PROFILE
DUNCAN COTTERILL
“One of the strengths of our firm is keeping in touch and communication with partners. Part of our process this year is just the two of us continuing [to interact] with partners and what they’ve got coming up, what they’re planning” Richard Smith
Cotterill’s practice in the Christchurch market, with earthquake settlements still ongoing. “New entities have come out via which some are still government-operated and others are very much council-driven with particular roles,” says Smith. “So as advisers we’re either dealing with new entities in that regard or in some cases are looking to become more closely involved with them.” Outside of the insurance market, Christchurch remains a strong agribusiness hub, despite the slump in the dairy industry. “We have a very broad private client base [in Christchurch], and that flows through to that private client base owning businesses and the economy driven by the earthquake,” says Smith. “A lot of [those businesses] are doing some very interesting things. So there’s still a lot happening here.”
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