Although we’ve been around for more than 150 years, Lane Neave considers itself to be a modern, professional and friendly workplace.
As a national law firm with offices in Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown and Wellington we offer the chance to work for a big firm, with the culture of a small one.
We have 25 partners and more than 150+ staff nationwide. Our practice covers eight specialist areas: building and construction; corporate; employment; immigration; lifelaw (ie, private client); litigation; commercial property and resource management. Lawyers can find themselves working in these specialist areas or on more specific matters ranging from aged care, agribusiness and estate planning, to franchising, health and safety, and technology.
We are a truly national firm, operating as a single firm across four locations rather than four separate businesses. This means that irrespective of where we win the work, the work is shared and delivered by the people with the right expertise.
We promise to invest time in really understanding you so you can thrive. We are here to help you develop the career you want and encourage you to follow your passion – you’ll feel supported, trusted and valued. You’ll rub shoulders with people from every practice area and develop a wide range of skills that will help kickstart your career.
We have won an ‘NZ Employer of Choice’ award, making Lane Neave one of the top-ranking employers in terms of the overall experience employees have at work. This demonstrates the firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and that we promote the personal and professional development of everyone.
In addition, Lane Neave was one of only four New Zealand private practice law firms to make the Top 100 Graduate employers. We invest heavily in our graduate recruitment, on-boarding and development programme to provide graduates with the best possible start to their legal careers.
And it’s not just all talk – at Lane Neave we walk the walk, championing principles of equality and diversity that result in a welcoming, friendly and non-hierarchical working environment. There is a formal diversity policy and we have long had a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment and discrimination. At partner level, we have an equitable gender balance. In addition, our flexible work policies highlight that work-life balance is not just an important aspect of our culture, it’s baked into the way we work.
So, we work hard, but we also reckon that it’s important to have a pleasant working environment and a fulfilling life outside the office. And that might mean hanging out with colleagues out of hours, including at weekly social events and regular firm parties, or taking part in activities that are linked to being a responsible corporate citizen (read on).
We have recently formed a CSR Steering Group to bring to life our ambitious social and environmental aims, which include a commitment to:
In addition, all staff are encouraged to get involved with community organisations and raise money for good causes through annual staff volunteer days.
We want to attract the best and brightest, and then create an environment that allows you to fulfil your potential inside and outside of work. You’ll find information on the careers page of our website or come and chat to us in person at your local Law Career Fair.
To apply for one of our summer clerkships, go to our careers page and upload a cover letter succinctly detailing the set of skills you have to offer (eg, communication, collaboration and natural leadership), as well as a CV and academic transcript. Even if we’re not currently advertising for summer clerks, you can still complete an ‘expression of interest’ form.
If you make the cut, you’ll be invited in for one or more interviews. You should turn up to the designated office having researched the firm’s values, practice areas and staff.
If you are offered a summer clerkship, you can expect to work with some of the largest companies, strongest brands and biggest projects in New Zealand, and be involved in some complex cases. If all goes well during the summer, clerks are often offered grad roles for the following year.