Bell Gully’s place as a cornerstone of New Zealand’s business community was established in 1840, the same year the Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi was signed. As one of the oldest firms in New Zealand, our fortunes were intrinsically linked with the companies working hard to build a new nation, whose success in doing so means they remain household names. The Auckland Savings Bank, now ASB, the New Zealand Herald, and the Union Bank of Australia, a forerunner of the ANZ, were all among clients of Bell Gully in the 1800s.
Today, we continue to work for ASB, The New Zealand Herald and ANZ, as well as many others whose place in New Zealand’s business history is assured, companies like Fletcher Building, Fisher & Paykel Appliances, Carter Holt Harvey, Rank Group and Air New Zealand.
Our lawyers were instrumental in setting up some of New Zealand’s most well-known businesses, including the BNZ and New Zealand’s first insurance company, NZI. We also played a significant part in civil society throughout the years. Alumni include two solicitor-generals, four attorneys-general, three chief justices, numerous High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court judges, a premier, a prime minister and a governor-general.
As New Zealand has turned to face the world, so have we, with a client base that has expanded to include some of the most well-known international businesses operating in this country, such as Vodafone, Danone and Pernod Ricard.
In 2020, we marked our 180th anniversary.
