[adrotate banner=”90″]

A raft of rankings in the Asia Pacific Legal 500 is yet another feather in Tompkins Wake’s cap.
The Hamilton-based law firm gained rankings in six practice areas in The Legal 500 rankings (up on two the year prior) and now has 16 recommended lawyers – seven more than last year. And, it is the only law firm in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty to be ranked in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific this year.
The rankings and recommendations come on the back of a hugely successful year last year with the firm being named the mid-size Law Firm of the Year at the 2019 NZ Law Awards and chief executive Jon Calder (above) named the Managing Partner (Chief Executive) of the Year (<100 lawyers). Tompkins Wake was also one of 15 law firms across the country recognised as being at the forefront of innovation by NZ Lawyer.
Tompkins Wake featured in the rankings for their work in dispute resolution, corporate and M&A (mergers and acquisitions), intellectual property, real estate and construction, banking and finance, and projects and resource management including environmental.
The Legal 500 is an independent, impartial organisation that analyses the capabilities of law firms around the world with a comprehensive research programme revised and updated every year. It assesses the strengths of law firms in more than 150 jurisdictions to highlight the practice teams providing the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel.
The impartial commentary provided with each ranking was glowing, with several testimonials showcasing the firm’s strengths: “The firm has good trustworthy professionals. I have worked most recently with the IP lawyers who have been outstanding”, “All are responsive and trustworthy. You know that they understand their work intimately”.
In May 2018 the firm reset and refreshed its strategy with a vision to be the law firm at the centre of New Zealand’s economic and commercial heartland. Since then Tompkins Wake has doubled the size of its Auckland team and opened a Tauranga office. They also have an office in Rotorua.
“The Waikato and Bay of Plenty are the economic heartland and Auckland the commercial… those drive New Zealand’s economic engine and we’re incredibly proud to be playing an integral role in here… helping fuel our clients’ success and contributing to a stronger, more prosperous New Zealand,” chief executive Jon Calder said.
The firm’s focus for 2020 and beyond is to continue to invest in increasing and building capability to meet the needs of their growing client base by attracting and retaining great people.
“While the firm has continued to grow – more than 20 per cent over the past four years – we’ve maintained a complete focus on our culture and people. With a partnership group that now totals 22 and more than 115 staff we are still connected, collaborative and focused on delivering for our clients and on giving our people a great working environment and more importantly a great life outside the firm.”
Recent LawFuel News
- The Lawyer Who Worked 23 Hours a Day And the Billing Scam Everyone Knows AboutThe Law Firm Billing Myth Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor The legal profession has always been fond of a long… Read more: The Lawyer Who Worked 23 Hours a Day And the Billing Scam Everyone Knows About
- Japan’s Biggest Publishers Just Sued Perplexity AI for $44mBezos-Backed Perplexity AI Accused of Free-Riding on Journalism Journalists aren’t thrilled about being turned into free training fodder for Silicon… Read more: Japan’s Biggest Publishers Just Sued Perplexity AI for $44m
- AI Is Smarter Than You—Until It Lies. Here’s How Your Firm Will Go Up in Flames If You Let ItGenerative AI is everywhere, but when lawyers used it, two ended up sanctioned for fake citations it’s time to cue the panic or – much better – privot to control and oversight of what your legal AI efforts are doing. Here we look at some of the key steps law firms should take to avoid the risks increasingly associated with generative AI tools.
- Lawyers Built This AI to Read Judges’ Minds — And BigLaw Is Already HookedAnd Now Legal AI That Sees Into the Judge’s Mind . . Almost Tom Borman, LawFuel contributing editor Every litigator… Read more: Lawyers Built This AI to Read Judges’ Minds — And BigLaw Is Already Hooked
- £65m Lifeline or Financial Casket? Pogust Goodhead’s Hedge-Driven Drama UnfoldsA Hedge Fund Lifeline – With Strings Attached Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor Pogust Goodhead, the claimant firm spearheading the… Read more: £65m Lifeline or Financial Casket? Pogust Goodhead’s Hedge-Driven Drama Unfolds
- Harmeet Dhillon’s DOJ Shake-UpDhillon DOJ: A Purge or a Reset? Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributing editor The appointment of Harmeet Dhillon as the top… Read more: Harmeet Dhillon’s DOJ Shake-Up
- Burford Capital Isn’t Just Financing Suits Anymore; It’s Trying to Own the Firm TooBurford Capital the litigation finance behemoth wants not just to bankroll lawsuits but to buy stakes in actual U.S. law firms. The move isn’t your garden-variety PE play; it’s a direct challenge to the profession’s no-capital-external-to-the-firm orthodoxy. Burford, under the ever-quotable Jonathan Molot, (pictured above) told the Financial Times he is floating a structure ripped from healthcare and accounting playbooks: split a law firm into two entities, a lawyer-owned practice handling client work, and a Managed Service Organization (MSO) holding assets and providing back‑office muscle in exchange for a cut. It’s a classic “external capital without violating ethics rules.”
- AI Is Hiring and Firing – The Legal Jobs Recovery Nobody Asked ForFive Straight Months of Job Growth in Legal — But AI Is Replacing Your Paralegal Norma Harris, LawFuel contributing editor… Read more: AI Is Hiring and Firing – The Legal Jobs Recovery Nobody Asked For
- Am-Law A List – Who Climbed, Who Stalled?A-List 2025: Munger reigns, Jenner rockets, and who actually moved the needle The American Lawyer’s A-List isn’t about who shouts… Read more: Am-Law A List – Who Climbed, Who Stalled?