Sharline Fitzgerald
Practice Manager
tel:+6475713857
mailto:sharline.fitzgerald@hobec.co.nz
Qualifications
- NZ Diploma in Business Studies (NZDipBus) 1998
Community Activity
- Waikato Bay of Plenty Practice Managers Group – Chairperson
- Australasian Legal Practice Management Association (ALPMA) – Member
- Graeme Dingle Foundation – Project K mentor
Contact
- DDI: +64 7 571 3857
- M: +64 27 442 0999
- E: sharline.fitzgerald@hobec.co.nz
Sharline is responsible for the firm’s overall operations, including technology, marketing, premises and equipment, and finance.
Since joining Holland Beckett as Practice Manager in 2010, Sharline has guided the firm through significant growth, with staff numbers more than tripling under her tenure.
She has worked in management roles within private law practices since 1994 and brings extensive experience in operational strategy, people leadership and organisational development.
A standout achievement in Sharline’s career was leading the firm’s move to its new Northern Quarter premises in 2025. She carefully managed the fitout and relocation process – an ambitious project she describes as a career highlight.
Sharline Fitzgerald's News & Resources
Holland Beckett Law announce lease deal at Northern Quarter
Holland Beckett Law have completed negotiations with JWL Central Ltd to lease approximately 2000 square metres of space in the Northern Quarter development. Partner John Mackay says that the firm made the decision to move into the CBD in August 2020. “We wanted to have a physical presence in the heart of city and to be part of the revitalisation of the Tauranga CBD. We have 110 people currently working in our Tauranga office and we hope that bringing our people into the CBD will be good news for the business, retail and hospitality sectors. We were looking for a large floor plate that would enable our legal team to work together on one floor. The complex nature of many legal matters often necessitates a collaborative approach, drawing on the expertise of specialists within different practice areas. This is made that much easier when you are within line of sight of the experts you need. We knew that to get the right environment for our business, our people and our clients meant that planning needed to start well before it was time to move. Having signed an agreement to lease is a big milestone for us and the overall project.” Practice Manager Sharline Fitzgerald said “The management team are focused on providing an office that meets the needs and expectations of both clients and staff. With flexible work options now the norm we see benefits in making the office a destination that our people want to come to. As the city grows we are seeing a bigger emphasis on public transport, cycleways and even a ferry service. These services tend to terminate at the CBD so we are looking forward to being able to increase our participation.” Mackay was a new partner when the firm moved to the premises at 525 Cameron Road in 2008 and credits the significant growth the firm has been able to achieve over the last 14 years to the open plan premises. “When we moved in 2008 it was very bold for a law firm to embrace the open plan environment but we knew that it would give us the flexibility we needed to grow the firm. The open plan environment supports better supervision and delegation which are key to developing good lawyers. In 2008 we had 14 lawyers in total and we are now the largest law firm in the region with 52 lawyers in the Tauranga office and a further 12 lawyers in our Rotorua and Whakatane offices. The development team on the Northern Quarter project have presented a quality building that will change the landscape down town and we are excited about our move to The Strand.\"
Holland Beckett rebrands
Holland Beckett is pleased to reveal its new brand following a refresh of its core values.
The new brand was developed by design company phd3, following an exercise which Louise Beard of FORWARD conducted with the firm and its people to articulate the core values of the firm.
Through the value setting process, Community was confirmed as a core value of the firm, as Holland Beckett values the opportunity to make a difference in its growing and vibrant communities.
The other core values which the firm settled on are Bold and Smart as Holland Beckett considers itself bold in the way it thinks, on behalf of its clients, in the business decisions it makes, and in the way it works. The firm is also about creating and delivering pragmatic, smart solutions for its clients.
Once the values of the firm had been articulated, phd3 applied its design thinking to creating a new brand. Inspired by the Bay of Plenty region, the new brand imports a contemporary diagonal logomark that has a deep rooted significance to the Bay of Plenty area. It is a contemporary expression of a weaved thread.
This shape, which takes inspiration from traditional Tukutuku panelling and the angular land formation of iconic Mauao is representative of Holland Beckett’s values, processes and culture. The weaved thread, in its simplest form, exhibits the process of taking something quite simple and then creating something extraordinary from it.
The logomark comes to life as a gold Pīngao fibre which according to legends connects all people – tangling, stretching, but never breaking – helping individuals and teams better communicate through stronger relationships. As well as informing the weaving together of information, knowledge, individuals and specialist teams, the diagonal thread also represents the firm’s dynamism and innovative personality.
Pīngao, the native plant found throughout the Bay of Plenty, is a sand-binding plant that plays an important role in New Zealand’s dune ecosystems. Pīngao, which is regarded as a treasure, is the only fibre used in Tukutuku artwork that needs no enhancement on the brilliant gold colour it goes when dried. The colour is playful, reflecting the firm’s culture, and positive and energetic.
One of the firm’s people, Liz Scott, says she was excited when the new brand was revealed. “When I first saw the photo of the pingao (pikao) at the presentation my first thought was ‘that’s weaver’s gold’, a taonga (treasure). As a new weaver, my kaiako, taught us that pingao was only to be used by experienced weavers, it was not for beginners.”
Partner Ken Hawkes, who was part of the team which oversaw the rebranding exercise, is pleased with the result, saying “The brand is much more contemporary and one which is synonymous with being known throughout New Zealand as the region’s leading legal practice, attracting great clients and a great team.”