Top 5 Auckland property lawyers

If you're buying a property in 2023, you will need a property lawyer.

This is because property sales are high-stakes transactions – there’s a lot of money exchanging hands, and many things can go wrong.

But here’s the thing … any lawyer can file the paperwork and transfer the money. But a good lawyer will also make sure the contracts you sign don't put you at unnecessary risk.

So, how do you tell the difference between a rock star lawyer and one that is more run-of-the-mill? Unless you’ve worked with them before, it's hard to tell.

In this article, you’ll learn our top 5 picks for property lawyers in Auckland. These are lawyers we know are experts in their field.

Here at Opes we’ve worked with all of the lawyers on this list – personally or with our investors. This means we can vouch for their experience, specifically on property deals.

#1 Jenny Turner – Wynn Williams

Jenny Turner is a partner at Wynn Williams. She’s well known for her New Build expertise and has been a guest on The Property Academy Podcast 3 times.

She also frequently writes for NZ Property Investor magazine.

Wynn Williams is a large, full-service law firm. Because they have a large team, they have lawyers who specialise in each area of law, including family law, dispute resolution, construction, business – and more.

Jenny is part of the team that specialises in property and estate planning. So, you can ask her about everything to do with property sales, leasing, subdivision and residential property development.

Jenny works between Christchurch and Auckland; she works with many Auckland and Christchurch-based investors we coach here at Opes.

The firm has a team of 128, operating out of offices in Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Wynn Williams is a “larger name” law firm and is more expensive than others on our list. But if you want the comfort of a big-name law firm that knows its stuff – these are the guys to go to.

Opes investors have worked on 185 property deals with Wynn Williams. 176 of those have been with Jenny.

Here’s our experience with Jenny. Dennis Schipper (one of our Property Partners) says:

“Jenny is an excellent solicitor, and I would recommend it to anyone, including friends and family. I love the ‘traffic light’ approach they take to help identify risks within a sale and purchase agreement. I use Jenny and her team when I purchase investment properties personally. I have been impressed with the level of communication and support through the property purchase process”.

#2 Kristine King – Duncan King Law

Kristine King leads Duncan King Law – a boutique law firm working out of an office in Kingsland.

Kristine specialises in property, commercial and trust law, but her interests lie in the property industry.

She creates content for the Auckland Property Investors’ Association, Bayleys Real Estate, and ANZ bank and is also an executive member of the Property Law Section of the NZ Law Society. In addition, Kristine writes for The Property Lawyer magazine.

This supports the fact that she has extensive knowledge of all property matters.

DK Law has a team of 12 experienced lawyers and is run by Kristine and her business partner, Campbell McGill.

DK Law offers different “checklists” and terminology guides as free, down-loadable resources on its website, which can be extremely helpful for property investors navigating:

• Off-the-build contracts

• Trustee obligations

• Purchasing a property

Opes has worked on 18 property deals with Duncan King Law. 11 were direct with Kristine at the time of writing.

Here’s our experience with Kristine. Dennis Schipper (one of our Property Partners) says:

“I have worked with Kristine and first met her while being part of the Auckland Property Investors’ Association (APIA). She would present here frequently to show her expertise. She is an awesome solicitor, very knowledgeable and always gets a great result for my clients.”

#3 Debra Barron – ClearStone Legal

Debra Barron established this West Auckland law firm alongside Jane Barclay in 2014.

Together, the pair manage a small team of 8 out of Kumeu and Te Atatu offices.

ClearStone looks after “mum and dad” property investors who are growing a portfolio and using equity from their family home to get started.

However, the team also offers specialist advice in all things property, such as:

• Buying and selling property

• First home buyers

• Property investors

• Refinancing or subdividing property

ClearStone Legal merged with the Kumeu-Huapai Law Centre in 2018.

Opes has worked on 11 property deals with ClearStone Legal. All have been with Debra at the time of writing.

Here’s our experience with Debra. Kathy Faulkner (one of our Property Partners) says:

“I have found that Debra Barron and her team at ClearStone Legal are professional, easy to deal with and relatable for my new investors. Her team are responsive, and their communication with our clients is clear. They have experienced property lawyers able to guide new investors through the purchase process”.

#4 Shelley Funnell – Henderson Reeves

Henderson Reeves has been operating in Northland for over 40 years. But it wasn’t until Shelley Funnell came on board in 2016 that the Auckland office was founded.

These days Shelley remains the director of the Auckland team alongside Taina Henderson. They have a team of 6 in Auckland.

Shelley’s areas of expertise are property, commercial law, and wills/trusts/estates.

And her team of experienced lawyers will have you covered for all types of property transactions, including buying, selling, refinancing or subdividing.

The company has a Legal Insights section on its website, with in-house articles written to answer common legal questions.

Shelley has also appeared on the Property Academy Podcast in some of our early episodes.

Opes has worked on 122 property deals with Henderson Reeves. 118 of these have been made with Shelley at the time of writing.

Here’s our experience with Shelley. Derry Brown (one of our Property Partners) says:

“I had a difficult settlement on a property under extreme time pressure. We needed the bank to release the funds before CCC was issued (impossible). Shelley and her team moved mountains and knew to get the developer to sign obscure waivers in the process. I would have lost over $100K if I had worked with a lawyer who was less experienced with New Builds. When push comes to shove, you need the right professionals. Choose wisely”.

#5 Michelle Erasmus – The Conveyancing Shop

The Conveyancing Shop was founded in 2005 by Michelle Erasmus and Thada Chapman. Both these lawyers specialise in property transactions.

And because this is the type of work they focus on, they conduct more property transactions than many general law firms.

This suggests they have seen various property transactions and can still give solid advice, even in unique situations.

Michelle is highly involved with and is the recommended lawyer for the Auckland Property Investors’ Association. This background working with investors means she understands property investors’ specific needs more thoroughly than your average lawyer.

This close-knit team of 8 has two offices, based out of Botany and Pukekohe.

Opes has completed 29 property deals with The Conveyancing Shop. 24 of these have been made with Michelle at the time of writing.

Here’s our experience with Michelle. Dennis Schipper (one of our Property Partners) says:

“I have worked with Michelle through a personal transaction and also with an investor. I find Michelle and the team very thorough and great at communicating through the process. They’re available through the holiday period and charge very fairly”.