The litigator and Rising Star was promoted to become the firm's 10th partner
Tauranga litigator Patrick Anderson has been promoted to partner at Cooney Lees Morgan (CLM).
He became the firm’s 10th partner on 1 April, having begun his tenure at CLM in 2019. The firm said that in his new role, Anderson would concentrate on widening CLM’s client base.
“As a new partner, I’m excited to get more involved in the business development side of things. But getting results for clients is always what drives me. So exposing young lawyers in our team to complex disputes and helping them to develop their skills, and grow our client base in the process, is what I’m most excited about. Taking it to the next level”, Anderson said. “I’m very excited to join Cooney’s partnership. It’s been quite a busy couple of years so it’s nice to have some reward for that. I decided pretty early on in my career that partnership is something I wanted. So now I’m here, the real work begins”.
The firm highlighted Anderson’s youth and “sharp expertise” as assets that would enhance CLM’s connection to the new generation of lawyers.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have really good mentors through every stage of my 11-year career but the modern workplace is very different to when I first started. Generation Z, in particular, do not see the world the same way. They place a lot of value on flexibility, work/life balance, diversity and equality which are all very positive things”, Anderson explained.
As a practitioner, Anderson has advised on complex employment, civil, commercial and construction disputes. The firm said that Anderson has handled major CLM clients, and partner Paul Tustin touted Anderson as knowledgeable in employment law and civil litigation.
Anderson maintained his practice while pursuing his Master of Laws (with distinction) at Auckland University and parenting his two young children. Last year, NZ Lawyer named him one of its Rising Stars for 2024.
