Catherine Sumpter

Catherine was born in France and is of French West Indian descent. She moved to New Zealand in 2002 after spending 15 years in the United Kingdom and Sydney as a Teacher of modern languages. Catherine graduated from the University of Auckland with a 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 was one of two approved Legal Counsel to the French Embassy in Wellington between 2009 and 2016.

From 2011 to 2014 she was appointed by ministerial decree as a Foreign Trade Adviser (Conseillère du Commerce Extérieur de la France) to the French Embassy in Wellington and on legal issues.

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 also a member as an emerging leader of the Super Diverse Women organisation.

Catherine has developed a significant legal practice with French-speaking clients based in New Zealand and overseas and has strong ties with the private sector and Business Councils in New Caledonia and French Polynesia. She has an interest in promoting Pacific Women entrepreneurship and was invited to speak on that topic at the Tahiti Business Women Forum in October 2019 and at the international Island Finance Forum in 2021 to talk about “Promoting Pacific Islands Women entrepreneurship - the issue of accessing finance”, from a legal and cultural perspective.

She practises in the areas of Commercial Law, Estate Administration, Property Law and Relationship Property. She has a special interest in advising foreign investors (private or corporate) wanting to do business in New Zealand.