The firm was birthed in the wake of the Auckland Super City's development
Denham Bramwell is marking its 10th anniversary in the profession this month.
On 6 June, the firm closed for the day to celebrate the milestone at Kauri Bay Boomrock. Denham Bramwell was established in June 2014 in the wake of the development of the Auckland Super City.
An Auckland city law firm’s Manukau office faced the possibility of closure as a result of the development until partner Brett Abraham, along with another partner, acquired the office. The partners collaborated with Manukau-based barristers Fiona Cowan, Sarah Vyle, and the late Peter Webb to launch Denham Bramwell.
The name combines Cowan’s middle name (Denham) with Abraham’s middle name (Bramwell).
In 2021, Denham Bramwell merged with Vlatkovich and McGowan, with Nola McGowan joining the firm in the process. Last month, Brooke Glasgow, Emma Boad, and Anna Fuiava made partner, expanding the senior leadership team to seven members.
General manager Devika Kumar highlighted the firm’s people-centric culture.
“Employees' lives extend beyond their work hours and job titles, so the Denham Bramwell culture supports them through empathy and flexible business practices. It’s a commercially sound approach, especially in an emotionally challenging work environment like ours. You can't pour from an empty cup, so we must look after our people to enable them to support our clients successfully”, Kumar explained.
The firm confirmed that team get-togethers take place on a regular basis in order to foster connections.
Denham Bramwell presently employs 60 across its offices in Manukau, Whangaparāoa and Albany. The staff is set to expand to 80 once the Albany office is fully staffed.
