Our history

A legacy of over 100 years advising clients across Auckland and beyond.

With over a century of history, McVeagh Fleming has grown through strong leadership, strategic mergers, and deep community ties, evolving into one of Auckland’s most established and trusted mid-sized law firms. From our beginnings in 1889 to our current presence across Auckland and beyond, our long-standing heritage gives clients confidence that they’re working with a firm built on stability, expertise, and a genuine commitment to supporting people and businesses through every stage of life.

1889
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James McVeagh is admitted to the Bar at 19 years of age. By 1895 he practises in mining law in Paeroa. In 1903 James McVeagh forms a law partnership in Taranaki with William Malone and William Anderson and in 1915 he moves to Auckland to practise.
1911
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T J Fleming is admitted to the Bar after some experience of commercial life.
1912
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T J Fleming practises in Whakatane on his own account.
1914
WW1 breaks
out in Europe.
1917
Ernest
Rutherford
splits
the atom.
1918
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20 Smeetons Buildings (telephone 3449).
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James McVeagh and T J Fleming join in partnership in Auckland.
-
New Zealand Herald from the date of partnership signing.
1936
Jean Batten's
record flight
from the UK.
1943
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Hugh Fleming with pilot's wings before operations.
1944
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Hugh Fleming 1944 after finishing tour of operations as bomber pilot, golfing at St Andrews.
1946
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Hugh Fleming joins firm (McVeagh Fleming & Fleming) following 4 years service in the RNZAF attached to the Bomber Command of the RAF.
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(July) James McVeagh dies while still a practising member of the firm.
1947
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Martyn Uren joins firm (McVeagh Fleming Fleming & Uren).
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T J Fleming accepts appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court (temporary warrant).
1949
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T J Fleming at Supreme Court (now the High Court).
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T J Fleming resigns his appointment and retires.
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Manurewa office is established.
1951
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Maurice Hunt joins firm.
1953
Edmund
Hillary and
Sherpa
Tenzing
Norgay reach
the summit of
Mount
Everest.
-
Birkenhead office established.
1960
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D A Wishart joins Manurewa branch partnership of McVeagh Fleming Uren & Hunt.
1961
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M F Kelly joins Auckland branch partnership of McVeagh Fleming Uren & Hunt.
1963
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Martyn Uren photographs the first houses in the new subdivision in Glenfield Auckland.
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D J Cotton and P J Edwards join firm and the Auckland office grows in size.
1964
Peter Snell
wins double
gold medals
at the Tokyo
Olympics.
-
J L Clark becomes a partner.
1967
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Practices of McVeagh Fleming Uren & Hunt and C G Holdaway are merged (McVeagh Fleming Uren & Partners).
1968
The sinking of
the
inter-island ferry
Wahine.
1969
-
U D M Sparks becomes Birkenhead branch partner.
The first man
sets foot on
the moon.
1971
-
T H I Fleming becomes a consultant partner.
1972
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J Woolley in Auckland and J A Gray in Manurewa become partners.
1972
-
U D M Sparks and J A Gray resign to practise in Whakatane and Papakura respectively.
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M W Hunt resigns after period of ill health (recovered and practised on his own account). T C H Fleming (the grandson of T J Fleming) joins practice and takes over the Manurewa branch.
1973
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Martyn Uren & Hugh Fleming, with cigars (& whiskey in teacups).
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Birkenhead office is closed.
1974
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M Uren becomes a consultant partner.
-
M Uren's nephew D Wilson works at the firm, and after leaving he eventually joins the independent bar, and later is appointed a District Court Judge (& Queens Counsel).
1975
-
Practices of McVeagh Fleming Uren & Partners and Goldwater Marshall-White & White are merged (McVeagh Fleming Goldwater & Partners). The Takapuna office of Goldwater Marshall-White & White becomes the Takapuna office of the merged firm.
The
establishment
of the Waitangi
Tribunal.
1979
The Erebus
disaster.
-
Practices of McVeagh Fleming Uren & Partners and Goldwater Marshall-White & White are merged (McVeagh Fleming Goldwater & Partners). The Takapuna office of Goldwater Marshall-White & White becomes the Takapuna office of the merged firm.
1981
-
The firm now practises from the Colonial Mutual Building (CML) on corner of Queen Street and Wyndham Street.
-
G J Baxter joins the partnership.
The
Springbok
rugby tour.
1984
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C G Holdaway becomes a consultant partner.
1985
The sinking of
the Rainbow
Warrior.
-
Practices of McVeagh Fleming Goldwater & Partners and Hooker Gill & Ivory are merged.
1986
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J Varney takes client instructions in his office.
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Firm's name is changed to McVeagh Fleming
-
J T Varney joins the partnership.
1987
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P K Foster and R V McGregor join the partnership. Robyn is the first female partner.
1988
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Takapuna office is closed
1989
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J Varney takes client instructions in his office.
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Firm's name is changed to McVeagh Fleming
-
J T Varney joins the partnership.
-
Desmond Wishart (centre) enjoys a social occasion at the McVeagh Fleming annual picnic at Okahu Bay.
-
M Uren and J R Hooker retire.
1991
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McVeagh Fleming brochure. The firm had 12 partners and promoted itself in a profile for clients in the style and colours of the day in the 90s.
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B P C Carter joins the partnership.
1994
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R V McGregor resigns.
-
McVeagh Fleming commences acting for a multitude of plaintiffs in New Zealand in what is known as the 'Bloodstock' litigation.
1995
-
McVeagh Fleming partners and staff have participated for many years in the annual 'Corporate Challenge' in the Auckland Domain.
-
McVeagh Fleming joins the international legal network called the Association of Commercial Lawyers (ACL).
Team New
Zealand
wins its first
America's
Cup.
1997
-
P J Edwards, J L Clark and C A Dickie resign.
1998
‍
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P K Foster, T C H Fleming and S Palmer resign from partnership.
-
Manurewa office becomes a new firm called Fleming Foster Palmer.
1999
Peter Jackson's
Lord of the
Rings trilogy
begins filming.
-
Office opens in Phillip Court in Albany Village, then in Corinthian Drive.
-
McVeagh Fleming acquire practice of Bruce Tunnicliffe.
-
In 1998 the firm had a professional photographer capture most of the partners and staff standing in Queen Street, near the offices in Wyndham Street.
2000
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V R A Bedford and S A Milne join the partnership.
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McVeagh Fleming merges with Kennedy Tudehope Railey & Martin.
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J Martin and D Railey join as partners.
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Firm name is changed to McVeagh Fleming Kennedy Tudehope.
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McVeagh Fleming acquire practice of Bailey & Co.
-
Roger Bailey becomes a consultant.hope Railey & Martin.
2001
-
B P C Carter resigns from the partnership.
-
R G Bailey retires.
2002
-
Tom Fleming & daughter Rosie (at her admission).
2003
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The firm moves to the 14th floor of HSBC Building, 1 Queen Street, in 2003.
-
D A Wishart becomes a consultant.
-
Firm name changed back to McVeagh Fleming.
2004
-
In Autumn 2004 the firm produces a client newsletter regarding its people at its Auckland, North Harbour and Onehunga offices.
-
B A Kennedy retires.
2005
-
C R Andrews joins the partnership.
-
McVeagh Fleming merges with Ross Devitt & Associates
-
Ross Devitt becomes a consultant.
-
H B Tudehope retires.
2006
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G E Vial becomes a consultant partner.
-
D A Wishart, W R Devitt and H B Tudehope retire.
-
V J Vette and J D Turner join the partnership.
2007
-
McVeagh Fleming hosts the ACL International Conference in New Zealand for the first time.
-
A J Knight joins the partnership.
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McVeagh Fleming merges with Coupe Davidson Sweetman, making it the largest law firm on the North Shore.
2008
-
In 2008 McVeagh Fleming partners and staff participated again in the 'Corporate Challenge', and its staff won the fastest male and fastest female competitor events. Richard Swan 1st overall male, and Debbie Fillery 1st overall female, as well as 3rd Men's Team Legal, 3rd Mixed Team Legal - what a haul!
-
E Telle joins the partnership.
-
B Hill joins the partnership.
-
G E Vial retires.
The Global
Financial
Crisis.
2009
-
D J Cotton becomes a Consultant.
-
McVeagh Fleming merges with Greig Bourke.
-
W H Kettelwell and G W Massey become consultants.
2010
-
In 2010 the partners and staff of McVeagh Fleming enjoy an end-of-year Christmas party, which was quite a show!
-
B J Cullen joins the partnership.
-
D G Railey, B J Hill, E Telle and S A Milne resign from the partnership. Onehunga office becomes a new firm called Neilsons Lawyers Limited.
2011
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In September 2011 McVeagh Fleming hosted the Asia Pacific regional meeting of the International Alliance of Law Firms (aka Ally Law from 2017).
-
V J Vette resigns from the partnership.
-
A J Sweetman resigns from the partnership.
-
Callaghan and Co and Tetley-Jones Thom Sexton merge with McVeagh Fleming.
-
M Tetley-Jones joins the partnership.
-
P Callaghan and J Burley join the partnership.
2012
-
D J Cotton retires.
-
W H Kettelwell retires.
-
Jamieson Castles merges with McVeagh Fleming.
2013
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J P Martin becomes a consultant.
-
G W Massey retires.
2014
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In 2014 the McVeagh Fleming team at the annual 'Corporate Challenge' was for the first time 'in the pink'.
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G J G Baxter and P E Callaghan become consultants.
-
A J Bell becomes a partner.
-
J P Martin retires.
2015
The All Blacks win
their third Rugby
World Cup.
2016
-
In 2016 the firm increased the size of its North Harbour office.
2017
-
P E Callaghan retires.
-
T J Waterhouse becomes a partner.
2019
-
A C B Coupe becomes a consultant (January).
-
Fleming Foster Solicitors merges with McVeagh Fleming and forms the Manukau Office (October). Paul Foster becomes a partner.
2020
The
Coronavirus
Pandemic.
-
The Auckland office moves to Level 9, 188 Quay St.
-
M D Tetley-Jones becomes a consultant.
-
M S Johnston becomes a partner.
-
D Lee and S P Graham join partnership.
2021
-
LawWorks merge with McVeagh Fleming.  A J Walker and G A Ireland become partners.
2022
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M S Johnston joins Board.
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A J Knight resigns from partnership.
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KiwiLawyers and Brett Norris Lawyers merge with McVeagh Fleming.
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Brett Norris joins partnership.
2023
-
D W Kenyon becomes a partner.
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G J G Baxter retires.
-
J Woolley resigns from Board and partnership and becomes consultant.
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A J Bell become Chair and C R Andrews joins Board
-
Arran Hunt joins partnership.
2024
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Maree Adams joins partnership.
-
Michael Witt joins partnership.
-
Fiona Faithfull becomes a partner.
AUCKLAND : +64 9 377 9966
NORTH HARBOUR : +64 9 415 4477
MANUKAU : +64 9 262 0330
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