Shieff Angland

What Shieff Angland does

Shieff Angland is a private commercial law firm headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, founded in 1942 as Finlay Shieff by Dr Martyn Finlay QC (former New Zealand Minister of Justice and Attorney-General) and Norman Shieff. The firm operates from Level 16, 88 Shortland Street in Auckland's CBD and provides legal services across three integrated practice areas: Commercial Law (business structures, transactions, M&A, regulatory compliance, employment, and IP), Property Law (conveyancing, development, leasing, finance, and public works compensation), and Litigation & Disputes Resolution (commercial disputes, insolvency, employment, defamation, and construction). Its clients include SMEs and trading businesses, family and charitable trusts, registered charities, property developers and investors, high net-worth individuals, corporates, and government/infrastructure entities across New Zealand.

The firm operates under a traditional professional services revenue model, with fees negotiated on a per-matter basis and no publicly disclosed pricing structure. Marketing is driven primarily through an active blog covering regulatory and practice-area updates, supplemented by referral pipelines via its long-standing membership (since 1973) in The Interlex Group, an international network of 44 law firms across 152 cities in 62 countries. The firm's GTM is relationship-led and partner-driven, with no field-sales motion or technology-mediated distribution; cross-border matters are routed through Interlex member firms. Leadership comprises five current partners (Richard Hatch, Kellie Bright, Deanna Clark, Kalev Crossland, DeAnne Brabant) plus a consultant (former Managing Partner John Kearns) and a team of senior associates and support staff, with an active Asian Legal Practice led by Emma Liu that supports Chinese-language clients.

In 2025, John Kearns concluded an 18-year tenure as Managing Partner (2007-2025) and stepped into a Consultant role, representing a generational leadership transition. The firm has no disclosed technology platform, AI capabilities, app, or proprietary tools, and operates as a purely relationship-driven legal practice. There is no indication of private equity, venture capital, or external ownership; ownership resides with the partnership.

Name

Shieff Angland

Legal name

Shieff Angland

Website

https://shieffangland.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shieff Angland is a private Auckland-based commercial law firm founded in 1942, providing commercial, property, and litigation legal services to SMEs, trusts, charities, property developers, corporates, and high net-worth individuals throughout New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Fees: The firm generates revenue through professional legal services fees for commercial, property, and litigation matters. Services are provided to a range of clients including businesses, trusts, charities, and individuals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Shieff Angland is an Auckland-based business law firm providing commercial legal services, property law services, and litigation and dispute resolution services. The firm advises SMEs, trusts, charities, property developers, investors, corporates, and high net-worth individuals on business structures, transactions, regulatory compliance, property transactions, leasing, financing, and disputes. Services are delivered by partners and senior associates on a matter-by-matter basis.

Product overview

Shieff Angland is a law firm offering three integrated legal service practice areas: Commercial Legal Services, Property Legal Services, and Litigation & Disputes Resolution Services. These services are delivered through specialist legal teams led by partners and supported by associates and consultants, working collaboratively to provide comprehensive legal advice to clients in commercial, property, and dispute matters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Legal Services Business law services covering commercial contracts, sale and purchase of business, management buyouts, corporate structures, corporate governance, statutory compliance, securities, fundraising, financing, trade practices, trademarks, intellectual property, franchising, and employment law. Advised by a team led by partner Kellie Bright for SMEs, trading and family trusts, charities, and individuals on business establishment, operational and regulatory compliance, financing, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, and exit strategies.
• Property Legal Services Property law services including commercial and residential conveyancing, due diligence, land development and subdivision, building contracts, property ownership structures, property finance, overseas investment consents, mortgagee sales, retail/industrial/commercial/design-build leasing, landlord and tenant rights, trusts and asset protection, and wills and estates. Led by partner Deanna Clark with 20+ years of complex and high-value property transaction experience.
• Litigation & Disputes Resolution Services Dispute resolution services covering commercial and contractual disputes, lease disputes, creditors remedies and debt recovery, insolvency, employment disputes, company law, director liability, shareholder rights, liquidations and receiverships, banking and commercial law, relationship property, family protection, wills claims, public works compensation, construction, product liability, defamation, regulatory review, and intellectual property. Team includes litigation partners Kalev Crossland and DeAnne Brabant plus multiple senior associates.
• Asian Legal Practice (Chinese-language Services) Dedicated Chinese-language practice headed by Asian Practice Development Manager Emma Liu, providing commercial law, real estate, financial securities, immigration/investment, trust funds, and intellectual property services to overseas clients and the Chinese-speaking business community in New Zealand.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Interlex GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1973Shieff Angland is a member of The Interlex Group, an association of leading law firms around the world founded in 1973. The group now consists of 44 member firms across 152 cities in 62 countries. Interlex members cooperate to provide comprehensive international legal and business services, with strict criteria for selection ensuring high quality and promptness of services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Bell Gully: Bell Gully is one of New Zealand's largest full-service commercial law firms, headquartered in Auckland with a Wellington office. It is directly comparable as a top-tier NZ firm competing for the same corporate, property, and litigation mandates Shieff Angland serves.
• Simpson Grierson: Simpson Grierson is a leading NZ commercial law firm based in Auckland and Wellington. It is directly comparable to Shieff Angland in serving SMEs, corporates, property developers, and government clients across the three practice areas.
• Anderson Lloyd: Anderson Lloyd is a New Zealand law firm with offices in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Queenstown. It is a comparable mid-sized firm competing for commercial, property, and litigation work for NZ corporates, developers, and trusts.
• Anthony Harper: Anthony Harper is an NZ commercial law firm with offices in Auckland, Christchurch, and other centres. It is a direct peer of similar mid-tier scale, competing for the same SME, property, and commercial litigation mandates.
• Buddle Findlay: Buddle Findlay is a major NZ full-service law firm with offices in Auckland and Wellington. It competes head-to-head with Shieff Angland for commercial, property, and dispute resolution work across the same SME, corporate, and government client base.
• Chapman Tripp: Chapman Tripp is one of NZ's leading commercial law firms with offices in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. It is a direct competitor for high-end commercial, property, and litigation mandates served by Shieff Angland.
• Harmos Horton Lusk: Harmos Horton Lusk is a specialist Auckland commercial and property law firm. It is a comparable direct peer for Shieff Angland given overlapping focus on commercial, property, and dispute work for NZ corporates, trusts, and high-net-worth clients.
• MinterEllisonRuddWatts: MinterEllisonRuddWatts is a top-tier NZ law firm affiliated with the global MinterEllison network. It competes directly with Shieff Angland in Auckland for corporate, property finance, and commercial litigation matters.

Broad incumbents

• DLA Piper New Zealand: DLA Piper is a global law firm with a New Zealand practice. As a broad incumbent, it competes with Shieff Angland particularly on cross-border transactions where its owned international footprint offers a contrast to Shieff Angland's brokered Interlex referral model.
• Dentons New Zealand: Dentons operates a Swiss Verein global network including a New Zealand presence (via the legacy Kensington Swan and Dentons Hudson Gavin integration). As a broad incumbent, it competes with Shieff Angland on larger corporate, cross-border, and property mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shieff-angland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Shieff Angland