Current

I’m based in Pahiatua (30 min east of Palmerston North), where my wife Sarah and I moved after COVID to give our daughters a taste of regional NZ for primary school (clean air, simpler de-stressed lifestyle, etc.)

Together, Sarah and I run Thicket, a coffee lounge offering fresh flowers, gifts, and a gourmet pantry of local and Mediterranean foodstuffs.  Quite unexpectedly, Sarah has made me the epitomised barista-barrister, where I’ve learnt to juggle statements of claim and caramel lattes.

A bit of history…

I’m a proud ‘Karori boy’, having attended Karori Normal School and Wellington College.

I come from a family of journalists. I’m the third of four children. Growing up, my favourite subjects were English, history, media studies and drama. I thought I’d end up being a journalist or broadcaster. But after college, I completed a GAP year at Kings College School in Cambridge, UK. There, I met several lawyers who inspired me to pursue a career in law.

So that’s what I did. Fast-forward five years at Otago University—with stints along the way at Massey and Copenhagen—and I left with degrees in law and politics.

Upon my admission to the legal profession, I didn’t join a law firm, and rather went straight to the Bar. I was hungry to get on my feet in court as soon as possible, and was fortunate to score a job with Peter McKnight, one of New Zealand’s most experienced defamation and media-law barristers. I’ve worked with Peter ever since.

Interests

Growing up, sport was always a big thing in the Romanos household.  Today, I play competitive squash, casual pickleball; and follow professional squash, cricket, tennis, boxing and rugby.

I’ve been a house DJ for nearly 20 years. Beginning at Uni, I’ve played at clubs and venues all over NZ, promoted gigs, and hosted radio shows. My most recent foray was a two-year residency at a cocktail lounge in Palmy.  If it’s your thing, then I have a stack of DJ mixes over on Soundcloud, and even some live mixes from gigs on YouTube.

In 2026, I’ve shifted focus to health and nutrition. I’ve been on a happy voyage of whole foods, movement, sleep, and prioritising my daughters’ endeavours – currently a lot of ballet and jazz comps!

So that’s me.