July 2023 - Bay of Plenty Business News

July 2023 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS 7
THE LAW SHOP RESETS
FOR BIG CHANGES
YEARS OF PROGRESS
BY ALAN NEBEN
It’s difficult not to be swept up
by the excitement in Paula
Yakas’ voice as she explains
the changes happening at
The Law Shop.
“In some ways, it feels like
we’re coming full circle,” she says.
“I bought The Law Shop on 1
September 2008. Fifteen years
on, on 1 September 2023, we
are moving to a new office in
Rotorua.
“We’ve been in our existing
offices for seven years, but we
decided the time is right for a
change now.
But there’s more behind the
excitement than simply the new
premises. Paula explains that
their team is going through a
major reset.
Having bought The Law
Shop in 2008, she teamed up
with fellow director Stephanie
Northey in 2014 to expand
The Law Shop’s service as the
business grew.
Paula and Stephanie went on
to buy a Tauranga law firm in 2017
and open an office in Tauranga.
Although they subsequently
made the call to close the
Greerton, Tauranga office in
2019, they retained the Tauranga
clients with whom they had built
strong relationships.
“We still work with our
Tauranga clients daily and meet
with them on a regular basis.”
While not always an effective
substitute for face-to-face
meetings, The Law Shop team are
able to do a lot of their meetings
on-line, often saving clients time
and reducing stress.
“Along the way we’ve been
confronted with an array
of business and personal
challenges, from babies and
cancer to Covid lockdowns
and an uncertain economic
environment.
“I think overcoming those
difficult challenges has given us
empathy and an appreciation
of what our clients have to deal
with – I think the challenges have
made us relatable.
“We’ve always adopted a nofuss
approach to legal matters
and combined it with a friendly,
open communication style,” says
Paula.
Stephanie and Paula have a
special working relationship.
“We’re like best friends, and
that’s why I’m so excited for
Stephanie’s upcoming change.
“Stephanie specialises in
family law – an area of law she’s
passionate about – and from
July she’s moving on to another
Rotorua firm where she will be
continuing with family law but
more importantly, moving into
working on legal issues that
affect Māori.
“We’re so excited that she’s
taken this opportunity, even if it
is tinged with a little sadness for
us both.
“But it’s the right move for
her – we 100% support her, and
I know she 100% supports us at
The Law Shop.”
Stephanie’s move is only one
part of The Law Shop’s ‘reset’.
Paula says she’s excited about
the on-going evolution of The
Law Shop: her ‘property team’ is
going back to ‘grass roots’.
Paula Yakas, Director, The Law Shop
“We are now well positioned
to focus in particular back on
property law; it’s a space we’re
strong in and our team has a
wealth of experience.”
They will still cover property
conveyancing,
business
acquisition and sales, leases,
wills, trusts, powers of attorney
and estate administration as well
as relationship property.
In terms of the ‘reset’, Paula
sees the shift to the new office
in September as ‘the icing on
the cake’: “We’ll be slightly out of
the city in Rotorua, we’ll be easy
to find, and there will be ample
customer parking.
“It’s going to be great.”
The Law Shop
1268 Arawa Street, Rotorua
Email: team@thelawshop.co.nz
Phone: 0800 129 691
Expert legal advice that
solidifies your business’
foundations
For over 30 years, The Law Shop been giving clear advice for a fair price to
individuals, small and medium businesses in the Bay of Plenty.
If your business needs advice on Trusts, Agreements, Buying, Selling,
Terms of Trade,Structure and Succession Planning, Banking, Leasing,
Debt Collection or Franchising, then we’re the team for you.
Contact our friendly team to find
out more today.
Proudly serving our community
in Rotorua and Tauranga.
Call us on 0800 LAW SHOP
or visit www.thelawshop.co.nz
ROTORUA
1268 Arawa St
Rotorua
TAURANGA
Virtual Office
ROTORUA
1268 Arawa St, Rotorua