Tompkins Wake is a New Zealand
law firm, headquartered in
Hamilton, New Zealand with offices also in
Auckland,
Rotorua and
Tauranga. The firm was founded as Tompkins and Wake in Hamilton on 22 June 1922 by
Lance Tompkins and Cecil Barry Wake (known as Barry Wake).
History
Tompkins was a prominent lawyer in Hamilton. In 1958, he was appointed a
Queen's Counsel. In 1963, he was called to the
Supreme Court.[1]
Sir David Tompkins (Lance Tompkins' son), studied from 1947 to 1952 and graduated from the then
University of New Zealand with an LLB. He was also a partner in Tompkins Wake, was made a QC, and then sat as a
High Court Judge in Auckland. Sir David was Chancellor of the University of Waikato from 1981 to 1985.[2]
While the firm still bears its founders' names, it did become Tompkins, Wake, Paterson and Bathgate during the 1960s through to the 1980s when it returned to Tompkins Wake.[3]
The firm famously launched the "Case for Hamilton"[4] in 2009, threatening to sue the rest of New Zealand because it was difficult to recruit lawyers.
In November 2010 Tompkins Wake acquired Swarbrick Dixon to create Hamilton's largest law firm. The firm then opened its Auckland office in 2012 and in November 2014 Tompkins Wake merged with Davys Burton in Rotorua.[5]
Awards and recognition
2016
New Zealand Law Awards Finalist – Mid Market Deal of the Year
2017
Best Lawyers 2017 – Robert Bycroft, leading authority in Biotechnology Law
New Zealand Law Awards Finalist – Mid Size Law Firm of the Year[6]
New Zealand Law Awards Finalist – Consumer, Media and Tech Deal of the Year
2018
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Leading Firm, Corporate M& A, Projects and Resource Management (Tier 3) [7]
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Recommended Lawyers, Bridget Parham, Bryce Davey, Mark Renner, Phil Taylor, Robert Bycroft, Theresa Le Bas, Tom Arieli[7]
Best Lawyers 2018 – Robert Bycroft, leading authority in Biotechnology Law[8]
New Zealand Law Awards Finalist – Mid Size law Firm of the Year[9]
New Zealand Law Awards Finalist – Employer of Choice (51–100 Lawyers)[9]
New Zealand Law Awards Finalist – Mid-Market Deal of the Year[9]
2019
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Leading Firm, Corporate M& A (Tier 4), Projects and Resource Management (Tier 3)[10]
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Recommended Lawyers, Bridget Parham, Bryce Davey, Marianne Mackintosh, Mark Renner, Philip Monahan, Phil Taylor, Robert Bycroft, Theresa Le Bas, Tom Arieli[11]
Chambers and Partners, Asia Pacific – Liz Lim, Recognised Practitioner, Banking and Finance, New Zealand[citation needed]
Best Lawyers 2019 – Robert Bycroft, leading authority in Biotechnology Law[12]
New Zealand Lawyer, 2019 Innovative Law Firm, Winner [13]
Asialaw Profiles - Notable Firm, Real Estate and Construction Law
Asialaw Profiles - Scott Ratuki - Notable Practitioner, Construction Law
New Zealand Law Awards Winner - Mid-Size Law Firm of the Year
New Zealand Law Awards Winner - Managing Partner of the Year (<100 Lawyers), Jon Calder
New Zealand Law Awards Finalist - Mid-Market Deal of the Year
New Zealand Law Awards Finalist - Employer of Choice (51-100 Lawyers)
International Financial Legal Review (IFLR 1000), Notable Firm, Banking and Finance
2020
New Zealand Lawyer, 2020 Employer of Choice, Winner
Best Lawyers 2020 - Robert Bycroft, leading authority in Biotechnology Law [12]
Best Lawyers 2020 - Mark Lowndes, leading authority in Corporate Law
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Leading Firm, Banking and Finance, Corporate M& A, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Projects and Resource Management (including Environment) and Real Estate and Construction
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Leading Individual, Mark Lowndes
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Recommended Lawyers, Bridget Parham, James MacGillivray, Kate Cornegé, Marianne Mackintosh, Mark Hammond, Mark Renner, Peter Duncan, Peter Fanning, Phil Taylor, Scott Ratuki, Shelley Slade-Gully, Stephanie Ambler, Theresa Le Bas and Tom Arieli
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Next Generation Partner, Kerri Dewe
The Legal 500 United Kingdom - Recommended Lawyer, Wayne Hofer
Chambers and Partners, Asia Pacific & Global - Mark Lowndes, Ranked Lawyer, Corporate/Commercial, New Zealand
Doyles Guide - Preeminent Lawyer, Family and Relationship Property - Zandra Wackenier
New Zealand Lawyer, 2020 Innovative Law Firms, Winner
International Financial Legal Review (IFLR1000) - Notable Firm, Project Development (Infrastructure projects, Energy and natural resources projects, Non-commercial construction (prisons, hospitals, etc.))
International Financial Legal Review (IFLR1000) - Notable Firm, M&A
New Zealand Law Awards Winner - Mid-size Law Firm of the Year [14]
New Zealand Law Awards Winner - Managing Partner of the Year (<100 Lawyers), Jon Calder [14]
New Zealand Law Awards Winner - Employer of Choice (51-100 Lawyers) [14]
2021
New Zealand Lawyer, Elite Women List 2021 - Stephanie Ambler
New Zealand Law Awards Excellence Award - M&A Deal of the Year
New Zealand Law Awards Winner - Insolvency and Restructuring Deal of the Year
New Zealand Law Awards Winner - Employer of Choice (51-100 Lawyers)
New Zealand Law Awards Winner - Mid-Size Law Firm of the Year
International Financial Legal Review (IFLR1000) - Notable Firm, Project Development 2021
New Zealand Lawyer - Jon Calder, Most Influential Lawyers List 2021
Doyles Guide - Leading Family and Relationship Property Law Firm, Tier 2
Doyles Guide - Leading Lawyer, Family and Relationship Property - Stephanie Ambler and Zandra Wackenier
Benchmark Litigation - Commercial and transactions, Tier 3
Best Lawyers - Mark Lowndes, leading authority in Corporate Law, Information Technology Law and Telecommunications Law
Best Lawyers - James MacGillivray, leading authority in Arbitration and Mediation | Litigation
Best Lawyers - Robert Bycroft, leading authority in Biotechnology Law
AsiaLaw Profiles - Mark Lowndes, Notable Practitioner, Corporate and M&A
AsiaLaw Profiles - Notable Firm, Corporate and M&A, Construction, Dispute Resolution, Real Estate
Chambers and Partners, Asia Pacific - Tompkins Wake, Dispute Resolution, Band 4
Chambers and Partners, Asia Pacific - James MacGillivray, Dispute Resolution, Band 4
Chambers and Partners, Asia Pacific & Global - Mark Lowndes, Corporate/Commercial, Band 4
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Leading Firm, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Projects and Resources Management (including Environment), Real Estate and Construction, Corporate and M&A
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific - Recommended Lawyers, Andrew Orme, Bridget Parham, Bryce Davey, Campbell Stewart, Fraser Wood, James MacGillivray, Kate Cornegé, Kate Searancke, Kerri Dewe, Mark Hammond, Mark Lowndes, Mark Renner, Marianne Mackintosh, Peter Duncan, Peter Fanning, Phil Taylor, Robert Bycroft, Scott Ratuki, Shelley Slade-Gully, Simon Jass, Stephanie Ambler, Theresa Le Bas and Tom Arieli
2022
Best Lawyers
Best Lawyers - Mark Lowndes, Lawyer of the Year, Technology Law (Auckland)
Best Lawyers - Robert Bycroft, leading authority in Biotechnology Law
Best Lawyers - James MacGillivray, leading authority in Arbitration and Mediation and Litigation
Best Lawyers - Mark Lowndes, leading authority in Corporate Law, Information Technology Law, Technology Law and Telecommunications Law.
Benchmark Litigation
Benchmark Litigation - Commercial and transactions, Tier 3
Chambers and Partners
Asia Pacific - Tompkins Wake, Dispute Resolution, Band 4
Asia Pacific - James MacGillivray, Dispute Resolution, Band 4
Asia Pacific - Mark Lowndes, Corporate/Commercial, Band 4
Doyles Guide
Leading New Zealand Māori Law, Māori Land & Treaty of Waitangi Law Firm, Recommended
Recommended Lawyer, Employment and Safety Law - Daniel Erickson
Leading Family and Relationship Property Law Firm, Tier 1
Preeminent Lawyer, Family and Relationship Property - Stephanie Ambler
Leading Lawyer, Family and Relationship Property - Zandra Wackenier
Recommended Lawyer, Family and Relationship Property - Kate Sullivan
Rising Star, Family and Relationship Property - Lauren Gamble
Human Resources Director (HRD)
5 Star Employer of Choice 2022
NZ Law Awards
Winner, Employer of Choice (<100 Lawyers)
Excellence Awardee, Large Law Firm of the Year
Excellence Awardee, Insolvency and Restructuring Deal of the Year – Liquidation of Autoterminal New Zealand Limited
Excellence Awardee, Young Private Practice Lawyer of the Year – Tina Liu
Excellence Awardee, Managing Partner of the Year (<100 Lawyers) – Jon Calder
NZ|Lawyer
Rising Star - Tina Liu, Morgan Brady and Fiona Dalziel
Elite Women - Stephanie Ambler and Theresa Le Bas
The Legal 500
Private Practice Arbitration Powerlist - Australia and New Zealand - James MacGillivray
Asia Pacific - Recommended Lawyers, Bridget Parham, Bryce Davey, Campbell Stewart, Fraser Wood, James MacGillivray, Kate Cornege, Kate Searancke, Kerri Dewe, Mark Hammond, Mark Lowndes, Mark Renner, Marianne Mackintosh, Peter Duncan, Peter Fanning, Phil Taylor, Robert Bycroft, Scott Ratuki, Shelley Slade-Gully, Stephanie Ambler, Theresa Le Bas, Tom Arieli and Zandra Wackenier.
Asia Pacific - Leading Firm, Corporate and M&A, Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Projects and Resources Management (including Environment), Real Estate and Construction