125 years at the heart of the region.
Innovation in construction seems to be a common theme for Sharp Tudhope over its 125 year history. That and a demonstrative involvement in the growth and development of the region.
In 1971 Sharp Tudhope celebrated 75 years in business. At the celebrations there was acknowledgment of the original partnership of Henry Sharp and Archie Tudhope and the unique way they literally joined together their two office buildings on Spring Street.
According to a Bay of Plenty Times article on the celebration, Sharp Tudhope’s then Bank Manager, a Mr J. M. Oliver, noted that because the buildings were not precisely aligned, they were joined by a passageway “something like those between passenger cars on the old Main Trunk trains.”
Today the firm’s offices at the top of Devonport Road, in the city centre, bear no signs of any misalignment in construction and instead are celebrated as
Tauranga’s first green starrated building.
Not surprisingly, with 125 years of heritage the firm has seen and been involved in many of the region’s landmark moments.
In 1992 they joined the community in celebrating the opening of Route
P on the Waikareo Expressway. The same year they acknowledged their involvement in the opening of the BOP Polytechnic’s Bongard Centre on Cameron Road. In 1996, to mark their 100 years in business, Partner Bruce Gordon officially handed over an acrylic artwork by Tauranga artist Arthur Dagley to then Tauranga Mayor Noel Pope. Gifted by Sharp Tudhope to the city, the painting depicted Tauranga Harbour Bridge and environs. Over the years, Sharp Tudhope has also acted for many of the organisations in the city and their partners have led the way in the legal sector.
In 1985 partner Bruce D’young recognised the advantages in medium sized legal practices throughout New Zealand combining to pool their resources, enabling them to provide an increasingly sophisticated range of services and be more responsive to the changing needs of society. It was this thinking that saw Sharp Tudhope take an instrumental role in setting up the Lawlink organisation. Within two years the organisation boasted a network of 21 independent legal firms with Bruce as Chair.
Supporting and nurturing the arts has also been a passion. It was back in 1997 that Fantasie ’97 burst into life as part of Sharp Tudhope’s 100-year centenary celebrations. The firm played a key role and hosted the event, dubbed a celebration of community spirit. 18,000 people turned up to the Tauranga Domain for the event which raised funds for the Western Bay of Plenty Life Education Trust. It was heralded as our first ‘Opera in the Park.’
Pro bono work has always been and continues to be a fundamental display of the values of the Sharp Tudhope law firm and that work stretches across the community.
“We do pro bono work all the time, it’s just part of our make-up and our commitment to this region.” Says Partner John Gordon. “For us it’s about getting behind people or community organisations to help them out and give them a chance they might not have found otherwise.
We don’t shout it from the roof tops but we are immensely proud of the work we do in this space.”
New Zealand motor racing driver Liam Lawson is one such recipient of this support. The firm worked alongside Liam and his supporters to negotiate contractual arrangements that enabled him to compete in Formula 3 and Formula 2 with the ultimate goal of racing in Formula 1.
The STEM Wana Trust has also enjoyed Sharp Tudhope’s support. Founder Tia Lush says being able to lean on Sharp Tudhope for start up advice and support was crucial. “Matthew and Richard have been there to support and guide us through navigating the minefield that is the nonprofit space and it enabled us to get up and running as quickly as possible.”
The Trust delivered a world-class STEM Festival, the first of its kind in Tauranga and New Zealand, in October 2019 and is now delivering this as an annual event alongside additional community initiatives to inspire a new generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.
So, what’s in store for the next 125 years of the firm?
“More of the same,” says Partner Richard Hoare.
“We care deeply for this region and for our clients. Fundamentally our relationships, our connection with our community, in fact our sense of care and guardianship for this community is stronger than ever.”
A“We’ve had a number of new people start from other firms in the last 12-18 months and most of them have remarked that our use of technology in terms of our client management and software systems is light years ahead. We just take that for granted. We are not that firm that still does things how they were done 50 years ago. There’s a real energy here and I think people find that both surprising and refreshing.”
s Tauranga’s oldest firm there’s a lot of heritage to pay homage to, yet at the same time Sharp Tudhope has a steely eyed gaze on the future. Partner Richard Hoare was asked the other day what happens next. His answer was simple. “More of the same. This is our home. We’re deeply committed to Tauranga and to continue to play the role we play in our region, both the firm and the city need to continue to flourish, and we have a fundamental part to play in that.”
He says it’s a privilege to be a partner in a firm celebrating 125 years in business, especially when that business has such an energetic strategic view of the future. “Some of the partners have been here many more years than me and whilst we might be the oldest business in Tauranga we are not an old firm in the way we work. Yes, our roots are firmly down in the community but as a newer partner my job is to leverage off that and continue it but also to bring my own perspective.”
Partner Shima Grice, agrees.
The firm plays an active role in the economic development of Tauranga city and in supporting an array of community organisations.
From their long-standing sponsorship of the Exportnz Bay of Plenty Business Awards since its inception, to their charitable support of Waipuna Hospice, the Tauranga Arts Festival, Tauranga Art
Gallery, Graeme Dingle Foundation and many others the partners and team work hard to ensure there’s a good balance between looking after their clients, contributing to the growth of the region and supporting the community.
“We have generations of clients and families who are still with the firm and I think that bears testament to the care we take in our relationships,” says Partner Matthew Billett. “We don’t take shortcuts because we always want to make sure the job is done right, because we genuinely care about the outcomes for our clients.
“We’ve built up a lot of trust over the past 125 years so there’s a real responsibility that comes with that, and one we passionately own and pay homage to every day.”
Matthew says respecting the firm’s heritage is also about maintaining a strategic focus on the future. “As a progressive law firm we have a vision for the future and a robust succession plan. We have new team members joining us each year to ensure we have diversity and a really strong mix of experience, heritage, fresh thinking and innovative new approaches to doing business. It’s always been about leaving the firm in a better place and, as a consequence, this region.”
Former Chair of Partners Bill Chapman says it’s about leading the way. “Our responsiveness and accessibility to clients is, I believe, quite unique. Also, many of our staff and partners have international experience and a perspective that is very broad. We are constantly challenging ourselves to innovate and lead the way. We’re very adept in our approach and we’re constantly regenerating. To us it’s just the way we are.”
We would hope that in another 125 years the Sharp Tudhope team will still be having these conversations around our deep connections with our clients and our community and we’re still actively contributing to the growth of this region. This community means everything to us. I’m a very proud regional New Zealander. There are some amazing people here and it’s great to be a part of that. Partner John Gordon
Ask the partners to describe the firm in just a few words and there’s a consistent theme that emerges. It’s about heritage, community connections and a strong focus on the future. Most importantly, it’s also about the absolute trust that they enjoy from their clients and the deep level of care that they openly express for the community and region.