Former Cooney Lees Morgan Partner Murray Denyer has announced his retirement as a Consultant with the firm, and from legal practice, due to health reasons. Murray has been fighting a long battle with Stage IV kidney cancer, and now wishes to step back to focus on his wellbeing, and to spend more time with his family and friends.
Murray joined CLM in 2009, and was a Partner in the firm’s commercial team for over 10 years. A year after his 2017 cancer diagnosis, Murray stepped back from the Partnership and moved into a part-time role as a Consultant to the firm, focussing on a smaller number of important clients including Zespri.
Paul Tustin (Chairperson of the Cooney Lees Morgan Partnership) said Murray has made a huge contribution to the firm during his tenure. “Murray’s expertise in the field of horticulture and commercialisation of plant variety rights is unrivalled, and clients that Murray has advised have benefitted greatly from his business acumen and practical approach over the years.” Paul said the Partners are deeply grateful to Murray for all that he has done for the firm. “Murray remains a close friend and colleague of all of the Cooney Lees Morgan team and we wish him the best for the future.”
Murray said that his time at Cooney Lees Morgan included some of the best years of his professional career. “Cooney Lees Morgan has played a huge part in my life – as well as a workplace, the firm is a true family. I’m proud to have contributed to the firm’s growth over the last 16 years, and I’ve made some great friends out of both colleagues and clients alike during that time. I’m also enormously grateful for the unwavering support the firm has given me over the course of my cancer journey, which has included some very tough times.”
Murray does not plan to be a stranger now that he has retired. “I’ll be back for the odd Friday morning tea, and I remain interested in the firm’s continued success, as well as that of the many clients I’ve worked with over the years – clients who I know will continue to be extremely well looked after by the CLM team into the future.”
Murray’s retirement from CLM was effective 22 December 2025, and he will leave the legal profession on 31 March 2026.