Kells is continuing its tradition of giving back to the community by returning as the major sponsor of the Kiama Rugby Sevens for the fourth year in a row.

And they will be on board for the next two as well.

The 54th annual tournament will be held at Kiama Showground on Saturday, 28 February, starting from 8am with 44 teams coming from far and wide to compete for the prestigious trophy.

Kells has been in Kiama since April 2020 after acquiring Martin & Holmes Legal, becoming the sixth office for the law firm throughout the Illawarra and Sydney regions.

Martin & Holmes Legal had operated out of the Kiama area for over 20 years and Hatfield said the acquisition by Kells was a smooth process due to the aligned values and the synergies of each firm.

It was a tricky time to set up the Kiama office given the start of the COVID-19 pandemic but Kells negotiated their way through the turbulent period to establish a foothold.

Kells were initially located at offices on Terralong Street before moving in mid 2024 to their current picturesque location overlooking Black Beach.

“It was challenging, as you could imagine. But we've got great people here. The vast majority of the firm were working remotely,” Kells partner Michael Hatfield said.

“It’s been great being here in Kiama. We've expanded the service offering. We've got commercial law services, family law services, personal injury services.

“We now have at any given time three lawyers here that provide a full complement of legal services.”

Hatfield, who lives in Kiama with his family, said the Rugby Sevens was a great event, both as a sporting carnival and a community gathering.

“We are thrilled at the chance to support a flagship local sporting event, and it brings the community together, showcasing what Kiama has to offer,” he said.

“It reinforces our commitment that we have to supporting local initiatives.

“And the event itself is a fun weekend. You get really high quality teams.

“It’s the hottest ticket in town.”

Kells Lawyers also maintains a strong commitment to grassroots sport and community initiatives across its office locations in Sydney, Thirroul, Wollongong, Dapto and Shellharbour.

The firm has sponsored the Kiama Junior Football Club for the past five years, the Kiama Surf Club and Kiama OzTag teams for four years, and The Disability Trust's annual Charity Golf Day for five years.

Kells has also supported the Dapto Women’s Cricket Club and the Woonona Bushrangers Junior Rugby League Club, and for the past four years has contributed significant funding to the Southern Youth and Family Services Ride4Rotary event.