His grandfather was a shearer for many years before studying to become a doctor — "he was a huge inspiration in my life" — while several aunts studied law a little later in life.
They all provided inspiration for Mr Munro who had a theory that if you went and had "a bit of life" then you would know what you wanted to do and commit to it. That certainly worked for him.
He grew up near Alexandra and, after leaving Dunstan High School, he chose to join the workforce rather than immediately head to university.
Some of that time was spent working in hospitality and he enjoyed the customer service side of the industry, meeting people and ensuring they were happy — skills that were all transferable to his current career.
He returned to Dunedin about 20 years ago, drawn by the quality of life the city offered and the affordability of property.
At that stage, he had notions of studying law but completed a commerce degree first.
He had the "pleasure" of being an at-home father while studying law and that was something he particularly relished.
"It was great. I think it’s something a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to do. I think the connections I’ve got with the four kids ... are so much better for it.
"It was a really pivotal time in my life and the kids’ lives. They could see you can go and achieve what you want if you work hard, and still have really good quality of life."
It was still a juggling act, not without its difficulties but a lot of other people had a lot more challenges in their lives, he said.
He had worked previously in the entertainment industry and a lot of that work involved contract negotiations, understanding risk and strategic planning.
"All of those roads lead to law in one way or another," he said.
He used to play in several bands and he managed several artists.
All that hands-on client management had some real similarities to what was done in law — dealing with people’s hopes, desires and expectations, he said.
Mr Munro started his legal career at Webb Farry in Dunedin.
It was a very education focused firm which provided a good grounding to its staff.
As a full service firm, there was excellent scope for staff to learn — and to be very practical in what they were learning — and to develop good client relationships, he said.
He then took a job at another law firm in the city for nearly 18 months, which was a "fantastic" opportunity for him and good for his career development, before rejoining Webb Farry this month as a partner.
His focus is on corporate and commercial property, banking and finance, development, and trust and estate planning.
Webb Farry is moving into new premises in Stuart St later this year.
Having had a recent look at the development, Mr Munro said it was "looking fantastic".
It was a good opportunity for the entire firm to come and work together as it has been split up during the development process — and the energy was starting to build, he said.
Webb Farry’s longevity in Otago was something he was very proud of, it had been in the city for a long time and would continue to be there for a long time.
It was a very progressive firm and those joining the team learned how to be really good workers and lawyers, he said.
Mr Munro is now in a role that enables him to help other lawyers with their development.
He said he believed it was an exciting time in Dunedin; there was a lot of growth happening and a lot going on in the legal space.
His fashion designer wife Sara is the owner of celebrated label Company of Strangers and the couple enjoy living in the city.
"Dunedin is just a positive place, there’s a really good positive vibe happening and it’s good to be part of it," he said.
Outside of work, Mr Munro said it was important to have balance — "everybody needs a balance in life" — and he tinkered around restoring old motorcycles or went fishing with his sons.
He had "absolutely no regrets" about pursuing a legal career, although he quipped he was still waiting for Led Zeppelin to ring him up and ask him to come on board as drummer.
