Karlene has experience in criminal and civil litigation, with a particular focus on financial crime and regulatory proceedings. Throughout her career, she has appeared in the District Court and High Courts as counsel for the Crown, Commissioner of Police, the Department of Corrections, and the New Zealand Customs Service.
Karlene began her career working in civil commercial litigation, before joining the office of the Auckland Crown Solicitor where she focused on civil proceedings under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009, as well as regularly appearing on behalf of the Crown in criminal prosecutions, undertaking criminal jury prosecutions and appeal work in the High Court for the Crown and New Zealand Police. Karlene has acted as counsel for the Ministry of Education and Education Review Office during the Royal Commission of Inquiry – Abuse in State Care.
Her work now includes advising and acting for various government agencies, including the Department of Internal Affairs and the Department of Corrections, and as counsel for the Commissioner of Police.
Karlene is the President of the Auckland Women Lawyers’ Association, having been an active committee member since 2018. She also sits on the Board of Trustees for The New Zealand Women’s Law Journal — Te Aho Kawe Kaupapa Ture a ngā Wāhine.
Recent and notable work:
Advising and appearing as counsel for the Commissioner of Police in proceedings involving the restraint of assets in excess of $7 million following the intercepted importation of 613 kilograms of methamphetamine into New Zealand (Commissioner of Police v Hannett & Anor).
Advising and appearing as counsel for the Commissioner of Police in proceedings involving the restraint of assets in excess of $4 million following the termination of Operation Trojan Shield led by the FBI and co-ordinated with the Drug Enforcement Administration, AFP, Europol and other law enforcement agencies from more than a dozen countries (Commissioner of Police v Ngakuru & Ors).
Advising and appearing as counsel for the Commissioner of Police developing the legal test for granting of disclosure of source orders (Commissioner of Police v Shakib)