About Me

I am married to Kate and have three sons. I originally came from Wellington having completed my degree at Victoria University in 1970. I was admitted as a solicitor under the old regime in 1969. Kate and I holidayed in Nelson in 1973 and were so impressed that I left the partnership I had in Wellington and joined the Nelson firm of Fell and Harley. I became a partner there in 1975.

At the time Jim Williams was the solicitor for the Nelson Health Board and the old Waimea County Council. I worked for the Health Board and later concentrated on acting for applicants for planning consent in the old Motueka Borough, Golden Bay County, Nelson City and Waimea County areas. At last count I had successfully completed about sixty applications for planning consent.

I became the Nelson Marlborough District Health Boards solicitor in 1989. In that same year I was appointed the solicitor for the newley-formed Tasman District Council and acted for it until I handed the task on to Julian Ironside and Stuart Ritchie. I left Fell and Harley in 1993 and joined Fletcher Vautier Moore where I stayed until July 2007.

Golden Bay is at the top of the South Island of New Zealand

Golden Bay

When Kate and I holidayed in Nelson in 1973 we discovered Pakawau at the base of Farewell Spit. We stayed in the motor camp and other peoples baches in Pakawau on a regular basis. Our sons (by now we had four with the arrival of twins in 1975) grew up enjoying the beach and the other things that Golden Bay has to offer.

We purchased a property at Pakawau in 1998 and moved over there in 2007. Kate and I have enjoyed it so much we have decided that I should practice as a barrister from "Waihau" as we call it. (A literal translation of 'Waihau' us 'water-wind' because it's usually either raining or windy.)