Georgia Angus

Partner

 | 

MusB/LLB

+64 9 930 8415

Georgia Angus is a partner at Morris. Georgia has a MusB/LLB from the University of Otago.

Georgia began her career at Russell McVeagh. Since 2015, Georgia has specialised in trust, estate and family disputes. Georgia relocated to London in 2019, where she was an associate in the leading private client team at US firm McDermott Will & Emery. Georgia returned to Morris in 2021 and joined the partnership in January 2022. 

Georgia is an experienced advocate and has appeared in the Family Court, District Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. She has represented clients in numerous mediations, judicial settlement conferences and negotiations. 

Georgia has extensive multi-jurisdictional experience, having acted for clients in high-profile contentious trust proceedings in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and various offshore jurisdictions including The Bahamas, Bermuda, BVI and Jersey. She also has particular expertise acting for professional trustees where criminal allegations have been made in relation to the settlor or the trust assets.

Georgia has been published in the New Zealand Law Journal and the STEP Trust Quarterly Review on the role of charities in estate disputes and seeking privileged information from trustees. Georgia frequently speaks at conferences on her areas of expertise.  

Georgia is a full member of STEP (TEP) and completed the STEP Advanced Diploma in Trusts and Estates with distinction. Georgia also completed the Advanced Certificate in Trust Disputes with distinction and was awarded a 2020 STEP Excellence Award for being the top-scoring student in the world in that certificate. Georgia is a member of the Auckland Women Lawyers’ Association and the Family Law Section.

In recognition of Georgia’s achievements, she was named as a “rising star” for 2022 by NZ Lawyer.

Experience

Representing the appellant trustees in Singh v Ash [2018] NZCA 310 who successfully appealed a summary judgment decision that a deed of variation was invalid.

Junior counsel for the Neurological Foundation in Blumenthal v Stewart [2017] NZCA 181, successfully opposing an appeal by the deceased’s adult stepson in relation to claims under the Law Reform (Testamentary Promises) Act 1949 and in constructive trust. 

Acting for a trustee company in Public Trustee v Cooper application where criminal allegations had been made in relation to the settlor’s assets.

Advising a high net worth individual on various contentious trust and estate claims in relation to assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars and spanning numerous jurisdictions.

Acting for ultra-high net worth beneficiary in breach of trust, removal of trustee and injunction proceedings relating to the appointment of USD 400,000,000 to trusts she was not a beneficiary of. 

Acting for high net worth husband in division of property, family violence and care of children dispute, involving high value companies, trusts and jurisdictional issues.  

Representing the husband in successful application to set aside agreement dividing relationship property on the basis that agreement gave rise to serious injustice.

Publications

“An end to the substratum rule? An analysis of Grand View Private Trust Co Ltd v Wong [2022] UKPC 47” (paper presented through STEP NZ, September 2023).

“Good deeds and charities - varying charitable trusts” (paper presented through NZLS, June 2023).

“The privilege of being a trustee: can a trustee ever avoid disclosure of legal advice in New Zealand?” (2021) 19(3) TQR 21.

“Enforcing Promises – the Testamentary Promises Act” (paper presented through NZLS, February 2021).

“Data debrief: weighing up the impact of Dawson-Damer v Taylor Wessing LLP” (2020) 18(2) TQR 19.

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t – trustees, costs and litigation” (2018) 924 LawTalk.

“Having your cake…? A review of the Supreme Court’s decision in Horsfall v Potter” (2018) 916 LawTalk.

“From Russia with Love (and Trust)” (2017) 913 LawTalk.

“Supreme Court’s guide for disclosure of trust documents” (2017) 906 LawTalk.

“Just cause – the emergence of charity cases” (2016) NZLJ 107.

Representing the appellant trustees in Singh v Ash [2018] NZCA 310 who successfully appealed a summary judgment decision that a deed of variation was invalid.

Junior counsel for the Neurological Foundation in Blumenthal v Stewart [2017] NZCA 181, successfully opposing an appeal by the deceased’s adult stepson in relation to claims under the Law Reform (Testamentary Promises) Act 1949 and in constructive trust. 

Acting for a trustee company in Public Trustee v Cooper application where criminal allegations had been made in relation to the settlor’s assets.

Advising a high net worth individual on various contentious trust and estate claims in relation to assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars and spanning numerous jurisdictions.

Acting for ultra-high net worth beneficiary in breach of trust, removal of trustee and injunction proceedings relating to the appointment of USD 400,000,000 to trusts she was not a beneficiary of. 

Acting for high net worth husband in division of property, family violence and care of children dispute, involving high value companies, trusts and jurisdictional issues.  

Representing the husband in successful application to set aside agreement dividing relationship property on the basis that agreement gave rise to serious injustice.

“An end to the substratum rule? An analysis of Grand View Private Trust Co Ltd v Wong [2022] UKPC 47” (paper presented through STEP NZ, September 2023).

“Good deeds and charities - varying charitable trusts” (paper presented through NZLS, June 2023).

“The privilege of being a trustee: can a trustee ever avoid disclosure of legal advice in New Zealand?” (2021) 19(3) TQR 21.

“Enforcing Promises – the Testamentary Promises Act” (paper presented through NZLS, February 2021).

“Data debrief: weighing up the impact of Dawson-Damer v Taylor Wessing LLP” (2020) 18(2) TQR 19.

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t – trustees, costs and litigation” (2018) 924 LawTalk.

“Having your cake…? A review of the Supreme Court’s decision in Horsfall v Potter” (2018) 916 LawTalk.

“From Russia with Love (and Trust)” (2017) 913 LawTalk.

“Supreme Court’s guide for disclosure of trust documents” (2017) 906 LawTalk.

“Just cause – the emergence of charity cases” (2016) NZLJ 107.

A leading boutique private client law firm.

Want to work with us?

Check out our current vacancies

If you require legal advice or would like further information about how we work, please complete the form below and someone from our team will get in touch with you.

Thank you for contacting Morris. We will be in touch shortly.
Uh oh, something messed up. Try refreshing the page and submitting again.