Catherine Sumpter

Principal, Sumpter Law

Catherine Sumpter was born in France and is of French West Indian decent. She came in New Zealand in 2002 after spending 15 years in the United Kingdom (Glasgow and London) and one year in Sydney working as a Teacher of Modern Languages. Catherine graduated from the University of Auckland with her Law Degree and was admitted to the Bar in 2007. She also holds an English Degree and a Postgraduate Degree in French Linguistics from the University of Tours, in France.

Catherine Sumpter has devoted a considerable amount of her time to the French community in Auckland. She is one of two approved Legal Counsel to the French Embassy in Wellington, a role she has held since 2009. From 2011 to 2014 she was appointed by ministerial decree as a Foreign Trade Adviser (Conseillère du Commerce Extérieur) to the French Embassy in Wellington on legal issues for a 3 year mandate and was honorary legal Counsel to Auckland Accueil, a (now defunct) not for profit organization for French newcomers in Auckland. She has been a member of the Board of the French New-Zealand Chamber of Commerce Inc since 2011 and acted as Vice-President from 2014 to 2017. She is the Vice-chair of the New Zealand Pacific Business Council.

Accordingly, Catherine has developed a practice with French-speaking clients based in New Zealand and overseas. She practises in the areas of Commercial Law, Estate Administration, Property Law and Relationship Property. She has a special interest in advising foreign investors wanting to do business in New Zealand. In the past, she has worked at firms specialising in general civil litigation and franchising. In her spare time, Catherine enjoys cooking, scuba diving, archaeology and travelling