Sharp Tudhope Lawyers

As Tauranga’s oldest business we’re proud to have celebrated 125 years in our region.

It all started in 1896, when Henry Sharp opened his law practice on the Strand in Tauranga’s city centre. He then invited fellow lawyer, Archie Tudhope to join him, 15 years later. They literally ‘joined up’ by using bullocks to pull their two offices together on Spring Street! 125 years ago they set a precedent for innovative business thinking, and we’ve never wavered from this approach!

In 1992 we joined the community in celebrating the opening of Route P on the Waikareo Expressway. The same year we acknowledged our involvement in the opening of the BOP Polytechnic’s Bongard Centre on Cameron Rd. In 1996, to mark our 100 years in business, Partner Bruce Gordon officially handed over a painting 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 our 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. This enabled 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, Lawlink boasted a network of 21 independent legal firms with Bruce as Chair.