Caro Coates is a Senior Associate with Shine Lawyers’ Auckland office.
Before joining Shine Lawyers, Caro began her career in a leading litigation practice, working initially as a Law Clerk and, following her admission in 2018, as a Solicitor. She later practised as a Senior Solicitor specialising in immigration law, where she assisted individuals and families with complex and high-stakes immigration matters. Her work included helping people come to or remain in New Zealand, as well as advising small businesses seeking to employ skilled migrant workers. She subsequently worked in London as a contractor for a government legal department, conducting judicial review litigation.
As part of Shine Lawyers’ representative actions team, Caro brings years of experience, combined with a genuine commitment to plaintiff-focused advocacy. Caro advocates for New Zealanders in the:
Caro’s career highlights include her work as a plaintiff-side immigration lawyer, where she helped clients achieve life-changing outcomes. Of particular significance was her pro bono work assisting family members of victims of the Christchurch terrorist attack to apply for Special Directions to reunite with their families in New Zealand, work that continues to have a lasting impact on her both professionally and personally.
Caro has also acted on significant commercial and construction litigation matters, achieving settlements and major judgments for her clients in complex proceedings, and bringing this depth of experience to her work in representative actions.
While studying law at The University of Auckland, Caro was a Pro Bono Researcher for the Equal Justice Project and was awarded a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America, representing New Zealand while completing her final semester of law at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.
Caro is a member of the New Zealand Law Society and holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Economics and International Relations. She was admitted to practice of the High Court of New Zealand in 2018.
Contact directly on
Phone: +64 9 414 1952
Email: [email protected]
