Established in 2006, Gordon & Pilditch is the Office of the Crown Solicitor in Rotorua. The firm’s lawyers regularly appear over a wide range of serious criminal and regulatory cases, as well as coronial inquests and tribunals. We are specialists in court advocacy, provide legal advice to the Crown, Police and other Government agencies, both around Rotorua and nationwide.
This is us.
We are proud to have assembled a team of highly experienced senior litigators.
Amanda Gordon, LLB
Crown Solicitor / Partner
Fletcher Pilditch and Amanda Gordon formed Gordon & Pilditch in January 2006. Before that Amanda was working in Rotorua as a Crown prosecutor and civil litigator.
Amanda was appointed Crown Solicitor for Rotorua in 2013
Amanda regularly appears in the High and District Courts conducting trials, sentencing and appeals. She also provides legal advice to the Police and other Crown agencies.
Amanda manages a range of work for government departments, including parole hearings on behalf of the Department of Corrections.
Anna McConachy, LLB(Hons), BSC
Partner
Anna joined Gordon & Pilditch in 2018, and was made a Partner of the firm in 2021. She relocated to Rotorua from Auckland, where she practiced as a Crown prosecutor and civil litigator.
Anna specialises in criminal and regulatory prosecutions, regularly conducting jury trials, sentencings and appeals in the High and District Courts. She appears on a wide range of regulatory cases, including prosecutions under the Resource Management Act 1991 and Civil Aviation Act 1990. Anna’s previous experience includes resource management, civil, consumer and competition work (both litigation and advisory).
Grace Banuelos LLB(Hons).BA
Solicitor
Grace joined Gordon & Pilditch in 2019. Prior to joining Gordon & Pilditch, she has over two years’ experience as a Judges’ Clerk for the Rotorua District Court. In 2022, she practiced as an in-house prosecutor for Maritime New Zealand, before returning to Gordon & Pilditch in 2023.
Grace regularly appears in the District and High Court on a variety of criminal matters including jury and judge-alone trials, sentencings, appeals and all other aspects of the trial process. She also appears on a range of regulatory cases, including prosecutions under the Resource Management Act 1991 and Civil Aviation Act 1990. Grace’s previous experience includes litigation and advisory work under the Maritime Transport Act 1994 and Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Alex Maino, LLB, BA
Solicitor
Alex joined Gordon & Pilditch in 2021. Before that, she was a Prosecutor for the New Zealand Police in Auckland. Alex has also worked as a criminal defence and family lawyer in Christchurch and Timaru, predominantly specialising in family violence related work.
Alex regularly appears in the District and High Court conducting judge- alone trials, sentencings, appeals and all other aspects of the trial process.
Tayla Afoa LLB.BA
Solicitor
Tayla joined Gordon & Pilditch in 2022. Before that, she worked as a solicitor for Kāhui Legal in both Wellington and Rotorua. Whilst there, she primarily specialised in criminal defence work, matters in the Teacher’s Disciplinary Tribunal, Māori land issues and Waitangi Tribunal matters.
Tayla regularly appears in the District Court, High Court, and Youth Court on a variety of criminal matters including trials, sentencings, appeals. She also assists in civil litigation matters such as criminal proceeds.
Tayla is an active member of Te Hunga Roia Māori o Aotearoa and was the Bay of Plenty representative between 2020 to 2022.
Pavee Patanasiri, LLB(HONS)
Solicitor
Pavee joined Gordon & Pilditch in 2023. Pavee has experience in civil litigation and as a criminal defence lawyer. Pavee started his legal career at the Office of the Crown Solicitor in Auckland. Prior to being a lawyer, Pavee was a Constable in the New Zealand Police.
Pavee regularly appears in the District and High Court on behalf of the Crown as well as on instructions from government agencies.
Sadie Seal
Office Administrator
Makaela Ward
Office Administrator
Our Expertise
Gordon & Pilditch is the Office of the Crown Solicitor for the Rotorua, Taupo and Tokoroa Region. Amanda Gordon (Crown Solicitor) and Anna McConachy lead a litigation team with experience in criminal and civil litigation before tribunals and courts at all levels. Our expertise includes:
- Prosecuting serious criminal cases on behalf of the Crown
- Appeals for the Crown to the High Court and Court of Appeal
- Providing advice to the police and other government agencies
- Conducting prosecutions on behalf of other government agencies
- Civil Aviation Authority
- Civil Agency Apperances
- Civil litigation for the Crown and other government agencies
- Conducting prosecutions for the Serious Fraud Office
- Coronial Inquests and Tribunals
We are proud to have assembled a team of highly experienced senior litigators.
Our Address:
Pukaki Centre
First Floor
1144 Pukaki Street
Rotorua 3010
Bay of Plenty
P O Box 740 Rotorua 3040
New Zealand