Tompkins Wake partner Rob Hart was appointed to the board of New Zealand Cricket and the New Zealand Sports Tribunal in late 2010, adding to the significant contribution Tompkins Wake makes to the community via its involvement in sport.

Rob’s recent appointments add to Tompkins Wake’s existing regional and national contributions to sport. Peter De Luca is chairman of Waikato Magic netball, Mark Hammond is on the board of the Waikato Chiefs rugby franchise and Lachlan Muldowney sits on the Northern Districts Cricket board. Mike Dixon is a member of the board of the Waikato Golf Association. This builds on the firm’s proud history of sporting contribution with past partners Barry Paterson QC being the current chairman of the New Zealand Sports Tribunal and John Weir the chairman of Sport Waikato.

This builds on the firm’s proud history of sporting contribution with past partners Barry Paterson QC being the current chairman of the New Zealand Sports Tribunal and John Weir the chairman of Sport Waikato.

Rob sat on his first New Zealand Sports Tribunal case Drug Free Sport New Zealand v Joshua Poasa. The panel included Barry Paterson QC and Ron Cheatley.

Mr Poasa was subject to a random test by Drug Free Sport after a rugby league match in Mount Maunganui on 26 September 2010. The presence of cannabis was found to be in his system and Mr Poasa, on the application of New Zealand Rugby League, was provisionally suspended on 18 November 2010. At the early February 2011 hearing the Tribunal accepted that Mr Poasa did not smoke cannabis for performance-enhancing purposes. After consideration of aggravating and mitigating factors Mr Poasa was declared ineligible for a period from 18 November 2010 to 21 March 2011.

Tompkins Wake’s enviable record of contribution to sport is endorsed by chief executive Richard Rowley. Mr Rowley comments that “becoming a successful leading edge legal practise involves maintaining our tradition of supporting sports and charitable organisations in our wider community. We are proud to have a group of partners and lawyers who respect this and have the drive to make a positive difference by maintaining their connections with the community”.