Our History.

In 1892 the firm of Bannermans was founded by Edmond Robert Bowler. Born in Inchclutha in 1866, Mr Bowler studied law at Otago University and was admitted to the bar in 1888.
 
In 1914 he went to serve in World War 1 and took into partnership the late F B Adams who remained with the firm until 1916. Mr Adams became a Judge of the Supreme Court and was later knighted.
 
In 1920 Ronald Burns Bannerman joined the firm, as a partner, after the return from the Great War, in which he served with distinction as a fighter pilot with the Royal Air Corps in France.
 
Mr Bowler stayed on until ill health forced his retirement in 1926.

During World War II Mr Bannerman had to leave the practice to fulfil duties as Air Commodore in the RNZAF based in Wellington. He was also aid-de-camp to the Governor General.

He returned to the practice in 1945 and ran it alone until 1950, when he took Thomas Brydone and William Folster into partnership. The firm carried on as Bannerman Brydone and Folster until 1963 when Neville Fountain, Don Wills and Tony Fosbender were admitted into partnership. Mr Bannerman senior kept coming into the firm following his retirement and still had an office until his death at 87 years of age.
 
The Bannerman name continues to be associated with the firm with John Bannerman grandson of Mr R B Bannerman one of the present three partners.
 
Today with its current partners of John, Neil and John and a highly experienced group of loyal support personnel Bannermans continues to provide high quality legal services to all its clients and retain its reputation built by its founding partners as a leading Southland Law firm