“Sue has one of the most brilliant minds I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. She works hard and thoughtfully and has a wonderfully happy personality. She should have a brilliant career in tax.”
-Therese Turner, Therese Turner and Associates
“Sue Barker...is generally acknowledged as the person in the country with the most expertise in this area of law.”
- NZPD Vol 718, Tuesday 1 November 2016, Charities Amendment Bill 71-2B, second reading, click here
“Hi, Susan, Great review of the Charities Commission issues in the NZ Lawyer article! It is certainly doing the rounds in the community sector and there is real resonance with the points you have raised.”
- Marion Blake, CEO Platform Charitable Trust
“Sue is tough and tenacious and is very client-focused.”
- Mai Chen, Founding Partner, Chen Palmer, New Zealand Public and Employment Law Specialists
“We have found the work done by Susan to be consistently of a high standard, well-researched and argued, and always relevant and to the point. Susan is professional at all times, courteous and friendly, has excellent presentation and people skills and I very much enjoyed our professional relationship.”
- Rosemary Gordon, Chief Executive, New Zealand Council of Legal Education
“If you have a tax dispute, Sue is the person you want on your case.”
- Neil Russ, Partner, Buddle Findlay
"Our especial thanks to Sue Barker of Sue Barker Charities Law; one of Aotearoa's foremost experts in charities law. Sue worked alongside PARS throughout the review process; ensuring legal compliance and that all nuances and implications were considered, and delivering a robust and future-proofed set of guidelines" click here
- Hurimoana Dennis, Chair, PARS
"Te Hokinga Mai - Raki - I want to acknowledge the work of Sue Barker of Sue Barker Charities Law who has assisted PARS to navigate a myriad of complexities to arrive at the point of being able to present a draft new constitution at the AGM at the end of September. The changes reflect PARS' commitment to mana ōrite (shared respect and responsibility) at the governance level, cascading down through the organisation" click here
- Tui Ah Loo, CEO, PARS
Citation from the National Council of Women of New Zealand Incorporated,
23 September 2016:
The National Council of Women of New Zealand Incorporated has great pleasure in awarding Sue Barker LLB(Hons), BCA, CA, Honorary National Life Membership of NCWNZ in recognition of her outstanding philanthropic legal work for NCWNZ.
Sue's skills, professionalism, and generosity in pursuing a High Court legal case for 3 years successfully resulted in the re-registration of NCWNZ as a charitable entity under the Charities Act and the reimbursement of taxes and penalties unfairly levied on the organisation. Sue's unique work established a precedent for justice for organisations in the Not for Profit sector, empowering those who may not have the resources to challenge adverse decisions.
It takes perseverance and endurance to challenge the authority of Government establishments in a complex legal environment and Sue did this with unfailing tact and graciousness over a long period of time. Her resilience and optimism, her attention to detail and her commitment to achieving a fair outcome as she guided us through a very challenging process never waivered.
The national and international respect that Sue Barker is now accorded in the field of Charities legislation has also enhanced NCWNZ's reputation as a champion for justice and we are very proud of that.
Sue now takes her place as an important figure in our history, continuing the legacy of our founding mothers led by Kate Sheppard.
It is our great pleasure to welcome you to membership Sue.
Some comments from voting at the 2013 New Zealand Law awards, provided on a confidential basis:
We are a not for profit and were very impressed with Sue Barker's ability to understand our business, advocate on our behalf and most importantly get results.
Sue Barker Charities Law were fantastic to deal with. Prompt, clear communication and easy to understand written results. Would highly recommend them to anyone wanting a specialist in charities law.
Very helpful and top quality service for us
The service we received as a charitable organisation from...Sue Barker Charities Law went well beyond reasonable expectations - Sue was always incredibly professional, knowledgeable, thorough, courteous and prompt in all her dealings with us. In addition, she invested a large number of personal hours in our case that she chose not to charge to us because of our charitable status. Her generosity in this was incredible!
Sue Barker has rapidly become NZ's leading charity law expert and is trusted by the sector.
Sue Barker and her team are world class. They are very experienced in all areas especially charities and we thank you for all your hard work and continued hard work to ensure we achieve our objectives.
Sue Barker saved us - we shall be forever indebted and grateful for her help, when all others had conceded defeat.
Sue is the doyen of NZ charities law and is exceptionally knowledgeable and practical in dealing with a government department running charities that is rigid [and] inflexible...Sue is a breath of fresh air in a stale dank environment. More than just her advice - her attention to clients and solutions proposed for them - have been truly exceptional. I wish that all of my dealings with lawyers is like dealing with Sue.
When [our organisation] decided to expand our fundraising endeavours into New Zealand,...we were extremely fortunate to employ Sue Barker to guide us through the complex process. It was a delight to work with Sue and to feel as though we had personalised services from someone who truly understood New Zealand charity laws. I am delighted to provide my vote and wish Sue all the best.
Sue Barker did an outstanding job, we are a not for profit and Sue kept the costs down for us, clearly understood the issues and got amazing results for us!
Sue Barker is truly a boutique law firm offering personalised and individualised expertise and advice throughout the complicated process of setting up an [overseas] charity in New Zealand. Sue is always on hand to offer advice and the entire process went extremely smoothly and our relationship continues to be close.
Proactively supports our business with timely commercial advice. Open and friendly disposition and easy to relate to. Clearly keeps up to date with industry matters of importance and relevance to us.
Sue Barker is passionate and dedicated to her field of law and shows greater in-depth knowledge than I have experienced elsewhere. In addition, the genuine interest in the subject matter and the willingness to go beyond showed through in the quality of advice and work completed.
Sue Barker has always given [us] the best advice and consulted with us at every step of our case. She is a willing listener, thinks carefully through all possibilities and then explains to us the merits or otherwise of each. She has given readily of her time and expertise to assist our organisation; this has always been with a warm smile and a generous heart.
Great communication and clear expertise in the area of charities law. I really liked the conversations that we had around cost and the consideration of checking this...before sending the account. Very effective and efficient service.
Sue Barker's knowledge of this area is outstanding and her willingness to share this with [us] has been of immense benefit to the organisation.
[Since our charity] registered to conduct business in New Zealand,...the entire process was made so much more smooth with the expert help and assistance of Sue Barker who completely understood what was required to complete this process in an expeditious manner. Sue is always available to guide us through any ongoing NZ tax law complexities and we are most grateful for her personalised assistance.
Sue Barker and her team were excellent, always available and totally knowledgeable with regard to NZ tax laws, particularly as they...pertain to an [overseas] charity registering in New Zealand. We couldn't have asked for a better source of advice and expertise to complete this task seamlessly.
Sue guided and advised us both through the re-registration process...and subsequent meetings with IRD. Her knowledge of this area of tax is exceptional and she always made us aware of our options and costs. Without her professional guidance and expertise we would have been seriously considering the future viability of our organisation.