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Mahurangi Matters
localbusiness
October 1, 2014
MER GING n
Briefs
Webster Malcolm Law
Bacon wins bronze
Two well-established law firms in Warkworth will merge this month. From October 1, Webster Malcolm & Kilpatrick and Town & Country Law will operate under one roof at the existing Webster Malcolm offices in Neville Street. The new firm will be called Webster Malcolm Law and will be headed by six partners – John Allen and Jackie Woolerton, from Town & Country; and Chris Murphy, Alan Stuart, Patrick Steuart and Les Miller, from Webster Malcolm & Kilpatrick. Town & Country partner David Rolfe will continue to operate independently as David Rolfe Law, while the other Town & Country partner, Bruce Wilson, has chosen to move to Webster Malcolm as a consultant. Jackie Woolerton says merging the two practices means resources can be consolidated and will position the firm well for future growth. It will be the largest law firm between Puhoi and Whangarei. “The area is changing and we want to be ready for the growth that’s ahead,” Jackie says. “Plus, the way solicitors and clients interact is evolving. The internet has changed clients’ expectations of lawyers and the working relationship has to reflect that change. “People want documents in plain English so they are more easily understood and they want a service
Les Miller and Jackie Woolerton, two of the six partners in the new Warkworth law firm Webster Malcolm Law.
that is responsive. “While building strong relationships with clients through face-to-face meetings will always be our focus, we recognise that a lot of services can be delivered electronically. We’re keen to explore how we can use technology to improve our services to make them more efficient. This should mean costsavings for clients.” The new firm will offer a full range of legal services, excluding criminal law. This includes dispute resolution, family law, subdivisions and resource consents, property and commercial, retirement home and estate planning, family and charitable trusts. Alan Stuart is also an accredited mediator and is available as an independent mediator for disputes involving a wide variety of domestic, civil and commercial issues. Jackie says the partners have different
strengths and areas of expertise, which means the firm will work well as a team. Both firms, in various forms, have been in the district for many decades. Trentham Webster started his own central Auckland law firm in 1925 but, by the 1970s, had established a Warkworth office. When Alan Stuart joined the partnership they purchased the Warkworth law firm Elliot Holden Wood, which was established in 1919. John Allen set up a fulltime office in Warkworth for Jackson Russell in 1987, which after mergers and expansion, eventually became Town & Country. Outside the office, the partners are involved in a wide range of community and sporting activities including Warkworth Rotary and Warkworth Lions, Warkworth Business & Professional Women (BPW), Camp Bentzon, local schools and the Rodney Surgical Centre.
Warkworth Butchery won bronze for its bacon at the NZ Bacon and Ham competition last month. There were 168 bacon entries, from 60 butcheries. The awards were blind-judged by a panel of 33 industry experts, food writers and connoisseurs. The freerange mid loin bacon was manuka smoked and cured at the Warkworth Butchery from South Island pork from Freedom Farms. The judges commented that the Warkworth bacon had “good bacon aroma, was nice to look at, had good overall mouth feel and all-round taste, showing its smoke and a little sweetness.”
Renters disadvantaged People living in rental accommodation are suffering from a lower level of health and wellbeing because of substandard conditions in their home, new research shows. Homeowners who are struggling to pay off their mortgage are not much better. The State of the Home Survey, conducted by independent research company Buzz Channel, shows that renters are putting up with homes that are cold, less comfortable and continually mouldy due to condensation and dampness. The survey found that people who rent and those with a mortgage took double the number of sick days as those who own their own home mortgage-free. Support the businesses that support Mahurangi Matters
Announcing the merger of two of Warkworth’s well-respected law firms.
Town & Country Law Warkworth and Webster Malcolm Kilpatrick are now
Same approachable people – larger experienced team
15 Neville Street Warkworth | 09 425 8037 www.webstermalcolmlaw.co.nz