---
title: "Large commercial law firms in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?"
description: "Compare the largest commercial law firms advising businesses and government in New Zealand, using branded searches made in New Zealand. Share of Search among Russell McVeagh, Buddle Findlay, Chapman Tripp, Simpson Grierson, Bell Gully, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Dentons and DLA Piper, the large commercial law firms Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-large-commercial-law-firms"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Large commercial law firms in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?

Compare the largest commercial law firms advising businesses and government in New Zealand, using branded searches made in New Zealand. Share of Search among Russell McVeagh, Buddle Findlay, Chapman Tripp, Simpson Grierson, Bell Gully, MinterEllisonRuddWatts, Dentons and DLA Piper, the large commercial law firms Brandwave compares in New Zealand, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: large commercial law firms
- **Market**: New Zealand
- **Brands compared**: 8
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Russell McVeagh, 15.7%

## Which brand is most popular in search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand?

- In August 2026, Russell McVeagh was the most searched among large commercial law firms in New Zealand, with an estimated 3.7K branded searches and 15.7% estimated Share of Search within this set.
- Buddle Findlay is in 2nd place, 0.6 percentage points behind at 15.1% Share of Search.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Buddle Findlay’s estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand increased from 13.2% to 15.1%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Chapman Tripp’s estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand increased from 13.8% to 15.1%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Simpson Grierson’s estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand decreased from 15.4% to 14.9%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, MinterEllisonRuddWatts’ estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand decreased from 12.5% to 11.7%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Dentons’ estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand decreased from 11.2% to 8.7%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, DLA Piper’s estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand increased from 5.2% to 6%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Russell McVeagh’s estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand peaked at 18.1% in November 2025 and was lowest at 13.9% in March 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Buddle Findlay’s estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand peaked at 15.1% in August 2026 and was lowest at 12.4% in May 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Chapman Tripp’s estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand peaked at 15.8% in December 2025 and was lowest at 12.9% in January 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Simpson Grierson’s estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand peaked at 16.3% in July 2026 and was lowest at 13.6% in February 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Bell Gully’s estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand peaked at 17.8% in May 2026 and was lowest at 12.8% in December 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, MinterEllisonRuddWatts’ estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand peaked at 12.7% in February 2026 and was lowest at 10.6% in January 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Dentons’ estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand peaked at 11.2% in October 2025 and was lowest at 7.8% in July 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, DLA Piper’s estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand peaked at 9.3% in March 2026 and was lowest at 4.1% in December 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Russell McVeagh rose from 2nd to 1st among large commercial law firms in New Zealand.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Buddle Findlay rose from 5th to 2nd among large commercial law firms in New Zealand.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Simpson Grierson fell from 1st to 4th among large commercial law firms in New Zealand.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Bell Gully fell from 4th to 5th among large commercial law firms in New Zealand.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [Russell McVeagh vs Buddle Findlay: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/buddle-findlay-vs-russell-mcveagh): 15.7% against 15.1% Share of Search.
- [Russell McVeagh vs Chapman Tripp: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/chapman-tripp-vs-russell-mcveagh): 15.7% against 15.1% Share of Search.
- [Russell McVeagh vs Simpson Grierson: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/russell-mcveagh-vs-simpson-grierson): 15.7% against 14.9% Share of Search.
- [Russell McVeagh vs Bell Gully: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/bell-gully-vs-russell-mcveagh): 15.7% against 13% Share of Search.
- [Buddle Findlay vs Chapman Tripp: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/buddle-findlay-vs-chapman-tripp): 15.1% Share of Search each.
- [Buddle Findlay vs Simpson Grierson: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/buddle-findlay-vs-simpson-grierson): 15.1% against 14.9% Share of Search.
- [Buddle Findlay vs Bell Gully: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/bell-gully-vs-buddle-findlay): 15.1% against 13% Share of Search.
- [Chapman Tripp vs Simpson Grierson: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/chapman-tripp-vs-simpson-grierson): 15.1% against 14.9% Share of Search.
- [Chapman Tripp vs Bell Gully: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/bell-gully-vs-chapman-tripp): 15.1% against 13% Share of Search.
- [Simpson Grierson vs Bell Gully: compare search popularity](/demand/nz/compare/bell-gully-vs-simpson-grierson): 14.9% against 13% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for New Zealand large commercial law firms in August 2026?

- In August 2026, Buddle Findlay overtook Bell Gully to rank 2nd among large commercial law firms in New Zealand, at 15.1%.
- In August 2026, Chapman Tripp overtook Bell Gully to rank 3rd among large commercial law firms in New Zealand, at 15.1%.
- In August 2026, MinterEllisonRuddWatts gained estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand, from 10.6% to 11.7%.
- In August 2026, Dentons gained estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand, from 7.8% to 8.7%.
- In August 2026, Simpson Grierson lost estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand, from 16.3% to 14.9%.
- In August 2026, Bell Gully lost estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand, from 14.3% to 13%.
- In August 2026, Russell McVeagh lost estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand, from 16.7% to 15.7%.
- In August 2026, DLA Piper lost estimated Share of Search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand, from 6.5% to 6%.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Russell McVeagh | 15.7% | 3.7K | +2.8% | Russell McVeagh |
| 2 | Buddle Findlay | 15.1% | 3.5K | +16.9% | Buddle Findlay |
| 3 | Chapman Tripp | 15.1% | 3.5K | +21.0% | Chapman Tripp |
| 4 | Simpson Grierson | 14.9% | 3.5K | -0.6% | Simpson Grierson |
| 5 | Bell Gully | 13% | 3K | -1.0% | Bell Gully |
| 6 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 11.7% | 2.7K | +19.8% | MinterEllisonRuddWatts |
| 7 | Dentons | 8.7% | 2K | +21.6% | Dentons |
| 8 | DLA Piper | 6% | 1.4K | 0.0% | DLA Piper |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Simpson Grierson | 3.4K | 15.4% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Russell McVeagh | 3.4K | 15.3% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Chapman Tripp | 3K | 13.8% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Bell Gully | 3K | 13.3% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Buddle Findlay | 2.9K | 13.2% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 2.8K | 12.5% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Dentons | 2.5K | 11.2% | 7 |
| Oct 2025 | DLA Piper | 1.2K | 5.2% | 8 |
| Nov 2025 | Russell McVeagh | 4.2K | 18.1% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Chapman Tripp | 3.5K | 14.9% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Simpson Grierson | 3.4K | 14.7% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Bell Gully | 3K | 12.9% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Buddle Findlay | 3K | 12.7% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 2.6K | 11.2% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Dentons | 2.4K | 10.3% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | DLA Piper | 1.2K | 5% | 8 |
| Dec 2025 | Simpson Grierson | 2.9K | 15.9% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Chapman Tripp | 2.9K | 15.8% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Russell McVeagh | 2.8K | 15.7% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Buddle Findlay | 2.5K | 13.6% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Bell Gully | 2.3K | 12.8% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 2.2K | 12.1% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Dentons | 1.8K | 10.1% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | DLA Piper | 740 | 4.1% | 8 |
| Jan 2026 | Bell Gully | 2.9K | 16.5% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Russell McVeagh | 2.9K | 16.4% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Simpson Grierson | 2.8K | 15.9% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Buddle Findlay | 2.4K | 13.8% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Chapman Tripp | 2.3K | 12.9% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 1.9K | 10.6% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Dentons | 1.6K | 9% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | DLA Piper | 880 | 5% | 8 |
| Feb 2026 | Russell McVeagh | 4.2K | 16.6% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Buddle Findlay | 3.5K | 13.9% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Bell Gully | 3.5K | 13.6% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Chapman Tripp | 3.5K | 13.6% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Simpson Grierson | 3.5K | 13.6% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 3.2K | 12.7% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Dentons | 2.6K | 10.3% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | DLA Piper | 1.5K | 5.7% | 8 |
| Mar 2026 | Bell Gully | 6.5K | 14.4% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Russell McVeagh | 6.3K | 13.9% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Simpson Grierson | 6.3K | 13.9% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Buddle Findlay | 6.3K | 13.8% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Chapman Tripp | 6.2K | 13.6% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 5K | 11% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Dentons | 4.5K | 9.9% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | DLA Piper | 4.2K | 9.3% | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | Bell Gully | 3.6K | 15.4% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Russell McVeagh | 3.5K | 15.1% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Chapman Tripp | 3.4K | 14.6% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Simpson Grierson | 3.4K | 14.6% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Buddle Findlay | 3K | 12.6% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 2.7K | 11.6% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Dentons | 2.3K | 9.8% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | DLA Piper | 1.5K | 6.4% | 8 |
| May 2026 | Bell Gully | 4.5K | 17.8% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Russell McVeagh | 3.6K | 14.2% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Simpson Grierson | 3.6K | 14.2% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Chapman Tripp | 3.5K | 14% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Buddle Findlay | 3.1K | 12.4% | 5 |
| May 2026 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 2.9K | 11.6% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Dentons | 2.6K | 10.5% | 7 |
| May 2026 | DLA Piper | 1.3K | 5.3% | 8 |
| Jun 2026 | Russell McVeagh | 3.5K | 15.5% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Simpson Grierson | 3.4K | 15.4% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Bell Gully | 3.3K | 14.5% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Buddle Findlay | 3.1K | 13.8% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Chapman Tripp | 2.9K | 13% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 2.6K | 11.6% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Dentons | 2.3K | 10.2% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | DLA Piper | 1.4K | 6% | 8 |
| Jul 2026 | Russell McVeagh | 3.6K | 16.7% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Simpson Grierson | 3.5K | 16.3% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Bell Gully | 3.1K | 14.3% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Buddle Findlay | 3K | 14.1% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Chapman Tripp | 2.9K | 13.6% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 2.3K | 10.6% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Dentons | 1.7K | 7.8% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | DLA Piper | 1.4K | 6.5% | 8 |
| Aug 2026 | Russell McVeagh | 3.7K | 15.7% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Buddle Findlay | 3.5K | 15.1% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Chapman Tripp | 3.5K | 15.1% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Simpson Grierson | 3.5K | 14.9% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Bell Gully | 3K | 13% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | 2.7K | 11.7% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Dentons | 2K | 8.7% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | DLA Piper | 1.4K | 6% | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | Bell Gully | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Buddle Findlay | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Chapman Tripp | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Dentons | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | DLA Piper | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | MinterEllisonRuddWatts | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Russell McVeagh | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Simpson Grierson | — | — | — |

## What is being compared

- **Bell Gully**: Measured on the search terms “Bell Gully”, “bell gully auckland”, “bell gully christchurch”, “bell gully law firm”, “bell gully lawyers”, “bell gully nz” and “bell gully wellington”, summed into one figure.
- **Buddle Findlay**: Measured on the search terms “Buddle Findlay”, “buddle findlay auckland”, “buddle findlay chch”, “buddle findlay christchurch”, “buddle findlay lawyers” and “buddle findlay wellington”, summed into one figure.
- **Chapman Tripp**: Measured on the search terms “Chapman Tripp”, “chapman tripp auckland”, “chapman tripp christchurch”, “chapman tripp lawyers”, “chapman tripp nz” and “chapman tripp wellington”, summed into one figure.
- **Dentons**: Measured on the search terms “Dentons”, “dentons auckland”, “dentons christchurch”, “dentons kensington swan”, “dentons law”, “dentons law firm”, “dentons lawyers”, “dentons new zealand”, “dentons nz”, “dentons wellington” and “Kensington Swan”, summed into one figure.
- **DLA Piper**: Measured on the search terms “DLA Piper”, “dla piper auckland”, “dla piper new zealand”, “dla piper nz” and “dla piper wellington”, summed into one figure.
- **MinterEllisonRuddWatts**: Measured on the search terms “Minter Ellison”, “minter ellison auckland”, “minter ellison lawyers”, “minter ellison nz”, “minter ellison rudd watts”, “minter ellison rudd watts auckland”, “minter ellison rudd watts wellington”, “minter ellison wellington”, “minterellison”, “minterellison auckland”, “minterellison nz”, “minterellison rudd watts” and “MinterEllisonRuddWatts”, summed into one figure.
- **Russell McVeagh**: Measured on the search terms “Russell McVeagh”, “russell mcveagh auckland”, “russell mcveagh law firm”, “russell mcveagh lawyers”, “russell mcveagh queenstown” and “russell mcveagh wellington”, summed into one figure.
- **Simpson Grierson**: Measured on the search terms “simpson and grierson”, “Simpson Grierson”, “simpson grierson auckland”, “simpson grierson christchurch”, “simpson grierson lawyers” and “simpson grierson wellington”, summed into one figure.

- [Bell Gully](/demand/nz/brands/bell-gully)
- [Buddle Findlay](/demand/nz/brands/buddle-findlay)
- [Chapman Tripp](/demand/nz/brands/chapman-tripp)
- [Dentons](/demand/nz/brands/dentons)
- [DLA Piper](/demand/nz/brands/dla-piper)
- [MinterEllisonRuddWatts](/demand/nz/brands/minterellisonruddwatts)
- [Russell McVeagh](/demand/nz/brands/russell-mcveagh)
- [Simpson Grierson](/demand/nz/brands/simpson-grierson)

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among large commercial law firms in New Zealand?

In August 2026, Russell McVeagh was the most searched among large commercial law firms in New Zealand, with an estimated 3.7K branded searches and 15.7% estimated Share of Search within this set.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Large commercial law firms in New Zealand: Which brands are most popular in search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-large-commercial-law-firms

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-large-commercial-law-firms. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.