Greater good

Lawyer in the house

From working in a remote village in Madagascar, to serving 2 of New Zealand’s most beloved organisations – the SPCA and Hato Hone St John – Philie Deo has carved out a diverse and purposeful legal career. We caught up with Philie following the recent In-house Lawyers Association of New Zealand conference, where she scooped the 2024 New In-house Lawyer of the Year award, sponsored by MAS.

Lawyer Philie Deo standing outside, arms crossed in front of a Hato Hane St John Vehicle

Surprisingly, a law career was never on the radar for Philie when she left school. She was planning to pursue a BA in French, but a careers advisor suggested a double degree in law might be useful for foreign affairs or similar roles. She enrolled in an entry-level law paper and was instantly hooked. “I was introduced to all these new concepts that I found really challenging and fascinating.”

Philie’s first solicitor’s job was with Duncan Cotterill in Nelson, followed by 2 years travelling and volunteering with her partner-now-husband Sanjeev Deo, who’s a GP at The Doctors Christchurch South. The couple spent 3 months volunteering at a remote village in northern Madagascar, through an NGO called Mada Clinics. Sanjeev provided medical care while Philie taught French and English in the school. “The village was completely remote... we were dropped off by bus and walked 2 hours up a mountain to get there. The people were incredibly welcoming, and we had a wonderful time.”

Back home, Philie was looking for a new opportunity that let her juggle a career and motherhood when she saw an advertisement for a legal support role to the SPCA, which ticked the boxes of being both part- time and purposeful.

“I was also learning about a completely different side of the law to what I’d known previously. It’s an amazing organisation that does a lot with a little.”

Philie Deo

Group of people standing outside in front of a Hato Hane St John Vehicle

Philie Deo and her husband Sanjeev Deo spent 3 months volunteering in a remote village in northern Madagascar providing medical care and education to the local community.

She quickly learned that the charity is as much about helping humans as animals. “They aren’t out there simply to prosecute and make people criminally responsible, although there are definitely some cases where that’s required. “But more often, people genuinely think they are helping their animals, but because of their own life or mental health challenges they aren’t able to care for them properly. So, there’s very much an educational focus and working alongside people to try and help them.”

Today, Philie is part of Hato Hane St John’s 5-strong legal team, which also won the 2024 Small In-house Team of the Year category at the recent In-house Lawyer’s awards. Comprised of 4 practising lawyers and one privacy and estates advisor, they handle a diverse scope of work.

Their remit covers all the commercial aspects of running a substantial organisation with 13,000 paid and volunteer staff, around 380 properties and hundreds of vehicles. They also deal with matters arising from estate donations, for example, and support paramedics when they’re called to give evidence in court. One of Philie’s first tasks upon joining St John in March last year was helping staff prepare for the inquiry into the Christchurch mosque shootings.

Given the broad nature of the work, the team is presented with many and varied legal questions.

“One of the interesting questions we’ve considered recently was around the obligations our paramedics have to a deceased person...with respect to staying with them until a doctor arrive, or if it’s a coronial matter, the Police, which is both a legal question but also a moral and ethical one.”

Philie Deo

Just like her experience with the SPCA, Philie gained an insider’s perspective on the organisation. “The thing that surprised me most was the sheer scope of everything they provide to communities across New Zealand. In addition to the ambulance services, there are so many amazing community projects.”

Like most New Zealanders, Philie is full of admiration for the kaupapa of St John. She and Sanjeev recently had first-hand experience of their services, calling an ambulance when their daughter experienced breathing difficulties. “It’s just that sense of relief when you see this person arrive in green. And they immediately reassured our daughter, explaining everything at a 6-year-old’s level, and it meant a lot.

“I was out at our annual appeal day recently. So many people came up to us and shared their stories and thanked us and are so grateful for St John. It’s humbling to know that you’re supporting that kind of work.”

Looking back on her career so far, her advice to young lawyers or students would be to explore all opportunities. “When you’re at law school, the focus is generally on the courts or private practice and the traditional pathway from solicitor to partner. But there are so many ways your degree can be used – it’s just about realising how transferable your skills are.”