Our Team
-

Greg Presland
Greg is the founder of the firm. He was admitted to the bar in 1984 and has been practicing in Glen Eden since 1988.
Greg is a father to three children and now a proud grandfather.
Greg is active in the local community, was previously a Waitakere City Councillor and is the chair of the Waitakere Local Board. Greg is also a Youth Advocate assisting troubled youth.
Greg has a background in general practice and specialises in residential and commercial conveyancing, relationship property, trusts, Wills and enduring powers of attorney, PPPR applications, dispute resolution and retirement village transactions. Greg is skilled in finding workable and straight forward solutions to difficult matters.
Outside of work, Greg is a keen walker and enjoys spending as much time as possible with his grandchildren.
-

Lisa Sherwood
Lisa started with Presland & Co in 2005 and has held many roles over the years. Today, Lisa is responsible for the running of the firm’s accounts and finances as well as our conveyancing team.
Lisa qualified as a legal executive in 2007 and is our Senior Legal Executive primarily responsible for residential conveyancing matters. Lisa has considerable experience in all aspects of residential conveyancing including sales, purchases, refinancing plus she assists first-home buyers with Homestart loans and the withdrawal of KiwiSaver funds.
Lisa works in the office Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Outside of work, Lisa enjoys spending time with her family and her numerous grandchildren. She has also volunteered for Foster Hope and is a foster carer doing emergency and respite care of vulnerable children.
Lisa’s other passion is her many tropical fish tanks and fish ponds.
-

Leigh Lawrence
Leigh started with Presland & Co in 2014 and assists Greg with running his practice. Prior to working out West, Leigh spent many years working in Auckland CBD before having children.
Leigh qualified as a legal executive in 1995 and has considerable experience in estate planning (Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney), deceased estates, trust administration work and conveyancing transactions including residential care loans.
Working closely with Greg, Leigh ensures Wills and enduring powers of attorneys are completed so the client’s wishes are clear. Leigh also liaises with executors and family in the tricky field of administering deceased estates. Leigh is methodical in her approach which client’s find helpful in knowing the step by step progress of their files.
Leigh is also responsible for all HR matters and office processes and its systems.
Leigh works in the office most days between 9.30 am and 3 pm.
Outside of work, Leigh enjoys spending time on her lifestyle block with her many animals and chores. Leigh is a keen camper and boogie boarder and loves spending time at Muriwai with her daughter and their horse.
-

Sophie Ali
Sophie joined Presland & Co in 2017 and is our very efficient legal secretary and assistant at reception. Sophie assists Greg and Leigh in the running of our civil and matrimonial files. Sophie has a broad knowledge of all things legal and is able to assist clients with their legal inquiries.
Sophie also has numerous years’ experience working in the Family Court and previously worked for a Family Law barrister. She also completed her Legal Executive Diploma in 2015.
Outside of work, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, attending community cultural events and travelling.
-
Elle Preston
Elle joined Presland and Co in 2025 as our receptionist. Elle is the voice behind our answerphone message and is the first point of contact at the form and will direct your calls and enquiries. Elle will be the friendly face that greets you when you arrive at our offices from Monday to Thursday. She runs our reception and administration areas and keeps our office running smoothly.
Outside of work Elle likes to immerse herself in nature, finding new places and trying new things as well as spending time with her loved ones.
-
Loui the Cockatiel
Loui plays the important role of announcing Greg’s arrival every time he returns to the office. He also assists with removal of staples and paper clips. Loui is partial to all things paper but all important documents are kept out of reach.
Loui also loves men and is happy it sit on any shoulder during appointments. When it all gets too much, Loui can be found asleep at the top of the computer screen.
Outside of work, Loui enjoys being outside in the garden and avoiding predators.