Anita Chan is the first Dunedin lawyer to be elected a Governor at Large of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (IAML).
Ms Chan has been practising family law in Dunedin for more than 20 years. She is a former chair of the New Zealand Law Society family law section and serves on the board of Childfund New Zealand.
Ms Chan said on Tuesday she was "honoured and delighted" to be nominated by her peers to join IAML, an invitation-only group.
"It was a rigorous process. I didn't realise that two of us who were nominated would be invited to join and two others would not be successful."
IAML is an international association of lawyers who are recognised as the most experienced and expert family law specialists in their respective countries. It meets annually in various locations around the world and the 2010 event will be held in Queenstown.
Ms Chan said she hoped to apply the knowledge she gained from being a member to the local community and family law cases here.
"Membership of IAML is extremely useful in that it provides access to international legal resources which can be invaluable when dealing with a case with an international aspect."
She was looking forward to discussing New Zealand Matrimonial Law with lawyers from around the world, and mingling with some of the the more high-profile lawyers.
"They call Nicholas Mostyn QC [McCartney's divorce lawyer] `Mostyn Powers' because men know that if their wives are represented by him he will have them shaking in their boots."
- Tim Glasgow
