About

We are a general legal practice. We represent and advocate on behalf of our private clients, agencies, businesses, and farmers. Themis Law was established to offer considered, well-reasoned and balanced advice for all matters and when routine law turns complicated. We provide specialist insight into complex areas of property law, dispute resolution and arbitration.

Our skills and experience are unique in New Zealand and Australasia. We offer unique perspectives on land-based problems others are not trained or experienced to do. We know that life isn’t always easy. We believe that problem-solving using legal tools is very powerful and we use these tools to guide and inform you to solve your problems and disputes. We put ourselves between you and the problem giving you the chance to make well-thought-out decisions about how your solution is reached. Our objective is to establish long-lasting positive relationships with you our client, work towards reconciliation between parties and uphold respect and integrity throughout the process.

Lawrence Hill

I was admitted to the New Zealand Bar in 2000 having followed a passion for dispute solution in the mid-1990’s. I became more involved with rent disputes as a registered valuer and sought to gain a greater understanding and knowledge of the law and arbitration. That passion prompted a move from the valuation profession to the legal profession.

I am an Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, a Registered Valuer, an Associate of the Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ Institute of New Zealand, an Associate of the member of the New Zealand Institute of Valuers, and a Senior Member of the Property Institute of New Zealand.

I also have Australian qualifications in environmental noise, people and noise, noise modelling and prediction, and wind farm noise. I actively promote a wide variety resolution techniques to advance the needs of my clients.

I have served on the Canterbury District Law Society dispute resolution committees and I have been appointed to two judicial roles.I was appointed to the Disputes Tribunal at Christchurch and to the North Canterbury Land Valuation Tribunal where I’ve heard over 500 matters.As a trained arbitrator I have had been involved with a very wide range of dispute resolutions. Over the past 20 years I have helped to organise and develop Arbitrators’ and Mediators’ group meetings in Hamilton and Christchurch and I have taught law and valuation practice and procedure at university before re-entering private practice in 2016.

I have always had an interest in farming and primary industries. I attended Lincoln College (as it then was) and maintain strong ties to the rural community and the land and I have developed a strong interest in resolving rural disputes. In 2010 I was proudly elected to the Lincoln University council by fellow academic staff at the university and have very active interest in governance and tertiary education and tertiary education law.

Things you should know about me … I loathe the lack of a salutations – especially in emails. If I had an epitaph it would probably be “He didn’t care what he did, he cared about who he did it with.” In my spare time ponder land economic philosophy and theory, farm cattle with my wife, our two dogs and our bees.

Why Themis?

Themis is the daughter of Gaia (earth mother) and Uranus (sky father). Themis is one of the twelve Titans who were the second generation of divine beings in Greek mythology. Themis may be described as being the Lady of good counsel and is seen as the personification of divine order, fairness, law, natural law, and custom.

Justitia, has similarities in Roman mythology, although the mythologies are subtly different. The blindfold seen on some depictions of both Themis and Justitia is said to represent "blind justice" meaning that the law is the same for all those who come before it. However, in early Greek mythology Themis was the first to hold the office of Oracle so, with or without her eye sight, Themis could still ‘see’ the future and the consequences of her judgment.

For more about Lawrence, see his LinkedIn profile...