Cavell Leitch taps Rodney Craig for Wellington office

Cavell Leitch has appointed corporate and commercial partner Rodney Craig to establish its Wellington office, expanding beyond its Christchurch base.

Craig joins as the firm opens a practice in the capital as part of a broader national expansion strategy. The new office extends its reach into one of New Zealand's main business centres while maintaining a senior-led advisory model.

Corporate focus

His appointment adds a senior corporate lawyer with experience advising privately owned businesses, high-growth companies and investors on transactions, capital raising and expansion. His work spans the full business lifecycle, from formation through to acquisition and exit, with a particular focus on capital raising in the technology sector.

Law firms in New Zealand and elsewhere have sharpened their focus on technology, growth companies and founder-led businesses as those sectors drive demand for advice on funding rounds, governance, acquisitions and exits. Against that backdrop, Cavell Leitch's move into Wellington brings it closer to a concentration of businesses, investors and government-linked institutions.

The firm has grown organically rather than through amalgamation, a relatively uncommon path in the local legal market. It says that approach is central to building a consistent client service model across the country.

Growth strategy

Chairman Mike Dickie linked Craig's appointment to that strategy.

"Our growth has been built on delivering consistent, high-quality advice and enduring client relationships. Expanding into Wellington requires leadership that reflects those same standards. Craig brings exceptional commercial nous, deep transactional experience and a style of advice that aligns closely with how our clients expect us to operate," said Mike Dickie, Chairman, Cavell Leitch.

Craig is known in the market for corporate and commercial work across growth businesses and investor-backed companies. His experience includes equity crowdfunding, where he has advised since the model first emerged, as well as capital raising tied to the technology sector.

Beyond technology, his practice has included roll-up acquisition strategies in aged care, physiotherapy and pharmacy. He has also advised clients in the agri-sector and smaller specialist industries, including craft brewing.

That breadth suggests Cavell Leitch wants the Wellington office to serve a broad corporate client base rather than a narrow sector niche. At the same time, Craig's background in funding and growth transactions is likely to attract founders and investors seeking legal advice on scaling businesses.

Market context

His professional profile also includes industry recognition and publishing work. Craig is a two-time Lexology Client Choice Award winner, has co-authored LexisNexis Practical Business Law and has contributed to chapters of Morison's Company Law.

For Cavell Leitch, the office launch marks another step from a strong South Island presence towards a broader national footprint. Wellington offers access to a dense network of corporates, professional advisers, investment communities and public sector decision-makers, all of which can support transaction and advisory work.

The New Zealand legal market has seen firms weigh different growth models, including mergers, lateral hires and office openings in commercial centres. Cavell Leitch's decision to build around a senior lateral appointment indicates a preference for expanding with an established practitioner who can anchor relationships and shape the practice from the outset.

Craig said the move was attractive because of the firm's way of working with clients.

"Cavell Leitch has built its reputation on quality advice and long-term relationships, not volume or hierarchy. That ethos - of being close to clients, understanding their commercial drivers and supporting them through the full arc of their business - is exactly how I like to work. The opportunity to establish a Wellington presence within that environment is a compelling next step," said Craig.