First in-person admission to bar since Covid pandemic

Two new Gisborne solicitors have been admitted to the bar. They are Angelina Kosenko (left), and Daniel Cole (right). They are pictured with Adam Simperingham (second left), who was supporting counsel for Ms Kosenko, and Bree Munro, who was supporting counsel for Mr Cole. They are the first new solicitors to be admitted to the bar at an in-person ceremony since the Covid-19 pandemic. They have joined Woodward Chrisp. Picture supplied

For the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic two new solicitors have been admitted in person to the bar in Gisborne.

In a sign of things returning to normal, Daniel Cole and Angelina Kosenko were admitted as barristers and solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand at the Gisborne High Court, before a murder trial resumed on Wednesday morning.

Justice Peter Churchman presided over the ceremony. Two local judges, Judge Haamiora Raumati and Judge Turitea Bolstad, joined Justice Churchman at the bench for the ceremony.

Ms Kosenko will be a solicitor in the litigation team at Woodward Chrisp. She studied law and politics at the University of Otago.

She was born in Ukraine but grew up in Cromwell (Central Otago). She completed an internship with Woodward Chrisp while studying for her law degree, and ultimately decided to return to Gisborne to practise law.

Daniel will be a solicitor in the commercial team at Woodward Chrisp. He studied law and computer science at the University of Waikato. He is from Gisborne and is looking forward to practising law in his hometown.

Adam Simperingham, partner at Woodward Chrisp, was Ms Kosenko’s moving counsel, while Woodward Chrisp solicitor Bree Munro was moving counsel for Daniel.