and access-to-justice issues.
  • Advising New Zealand businesses on integrating the ‘S’ of ESG into corporate strategy, including workplace culture, ethical sourcing, labour rights, and responsible stakeholder governance.
  • Experienced litigator leading High Court construction and asylum seeker litigation in Australia and criminal jury trials in New Zealand.
Education
  • Victoria University of Wellington, Bachelor of Laws, 2005
  • Victoria University of Wellington, Bachelor of Commerce, 2005

Publications and media

Seminars

  • Modern Slavery and Global Trade: Risk Management and Governance, Eco Choice Aotearoa and Edge Impact (May 2025)
  • Modern slavery and ESG reporting, SHIFT (March 2025)
  • Using S to drive ESG strategy and practices, FSC Conference (September 2024)

Prior Experience

Criminal prosecutor, commercial litigator, and business and human rights consultant at a global consulting firm.

Additional Information

Gemma has a long history of representing disadvantaged individuals, community law centres and civil society organisations, and previously helped establish and scale a pro bono practice at a global law firm during a period of significant growth in sector engagement. Drawing on this experience, she now drives sector-wide participation in New Zealand through the Aotearoa Collaborative Pro Bono Framework.

Memberships and Affiliations

  • Chair, ECPAT Child Alert Governance Board
  • Former member, Human Rights Watch Australia, Sydney Outreach Committee (2016–2022)

My latest insights

Publication
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The modern slavery bill set to reshape New Zealand

12 December 2024 .6 minute read

Publication
Wind_tunnel_P_2655

Third reading of "once in a generation reform"

14 November 2024 .6 minute read

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Connect

Phone

+64 4 474 3209
(Work, Wellington)
+64 21 223 2079
(Mobile)