OUR BACKGROUND
The firm of Hart and Buckley was succeeded by Stafford, Treadwell and Field. Charles Herbert Treadwell (a renowned barrister, horticulturist and New Zealand Law Society President) subsequently practised as Treadwell & Sons and was succeeded by four subsequent generations of Treadwells: his two sons, Charles Archibald Treadwell (a veteran of both world wars, City Councillor and reputable trial lawyer) and Adrian Herbert Lawrence Treadwell, followed by two of Adrian Treadwell’s sons being Shane Jervis Treadwell and Alistair Jervis Treadwell, with Shane Treadwell’s son Mical Shane Jervis Treadwell now being senior partner of the existing firm.
In the early 1990s Treadwells merged with Stacey Smith Holmes & Billington to form Treadwell Stacey Smith. Stacey Smith Holmes and Billington was established by the late Roy Stacey and Spencer Smith. Stacey (a larger-than-life lawyer often described as New Zealand’s ‘Rumple of the Bailey’) is often celebrated as New Zealand’s greatest trial lawyer and appeared for a wide range of defendants throughout his colourful career. The no-less-colourful Andrew Davie now manages the firm’s criminal and litigation practice.
Over a century and a half of legal excellence.
Treadwells’ impressive legal history can be traced back to New Zealand’s first legal practice, which was established in Wellington in 1840 by Sir Richard Davies Hanson. Shortly after setting up practice, Hanson was joined in partnership by Robert Hart.
The Hon. Robert Hart was admitted as a Solicitor of the High Court of Chancery in 1838. He practiced with Sir Richard Davies Hanson (who became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia) and Sir Patrick Buckley (who sat on the Legislative Council before taking up an appointment to the bench of the Supreme Court of New Zealand). The firm changed its name to Hart and Buckley with Hanson’s departure.
The firm reverted to operating under the name Treadwells in 2006 when it relocated to the present offices from its home of over 100 years in Panama Street, Wellington. Over the course of its long history Treadwells has built up strong and lasting relationships with a wide range of practitioners, specialists, professionals and clients and, while aware of its place in this country’s history, Treadwells is very much a forward-facing legal practice with a comprehensive understanding of New Zealand law as it applies to today’s infinitely more complicated world.