▁Mar iner ▁to ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁Well ington ▁on ▁ 2 5 ▁November ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁after ▁an ▁event ful ▁journey ▁that ▁resulted ▁in ▁several ▁death s . ▁They ▁continued ▁on ▁the ▁Can ter bury ▁to ▁Ly tt el ton , ▁which ▁was ▁reached ▁on ▁ 1 ▁December . ▁ ▁Leg al ▁career ▁ ▁He ▁first ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁law ▁cl erk ▁in ▁Ly tt el ton ▁at ▁the ▁Mag istr ate ' s ▁Court , ▁but ▁moved ▁to ▁Christ ch urch ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 8 ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁employ ment ▁with ▁G ress on ▁and ▁then ▁with ▁Thomas ▁Smith ▁Dun can . ▁After ▁five ▁years ▁with ▁Dun can ▁( wh ose ▁law ▁firm ▁still ▁exist ▁today ▁as ▁Dun can ▁Cot ter ill ), ▁he ▁was ▁admitted ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁as ▁a ▁bar r ister ▁and ▁solic itor ▁to ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁by ▁G ress on , ▁and ▁he ▁started ▁his ▁own ▁law ▁firm . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁legal ▁career , ▁he ▁formed ▁various ▁partners hips . ▁The ▁first ▁was ▁with ▁Richard ▁D unn ▁Thomas , ▁his ▁brother - in - law , ▁who ▁had ▁received ▁his ▁legal ▁training ▁from ▁him . ▁He ▁then ▁had ▁a ▁partners hip ▁with ▁All an ▁William ▁O ' Ne il , ▁followed ▁by ▁one ▁with ▁West by ▁Per ce val , ▁and ▁then ▁with ▁Act on ▁Adams . ▁The ▁next ▁partners hip ▁was ▁with ▁A ▁C ▁Andrew s , ▁which ▁still ▁existed ▁when ▁Jo ynt ▁died .