Our Team

Mary Anne joined Shanahan & Co as a staff solicitor in 1981 and went into partnership with her father, Mick Shanahan, in 1988. After Mick died in 2004, Mary Anne continued the family practice under the name Shanahans. Mary Anne is a board member of Odyssey House and a member of Baradene Properties Board, and a former member of the Broadcasting Standards Authority. Mary Anne specialises in conveyancing, trusts, wills, estates, and matrimonial property.

Frances joined Shanahans in 2005 and became a co-director, with Mary Anne Shanahan, of Shanahans Law Limited in 2013. Frances advises on residential and commercial property transactions and assists with estate planning. She has a special interest in residential building contracts and enjoys advising builders, developers, and owners on new-builds.

Marnie joined Shanahans in October 2019 with a broad background in property, commercial and family law gained from experience at several law firms in Auckland (including a top tier firm). Marnie has a general practice and advises in residential and commercial property, trust and asset planning, relationship property, estates, and wills. Marnie has a pragmatic approach to law coupled with strong communication skills. She enjoys getting to know and understand her client’s needs so she can deliver the best possible results.

Wendy qualified as a Legal Executive in 1992 and has been with Shanahans since 1996. She is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Legal Executives, the highest level of membership of the Institute – this enables her to take statutory declarations. Wendy specialises in all aspects of residential conveyancing including sales, purchases, refinancing, and associated transactions. In addition, she assists first-home buyers with Homestart loans and the withdrawal of KiwiSaver funds. Having a helpful, practical, and supportive disposition, Wendy provides significant help to clients during what can be a stressful exercise of buying and/or selling a home.

Joy was originally from the Waikato but is now a true “Westie”, calling West Auckland her home for the past 46 years. She joined Shanahan & Co in 1983 and became a Registered Legal Executive in 1996. Joy’s sound knowledge of the West Auckland area in addition to her interest in home renovation gives her a good understanding of client situations and needs. Joy handles all aspects of conveyancing work including sales, purchases, and refinances. She is incredibly thorough with an excellent eye for detail and, as such, her particular areas of expertise are subdivisions, building contracts, and commercial transactions, including the sale and purchase of businesses.

Sheryl is one of our Estate Legal Executives. She is a key contact for estate administration, with deep knowledge and experience in estate work and understanding the diversity in family circumstances and cultures. Sheryl assists families at a pace they are comfortable with, answering the difficult questions when a loved one has passed away and guiding the family through the process of administering an estate. Sheryl qualified as a Legal Executive in 2007 and enjoys working in the area of wills, estates, and enduring powers of attorney.

Deidre qualified as a Legal Executive in 1994 and joined Shanahans in February 2019. Here, her main focus is estate administration which involves assisting families after the death of a loved one. She works at a pace her clients are comfortable with, taking the time to go step-by-step, at what can be a stressful and upsetting time for families. Deidre has acquired a wide range of experience over the years, including conveyancing, company, and trust administration.

Emma has been with Shanahans since 2014 and qualified as a legal executive in 2019. Emma assists Mary Anne and Frances on conveyancing matters and assists with major subdivision work – in particular with processing sales and settlements.

Heather has been with Shanahans since 2008 but has worked in law for over 40 years, with over half that time spent in New Lynn. She came to Shanahans Law from the practice of Peter Hoskin when we acquired his business on his retirement. As well as assisting Frances, Heather is also wonderful at helpfully locating the files of former Peter Hoskin clients.