John Miller Law

What John Miller Law does

John Miller Law is a privately held, Wellington-based New Zealand law firm founded in 1978 that specializes in accident compensation, asbestos and mesothelioma claims, mental health compulsory treatment order representation, criminal law, and compensation for victims of crime. The firm operates from a single office at Hannah's Warehouse on Leeds Street in Te Aro, serving individual clients across New Zealand and overseas through inbound phone, email, and website contact forms, with a downloadable application pack as the primary intake mechanism. Its client base is composed of individuals — accident victims, workplace injury claimants, asbestos disease sufferers, and mentally ill patients facing compulsory treatment — rather than enterprises, with fees funded through a mix of Ministry of Justice legal aid grants (means-tested) and private fee agreements under letters of engagement.

The firm is founder-led: Principal John Miller (LLB Hons, LLM) — an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Millennium Human Rights Award recipient — leads a team of approximately 13 staff including 8 solicitors and advocates, supported by family members Jonathon Miller (Practice Manager) and Donovan Miller (Accounts Manager), plus two administrative staff. The firm has no disclosed proprietary technology, no AI capabilities, and no external institutional investors, operating as a lifestyle-scale specialist practice rather than a growth-stage entity. Its competitive positioning rests on landmark case wins — most notably New Zealand's largest civil settlement of NZD $228 million — and a referral pipeline anchored by treatment providers and earned media coverage of high-profile cases.

The business model is a professional services model with two revenue streams: government-funded legal aid grants (administered by the Ministry of Justice based on household income, assets, and dependents) and private fee work for non-eligible clients. The firm has represented tens of thousands of clients across its history, with no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, no acquisitions, and no parent company. Marketing is primarily reputation-driven through public case outcomes and a professional website, with the firm functioning as a stable, founder-centric specialist practice rather than a growth-oriented enterprise.

Name

John Miller Law

Legal name

John Miller Law

Website

https://jmlaw.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

John Miller Law is a Wellington-based New Zealand specialist law firm founded in 1978 that represents individual clients in accident compensation claims, asbestos/mesothelioma cases, mental health compulsory treatment orders, and victims of crime compensation, operating through legal aid and private fee arrangements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Injury / Accident Compensation Law

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

Keywords

• Accident compensation law
• ACC claims advocacy
• Personal injury litigation
• Mesothelioma compensation
• Mental health law

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Aid Grants: Government-funded civil legal aid grants administered by the Ministry of Justice cover legal fees for eligible clients reviewing ACC decisions. Eligibility is based on household income, assets, and dependent children aged 18 and under. JML submits legal aid applications on behalf of qualifying clients.
2. Private Fee Agreements: For clients who do not qualify for legal aid, fees are charged under a Letter of Engagement and standard terms of engagement. The basis and timing of fee payment are set out in the engagement letter.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

John Miller Law is a Wellington-based legal practice that provides representation and advocacy for individuals pursuing Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) entitlements in New Zealand. The firm handles ACC reviews and appeals, asbestos and mesothelioma compensation claims, mental health representation at Compulsory Treatment Order hearings, criminal law matters, and victims-of-crime compensation. Services are delivered by solicitors and advocates under either legal aid funding (for eligible clients) or private fee agreements set out in letters of engagement.

Product overview

John Miller Law is a Wellington-based law firm offering a unified suite of legal services specializing in Accident Compensation claims, asbestos/mesothelioma compensation, mental health representation, criminal law, and victims of crime compensation. The firm provides client intake through downloadable Application Packages and offers fee structures including legal aid assistance for eligible clients. All services operate through a single practice focused on obtaining compensatory entitlements for injured New Zealanders and overseas visitors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACC Claims Representation
• Asbestos and Mesothelioma Compensation
• Mental Health Representation
• Victims of Crime Compensation
• Workplace Injury Additional Compensation
• Criminal Law Services
• MSD Historic Claims
• Victims' Special Claims Tribunal Representation

Quantifiable outcome

• NZD $228 million settlement — New Zealand's largest civil settlement for backdated payments to families of seriously injured claimants
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Legal Aid Services (Ministry of Justice): NZ government body that administers civil legal aid grants, including those JML helps clients access. Comparable to JML as the counterparty in the firm's primary revenue stream for eligible clients, and a structural dependency rather than a direct competitor.
• Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley: Wellington-area community law centre providing free legal help to low-income clients, including on ACC issues. Directly comparable to JML in serving means-tested clients in the same Wellington catchment, often as a step before referral to a specialist firm.
• Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC): New Zealand Crown entity that administers the no-fault accident compensation scheme. Comparable to JML as the principal defendant/respondent in the firm's review and appeal work, and as the entity whose policy decisions shape the firm's entire caseload.
• Citizens Advice Bureau (New Zealand): NZ-wide network providing free initial legal information and referrals, including on ACC matters. Comparable to JML as a frontline channel ACC claimants use before engaging a paid advocate, and a likely source of referrals into specialist firms like JML.

Broad incumbents

• Shine Lawyers: Australian-listed plaintiff and personal injury firm with a growing NZ presence. Comparable to JML through its no-win-no-fund personal injury practice and focus on compensation claims, though operating at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Maurice Blackburn: Major Australian plaintiff law firm with personal injury, compensation, and class action practices. Comparable to JML in claimant-side injury and compensation work, particularly in mesothelioma and catastrophic injury matters, but at substantially larger scale.
• Slater and Gordon: Listed personal injury and plaintiff law firm with operations across Australia and New Zealand. Comparable to JML through its dedicated ACC and personal injury practice in NZ, though operating at significantly larger scale and with broader service lines.

Direct peers

• Lane Neave: Christchurch-headquartered New Zealand law firm with a dedicated ACC and personal injury practice serving clients nationwide. Directly comparable to JML as another NZ full-service firm specializing in ACC claims, injury compensation, and insurance-related disputes.
• Anthony Harper: Christchurch and Auckland-based NZ law firm with a personal injury and ACC advocacy practice. Comparable to JML in providing specialist representation for ACC review and appeals, workplace injury, and insurance disputes across New Zealand.

Regional players

• Duncan Lewis: NZ presence of an Australasian plaintiff and immigration firm with an established ACC and personal injury practice. Comparable to JML through claimant-side injury work, though primarily Australia-headquartered and operating as part of a broader multi-jurisdictional practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/johnmillerlaw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/john-miller-law

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about John Miller Law