Our Firm

For 180 years, Jackson Russell has been helping New Zealand businesses, institutions, families and individuals to develop, succeed and thrive.

Established in Auckland in 1844, today our partner-led specialist teams continue to provide expert legal guidance to a wide range of clients across a broad range of issues.

We can assist with all aspects of your legal needs, from day-to-day requirements through to large transactions and disputes. We work to protect and promote your interests while ensuring discretion at every step.

Building long-lasting relationships with deep institutional knowledge is a cornerstone of our firm and we have acted across generations for some business and family clients.

We look forward to working with you.

A history of integrity

Jackson Russell traces its beginnings to 1844 when solicitor Frederick Merriman arrived in Auckland and set up his practice in the new harbourside settlement.

In 1855 he was joined by lawyer Samuel Jackson, who became a partner in Merriman & Jackson and represented many prominent Auckland families.

Samuel Jackson’s work helped to establish some of the city’s best known institutions, including the Auckland Public Library, Auckland Hospital and Auckland War Memorial Museum.

James Russell joined the partnership in 1865 following Frederick Merriman’s death, and the firm became known as Jackson Russell.

Over the years, Jackson Russell has been part of Auckland’s fabric, representing a wide range of families, businesses, charities and other organisations.

Jackson Russell’s enduring client relationships and commitment to its core values remain at the heart of the firm today.

Sustainability

Jackson Russell is proud to be Toitū carbonreduce certified — marking an important step forward in our commitment to sustainability.

As a certified organisation, we have measured our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to internationally recognised standards (ISO 14064-1:2018), and committed to actively managing and reducing our environmental impact. This marks the first year of our formal climate action plan, and we are excited to take meaningful steps toward a lower-carbon future.

Our carbon footprint for the 2023–2024 reporting period was 14.51 tCO₂e. While our footprint is modest, we recognise the importance of measuring and improving — not only for compliance, but for leadership in the legal profession.

We are currently working on setting our emissions reduction targets, which will be independently verified as part of our ongoing partnership with Toitū Envirocare.

Why this matters

• We are holding ourselves accountable for the environmental impact of our operations.
• We are actively contributing to a more sustainable and climate-resilient New Zealand.
• We are proud to be part of a growing community of businesses committed to doing better.

Find out more at toitu.co.nz