ABOUT

Our history

McVeagh Fleming has continued to serve its clients no matter what. Through good times and bad the firm has done its utmost to provide sound legal advice and practical solutions for a diverse range of clients, from multinationals to owner-operated businesses and individuals.

1912
-
T J Fleming practises in Whakatane on his own account.
1914
WW1 breaks
out in Europe.
1917
Ernest
Rutherford
splits
the atom.
1936
Jean Batten's
record flight
from the UK.
1951
-
Maurice Hunt joins firm.
1953
Edmund
Hillary and
Sherpa
Tenzing
Norgay reach
the summit of
Mount
Everest.
-
Birkenhead office established.
1960
-
D A Wishart joins Manurewa branch partnership of McVeagh Fleming Uren & Hunt.
1961
-
M F Kelly joins Auckland branch partnership of McVeagh Fleming Uren & Hunt.
1964
Peter Snell
wins double
gold medals
at the Tokyo
Olympics.
-
J L Clark becomes a partner.
1967
-
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
-
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.
-
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.
1974
-
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.
1984
-
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.
1987
-
P K Foster and R V McGregor join the partnership. Robyn is the first female partner.
1988
-
Takapuna office is closed
1994
-
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
Team New
Zealand
wins its first
America's
Cup.
1997
-
P J Edwards, J L Clark and C A Dickie resign.
1998
-
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.
2000
-
V R A Bedford and S A Milne join the partnership.
-
McVeagh Fleming merges with Kennedy Tudehope Railey & Martin.
-
J Martin and D Railey join as partners.
-
Firm name is changed to McVeagh Fleming Kennedy Tudehope.
-
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.
2005
-
C R Andrews joins the partnership.
-
McVeagh Fleming merges with Ross Devitt & Associates
-
Ross Devitt becomes a consultant.
-
H B Tudehope retires.
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.
2011
-
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
-
J P Martin becomes a consultant.
-
G W Massey retires.
2015
The All Blacks win
their third Rugby
World Cup.
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.
2021
-
LawWorks merge with McVeagh Fleming.  A J Walker and G A Ireland become partners.
2022
-
M S Johnston joins Board.
-
A J Knight resigns from partnership.
-
KiwiLawyers and Brett Norris Lawyers merge with McVeagh Fleming.
-
Brett Norris joins partnership.
2023
-
D W Kenyon joins partnership.
-
G J G Baxter retires.
-
J Woolley resigns from Board and partnership and becomes consultant.
-
A J Bell become Chair and C R Andrews joins Board