Shelley graduated from Auckland University in 1991 and was admitted to the Bar in 1992. Her first role was in a general commercial litigation role. She remembers receiving her first employment file, and beginning her path to becoming an employment lawyer. Employment law appealed as having a deeply human side, combined with sometimes challenging legal problems. It requires advocacy and negotiation skills, as well as people and strategic skills.

Shelley continued with a mix of commercial and employment law, becoming a specialist in employment but along the way developing advocacy skills as she appeared in the District Court, High Court and Court of Appeal, while also appearing in the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court.

After time out travelling Shelley had a spell as an in-house lawyer, and in that organisation moved into an operations management role, also studying leadership and management. A further time out led to tertiary teaching, and a three-year spell as a lecturer in employment law, HR and management.

In 2005 Shelley returned to legal practice for a five-month contract as a solicitor with a central city firm. Making the decision to stay, over the years she progressed from solicitor, to associate, senior associate, and then in 2015, to partnership. And after a move to director at another firm, Shelley commenced practice as Shelley Eden Law in February 2023.

Having her own firm gives Shelley the best of all worlds. She assists her corporate clients with their employment resource in all aspects of employment law. Her business experience is a real strength. She is highly service driven, as she understands the provision of legal services from the client side. And she uses her teaching skills to focus on the provision of tailored training packages.

Shelley considers the practice of law to be a great privilege. She works with her clients in partnership, with a strategic mindset, to achieve the outcomes required by them. She finds learning how businesses function, and the development and leadership of people, fascinating. She loves working with her clients and being alongside highly talented experts in their field.

In her years of practice, Shelley has learned that what clients need is answers, often immediately. They have a legal problem, and it needs a solution. This can involve a whole range of issues to do with the employment relationship. But while the matter can be complex and difficult, her role, she considers, is essentially simple. She is to come in, take the problem, and solve it.

And having worked in law firms for 24 years (and out of them as well), Shelley feels strongly that there is a need among lawyers for supervision support, and is delivering this service to lawyers and their firms as well.