Rainey Collins Lawyers is a Wellington law firm whose story reaches back to 1919, when Mr R. Collins commenced practice and soon took Mr W. Rainey into partnership. Today the firm operates from Level 14 at 318 Lambton Quay in the heart of the Wellington CBD, and incorporates Stephens Lawyers and Susan D'Ath Law.
It is a four partner, twelve lawyer practice organised into three broad teams supervised by the partners: Business, Property & Personal Legal Services (Claire Tyler & Michael Stephens), Māori Legal Issues (Peter Johnston) and Dispute Resolution & Litigation (Shaun Cousins). Between them, the firm's experienced barristers and solicitors cover nearly all legal fields — litigation and dispute resolution, employment law, all aspects of property law from buying and selling to leasing and property-related disputes, setting up family trusts, commercial law, Māori legal issues, family law including relationship property and child-related matters, contested estates, body corporates, construction, and highly efficient NZ-wide debt collection.
The firm's history includes three mergers and several name changes — and even a contribution to the bench: in 1957 Mr McCarthy, later Sir Thaddeus McCarthy, President of the Court of Appeal, was appointed to the then Supreme Court, followed by Mr W. Leicester. The practice adopted its current name in 2003 and has celebrated its 100th anniversary. Rainey Collins is a proud member of NZ Law Limited, a leading nationwide network of law firms that share knowledge and legal resources, and displays its support for the New Zealand Law Society's Gender Equality Charter.
Beyond client work, the firm shares its knowledge freely through articles, guides, video resources, webinars, newsletters, publications and its radio show, The Helpful Lawyer.
On Level 14 at 318 Lambton Quay, in the heart of Wellington's central business district, sits a law firm with one of the city's longest memories. Rainey Collins Lawyers traces its origins to 1919, when Mr R. Collins commenced practice and shortly afterwards took Mr W. Rainey into partnership. More than a hundred years on, the firm is still guiding Wellingtonians through house purchases, family changes, business decisions and disputes — now as a four partner, twelve lawyer practice that also incorporates Stephens Lawyers and Susan D'Ath Law.
Few firms can match this history. In 1957, Mr McCarthy — later Sir Thaddeus McCarthy, President of the Court of Appeal — was appointed to the then Supreme Court, and the firm's name changed to Rainey Collins Armour and Boock in 1961 when Mr W. Leicester followed him onto the bench. The practice merged in 1986 to become Rainey Collins & Olphert, joined with Auckland's Wright & Co in 1991, and adopted its present name, Rainey Collins, in 2003. The firm celebrated its 100th anniversary with a video capturing how it looks after — and delights — its clients.
Today the firm is organised into three broad teams supervised by the partners. Business, Property & Personal Legal Services is led by Claire Tyler and Michael Stephens; Māori Legal Issues is supervised by Peter Johnston; and Dispute Resolution & Litigation is led by Shaun Cousins. Between them, the firm's barristers and solicitors mean it has experts in nearly all legal fields.
The list of services is wide: litigation and dispute resolution; employment law; all aspects of property law, from buying and selling properties to leasing and resolving property-related disputes; setting up family trusts; commercial law; Māori legal issues; all aspects of family law, including relationship property and child-related matters; contested estates; body corporates; construction; and highly efficient debt collection NZ-wide for the firm's full range of clients.
Rainey Collins puts a striking amount of free legal material into the public domain. Its website carries recent articles, guides, publications, newsletters, video resources and webinars, alongside a searchable resource library. The firm also runs a radio show, The Helpful Lawyer, and Pathways pages that walk newcomers through family law, wills, first home buying, the Privacy Act 2020 and estate administration.
That openness fits a firm that is a proud member of NZ Law Limited, a leading nationwide network of law firms which share knowledge and legal resources — a connection the firm says helps it continue to develop the quality of its services — and that displays its support for the New Zealand Law Society's Gender Equality Charter.
The office is at Level 14, 318 Lambton Quay, Wellington. Because published opening hours aren't listed online, it pays to phone ahead on 04 473 6850 or email lawyers@raineycollins.co.nz; the website's Ask a Question page offers another easy way to start a conversation. Whether you're a first home buyer puzzling over a contract, a family setting up a trust, or a business chasing an unpaid debt, the starting point is the same: a century-old Wellington firm that has grown through mergers and name changes while keeping its founders' names above the door.