He was a partner at Holland Beckett for four decades
Holland Beckett Lawyers, a full-service firm based in the Bay of Plenty, shared that its consultant William (Bill) Beau Holland received his award as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) at an investiture ceremony on 25 September.
“Holland Beckett is proud to have Bill as part of their team, inspiring the next generations in the legal profession to live the value of ‘community’ and dedicate time and effort to endeavors they are passionate about and benefit others,” the firm said in its press release.
The firm noted that Holland was the only practising lawyer included in this year’s King’s Birthday Honours List. Previously, he was named a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2012.
Holland’s late father founded Holland Beckett. Holland himself was a partner at the firm for four decades, a role which allowed him to advise many of Tauranga’s businesspeople and community organisations. He also has over two decades of governance experience in various community trusts and organisations.
Holland was born, raised, and educated in Tauranga and spent most of his life there. He is deeply knowledgeable about and dedicated to the city, its business, and its local community.
He helped found the Acorn Foundation in 2003, which he chaired until 2011. He is still an ambassador for the organisation, which has gifted almost $20m to the community since its founding.
Holland became a trustee of the Tauranga Energy Community Trust (TECT) in 2012 and has been its chairperson since 2014. He led the organisation through its transformation from a consumer trust into a community trust.
“In any successful organisation like TECT, you need to have a good team of people,” he said in the firm’s press release. “Really all I’ve been doing is just part of the team, and I’ve played my role, other people have played their roles and between us, good things have happened.”
Holland serves on numerous national and local charitable trusts, voluntary boards, and advisory committees.
Specifically, he has been a trustee of the Assisting Different Abilities Peoples Trust (Adapt) Trust since 2018 and of the Wright Family Foundation since 2014. He was also a founding trustee of the Legacy Trust in 2007. He was also chairman of the Tauranga Boys’ College board of trustees for 12 years.
“All of the money that’s gone into community groups has transformed people’s lives,” Holland said in the firm’s press release.
