Admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand in 2014, Amber commenced practice at Chapman Tripp in Wellington, specialising in competition law and commercial litigation. While at Chapman Tripp, she undertook a secondment to the Court of Appeal as clerk to Justice Helen Winkelmann, now Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Zealand.

Following her secondment, Amber accepted a position in the criminal law team at Crown Law. There she independently conducted and appeared in criminal appeals in the High Court, and appeared as junior counsel for the Crown in the Court of Appeal. A highlight of her time at Crown Law was being led by the Deputy Solicitor General in the guideline judgment Fahey v R [2018] 2 NZLR 392 regarding the use of amicus in criminal trials.

In 2018 Amber moved to Sydney and was admitted to practice in New South Wales. She commenced work as a Senior Solicitor at the Crown Solicitor’s Office and was the solicitor assisting the 2018-2019 Inquiry into the Convictions of Kathleen Megan Folbigg on behalf of the Crown Solicitor. A Principal Solicitor from 2019, Amber conducted complex civil and criminal litigation and advice matters, including regulatory and criminal prosecutions, inquests, judicial review applications, proceedings before the Mental Health Review Tribunal and applications under the Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006.

Called to the Bar in 2021, Amber accepts briefs in most practice areas and has particular expertise in regulatory prosecutions, statutory interpretation and advice, and inquiries. She was junior counsel for the NSW Police Force in the 2022-2023 Gay Hate Crimes Inquiry.

Areas of Practice

Year of Admission to the Bar

2021

Telephone Number

02 8233 0382

Email Address

a.richards@mauricebyers.com