Getting a feel for the firm
Respect is something that can only be earned, and in our 150 year history, we hope we’ve well and truly achieved that.
We’re renowned for excellence, our attention to detail, and our priority on hiring the very best people. But our focus on client relationships is what really sets us apart – real people, real care, real results.
Bringing law to life
We offer a comprehensive commercial and private legal service, and our clients keep coming back to us because of that relationship – trust and honesty go a long way. Our aim is to be open, accurate, and one-step-ahead in everything we do, to achieve the very best for you, every time.
Our history
Harkness Henry has a proud history of providing excellent relationships and high quality legal advice, since 1875.
When the practices of the late Phillip Harkness and Clive Henry merged in 1945, we took on the firm’s current name. From our early beginnings in Hamilton, we added conveniently located offices in Paeroa (since 1978), Cambridge (since 2022) and more recently in Matamata.
Today, Harkness Henry has become one of New Zealand’s best known mid-sized law firms and a great place to build a career in law.
- Former Governor General, Justice Dame Silvia Cartwright, was a partner before her appointment to the bench.
- Her successor in the firm was the Hon. Justice Christine Grice, a judge of the High Court of New Zealand. Christine is a past president and also Executive Director of the New Zealand Law Society.
- Members of our team have consistently been elected to Waikato/Bay of Plenty and New Zealand Law Society committees.
Remarkable women have featured across our proud history and they continue to be a proud feature of our team today. You can find out more about our people here.
We enjoy an exceptional reputation throughout New Zealand, here at Harkness Henry, because of our team’s ability to meet our client’s legal needs with prompt, pragmatic and specialist advice.
Our community
At Harkness Henry, being an active part of the communities we belong to is a very fulfilling part of our work. We give our time, expertise and financial support to many Waikato organisations who work for good in our communities. This includes:
- Pro-bono advice
- Volunteering
- Sponsorship
- Fundraising
- Support
- Acting as trustees
Lawlink
Harkness Henry is a member of the Lawlink Group, which is a nationwide association of independent law firms.
Members of the group share ideas, resources, and business processes. Their collective talent results in each member firm being able to offer the best possible advice and service to their clients. In addition, all clients of Lawlink firms benefit from the additional specialist expertise available, including knowledge of legal and commercial problems, resolutions and trends nationally.
As a member of the group, Harkness Henry is in the unique position of being able to offer higher quality advice and service than its competitors.
Lawlink publications available for download
Please get in touch if you have questions.
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Our thinking
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