Our origins are in Kaiapoi in 1892. The Corcoran name first appears with Edmund Corcoran in 1923 and in 1930 the firm became Papprill, Salter & Corcoran. In 1956 E.J. Corcoran was joined in partnership by his son, Anthony Robin Corcoran. Other partners have included K.H Thwaites (1963) and R.T. Brown (1965) with the firm name E J Corcoran Son Thwaites & Brown used until 1988 when the firm was renamed Corcoran French.
Our Kaiapoi presence dates back to 1892, in a wooden office on the corner of Charles-Williams (then Cookson) Streets. Fire destroyed the building in the 1920s and a new building was put in its place.
After another major fire in 1976 led to the demolition of surrounding buildings, Corcoran's principals decided to build the town's first major office block a short distance along the street. The three storey building was the most significant business building in Kaiapoi at the time. The new building named "Ngai Tahu Court" opened in 1978. (Corcoran French had a long standing connection with Ngai Tahu).
The Christchurch presence commenced in a small office in New Regent Street in 1954. In 1982, with the building no longer big enough, the firm shifted to Gloucester Street where it remained until the 2011 earthquake. After a short temporary relocation to our Kaiapoi office, in December 2011 we moved back into Christchurch, 166 Moorhouse Avenue. 2017 saw us move to a new block at the same address.
Corcoran French had offices in New Brighton from 1985 to 2015. A Belfast office was opened in 2001 operating from the Harcourts premises but it was only a few years before this was no longer needed. Since 1993 we have worked with Harcourts Akaroa and continue to regularly meet clients in their offices.
Michael Walker merged his practice with Corcoran French in 2012, continuing as a consultant until his retirement in 2015.
More Recently
Michael French
Michael Walker
Lane McPhail
Philip Redmond
Present Partners
Martin Bell
Rachael Robertson
Mark Henderson
Christine Eastgate
Shehan de Silva
Michael Bendall
Rowan Aspros