From Legal Briefs to Board Game Design for Simon Mortlock
New Zealand lawyer Simon Mortlock’s law career transition has seen 53 years as a practicing lawyer to developing a winning board game to benefit his local community.
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The retired founding partner of Christchurch law firm Mortlock McCormack Law has channeled his strategic thinking into creating a board game called “Red Herring” to benefit his local community.
The inspiration came from an unlikely source. “I thought now that’s a stupid game,” Mortlock remarked after seeing the popular card game Exploding Kittens. “If someone can make money out of a card game like that, then surely I can make a board game as well.”
His creation is a strategy game where four to six players race to construct a jetty within an hour. The board features a beautifully rendered map of Lyttelton Harbour with 36 different locations labeled in both English and Te Reo, created by local artist Russ Harris.
youtubeMortlock’s legal background clearly influenced the game’s mechanics. “It’s a staggering amount of detail and there’s very fine craftsmanship,” he says, explaining that the gameplay requires strategic thinking and risk assessment – skills familiar to any experienced lawyer.
Before his 2021 retirement, Mortlock built an impressive legal career including leading his own law firm.
His commitment to public service earned him the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2019, recognizing over four decades of volunteer work across youth programs, education, affordable housing, and environmental causes. The Governors Bay Jetty project, for which he serves as patron after previously chairing the restoration trust, has been a particular passion.
The fundraising effort has proven successful, with 49 handmade copies (priced at $345) and 33 printed versions ($90) already sold, raising $13,000 for the Governors Bay Jetty Restoration Trust. The limited edition versions feature playing pieces crafted from timber salvaged from the jetty rebuild.
As Mortlock meets with retailers to expand distribution, he maintains a clear vision: “It would be great if it took off and helped raise a lot of money for charity.”
