December Newsletter: Keeping You in the Loop

2025 has been a positive year for Harmans which has led to some significant and exciting changes.  Bucking the national trend we have had growth across the firm and at the same time added fresh faces and dynamism to our partnership with the deserved appointments of Melissa Borcoski (in litigation) and Rebecca Kettle (in the commercial team).  In addition, we have continued to expand our lawyer base throughout the firm.

This year saw two of our longstanding partners, Brian Burke and Chris Simpson take a step back having moved into consultant roles.  They continue to provide their experience and skill to both existing and future clients.

On November 26th Colin Harman died in his 90th year.  Colin was a member of our founding family and a Partner at Harmans for close to 50 years.  Up until his health deteriorated he was frequently seen at the firm.  During the recent swearing in of Justice Paulsen to the High Court Bench (a former Partner of Harmans) he credited Colin with providing guidance in his first steps in the law and described him as a thoroughly decent man.  Those sentiments are echoed by all of the partners at Harmans who knew Colin.  Our condolences to the Harman family.

The growth in our business is due in no small way to our loyal clients who continue to refer friends and business associates to us.  Client recommendations are the life blood of Harmans.  We strive to provide high quality legal services to all our clients we appreciate and value the confidence and trust you place in us when you refer friends and family to the firm.

2025 has been a year of steady recovery for New Zealand.  These conditions have shaped the work across the firm.  Property clients are returning to the market as lending becomes more accessible.  Our private client team led by Amy Hyland is seeing a marked increase in activity and we are actively recruiting new solicitor resource to meet that need.  Our clients’ businesses have focused on the consolidation, restructuring, and strengthening of their operations, while employers and employees alike have navigated a shifting labour market.  After a robust appointment process to ensure we had the right person, we have employed a new Associate (Tom Hutchinson) to ensure we can meet the needs of our commercial clients.

Our Family Team will expand to 8 solicitors at the commencement of the New Year, led by Colin Abernethy, Jeremy Daley and Harriet Daley.

During this period of change and challenge I am proud of the way the firm has continued to deliver calm, clear and sound guidance.  The challenges of 2025 have reminded us that our role is not only to provide excellent focused legal expertise, but to give our clients confidence as they navigate uncertainty.

In October 2025 the Partners took the opportunity to meet with our senior leadership team at Riccarton House.  The team includes Partners and Associates (20 lawyers in all).  Rebecca Kettle (with family input from prof David Dempsey) presented a paper directed at ways to enhance service delivery to clients through AI.  We also took the opportunity to engage with an external presenter to look at individual skillsets of the team so that we can match our lawyers with the needs to our individual clients.

Supporting our community in ways that align with our values is a core Harmans tenet.  The Court Theatre (New Zealand’s premier theatre company) relocated to the Arts district in the central city in new purpose-built premises in June 2025.  The Harmans’ Partners were proud to be able to sponsor and attend the opening production having been sponsors of The Court Theatre now for in excess of two decades.

Our firm also contributes to the wider legal community. I serve as Vice President of the New Zealand Law Society and Colin Abernethy serves as Treasurer on the national body of the Family Law Section.

As we look toward 2026, we do so with optimism. On behalf of the entire Harmans team, I thank you for your trust, engagement, and partnership throughout the year.

We wish you and your whānau a safe and joyful holiday season.

Meri Kirihimete
Mark Sherry
Managing Partner

As Practice Manager, Julie took on responsibility for the operation of the firm.  During her time with us she has   been a trusted colleague to all of the partners, and the support she has provided to the two Managing Partners that she has worked alongside has been invaluable.

We appreciate Julie’s passion for and commitment and dedication to the firm during her tenure and we hope that you will join us in wishing her all the best for her future endeavours.

We would especially like to thank Julie for the long notice period she gave the firm.  That gave us the opportunity and time to appoint the right person to fill Julie’s role.  We can advise that we have now employed a new Business Operations Manager and look forward to introducing her to our clients in the New Year.

After a considered appointment process Tom was employed in a senior role as an Associate in our Commercial and Property Law Team.  Tom has immediately settled into the role, confirming the soundness of his appointment.

He has a strong commercial background having spent the last 9 years advising on a broad range of commercial matters including property acquisitions and disposals (commercial, rural, and residential), subdivisions, financing, structuring commercial arrangements, the sale and purchase of businesses, commercial leasing, and asset protection.  Whilst Tom spent his formative years in Dunedin it transpires he was born in Christchurch so we hope in converting him from the blue and gold to the red and black.

Tom is a keen sportsman numbering squash, snow skiing, tramping and scuba amongst many outdoor pursuits.

Tom is committed to providing timely, pragmatic, and solutions focused commercial legal advice.  He is looking forward to working with our commercial clients.

These reforms are in response to calls to simplify leave entitlements and reduce compliance costs for employers.

Read the full article here.

The changes apply to current residential tenancy agreements, regardless of when they were signed.

Read the details in the article.

As a creditor, it’s important to understand the different debt recovery methods available – and how acting quickly can improve your chances of recovering the full amount.

Read the full article here.

Hauora, wellbeing, is one of our core values at Harmans that we actively support, and what better way to do this than stretching the legs whilst appreciating the beauty of Hagley Park.

Organised by our Senior Associate Taff Gilvray, alongside fellow school parent Kim Hickford and an amazing team of volunteers, this biennial event transforms Lyttelton Primary School into a vibrant Pop-Up Gallery.

The auction was a huge success, raising over $80,000 for the school! Harmans was proud to be a Silver Sponsor and help make it happen.

We are proud to support this event, raising funds for Life Education Trust Canterbury’s vital work, empowering children across Canterbury to make positive choices.

Check in with us to make sure your Will is up to date and reflects your current wishes. Matters that might trigger a need to update your Will include the birth of a child, a new relationship, a separation, or a need to update the details of guardians or executors.

If you appreciate what we do for you, the best thing you can do for us is to tell your friends and whānau, and suggest they contact us for their own legal needs.

If you have any suggestions on how we can improve, please let us know by contacting us here.

Many thanks from the team at Harmans