Paul Morgan

Farming insight, legal expertise.

I came to law with a background most lawyers don't have. Before qualifying, I spent four years as a sheep and beef farm manager, then six years as a Rural Finance Manager for a bank in Hawke's Bay. I know farming from the paddock and from the balance sheet.

That combination — agricultural science degree, hands-on farm management, rural banking, and 20+ years of legal practice — means I understand rural clients' challenges from multiple angles. When we discuss water consents, succession, or financing, I've often faced similar situations myself.

I joined Carlile Dowling in 2005 from a corporate and commercial team at a national firm in Wellington. I was a Partner from 2010 to 2022 and now continue as a Consultant.

Rural Property

My rural background gives me genuine understanding of what's at stake in every rural transaction — not just the legal documents, but the operational realities behind them.

I advise on:

• Farm and lifestyle block purchases and sales
• Rural water rights and consent transfers
• Access easements and right-of-way arrangements
• Vineyard and orchard transactions
• Farm leases and sharemilking agreements
• Forestry rights and arrangements

When I review a water consent, I think about what that means for your irrigation schedule. When I examine an access easement, I consider how you'll move stock or machinery. When we discuss succession, I understand that farms aren't just assets but identities built across generations.

Broader Practice

I maintain a broad practice serving commercial, rural, and personal clients, most of whom I've worked with for many years:

• Rural property transactions and advising primary industry businesses
• Commercial property and business transactions
• Trusts, asset protection, and estate planning
• Farm succession planning