About Ana Coculescu
Get Straightforward, Commercially Astute Environmental Law Advice that Anticipates Tomorrow’s Problems, and Solves for Today’s
Recognition & Affiliations
01 – My Beliefs
I believe environmental law should enable good outcomes, not simply prevent bad ones.
I believe that the hardest part of environmental law is rarely the law itself. It’s knowing when to push back, when to cooperate, and having the judgement to tell the difference.
I believe that the best solutions anticipate tomorrow’s problems, not just solve for today’s. That means looking beyond the immediate issue to understand how a project will work in practice, over time.
I believe that clients deserve direct access to senior expertise without unnecessary complexity or layers of handoffs.
They also deserve advice that is frank, commercially astute and delivered in plain English. I believe that clients get the very best outcomes when one senior lawyer is genuinely accountable for your matter from start to finish.
That’s why I established my own environmental law and ESG practice.
“I’ve instructed Ana on a complex consenting matters for a large municipal project, as well as working together on regulatory system development for hazardous substance. She brought a high degree of intelligence and discipline working the issues through methodically to resolution."
Legal Services Manager, Timaru District Council
Trusted by infrastructure leaders, project managers and government agencies across Australia and New Zealand
02 — My story
I started my career at some of Australia’s largest law firms, where I built a strong foundation in environmental and planning law
I later moved to New Zealand and spent the best part of a decade working on complex RMA and environmental matters across different industries. Most recently, I was a Senior Associate at Dentons, where I advised on technically demanding and strategically significant matters.
My work has included infrastructure projects in transport, energy, water, waste and commercial development. I have appeared in the Environment Court and represented clients at council hearings.
I have also advised on consent strategies, contaminated land liability, climate risk and obligations under the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. I advised Crown entities such as NZTA or FENZ, large corporates, local government, small businesses and individuals.
The issues I’ve helped my clients resolve have ranged from straightforward to genuinely novel problems, with no immediately obvious solutions.
I established my own practice because I believe my clients deserve direct access to a senior practitioner with big firm experience, without paying big firm overheads.
I am admitted in both New Zealand and Australia, and I studied environmental law in Australia and the European Union.
I can’t wait to help you next.
Trusted by teams navigating complex environmental & planning challenges across
03 — My values
The Principles That Guide My Work
End-to-end Accountability
You work with a senior practitioner from day one, without having to navigate layers of intermediaries.
Pragmatism
Legal advice should focus on solutions that work in the real world.
Candor
I aim to deliver frank feedback on your potential risks, options and likely outcomes, even when they’re not what you want to hear.
Collaboration
Environmental challenges require teamwork. I work effectively alongside planners, consultants, other lawyers and stakeholders and seek to strengthen your goodwill with your stakeholders, and protect your professional reputation over the long-term.
Long-term thinking
Decisions made today can affect project outcomes, stakeholder relationships and your options with regulators for years to come.