DLA Piper

At DLA Piper, we offer a handful of sought-after Summer Clerk and Law Clerk openings in Aotearoa New Zealand.

DLA Piper

“If you want to become a global lawyer you’ve come to the right place.”

Location: Auckland, Wellington

Areas of expertise: Global business law firm providing full services in corporate, employment, finance, intellectual property, technology, international trade, regulatory, government affairs, litigation, arbitration, investigations, projects, infrastructure, real estate, restructuring and tax. DLA Piper are sector experts in financial services, government, hospitality and leisure, insurance, life sciences, media, sport, entertainment, real estate, retail, and technology.

Contact: Holly Allison, Senior HR Advisor

Opportunities for students

The whole legal industry is changing. The old establishment is gone, and there’s a new establishment in town. It’s an exciting and dynamic future, which we at DLA Piper are leading.

It’s a new business world, with new client needs. Clients want more than legal advice; they want strategic business advisers that cross borders and geographies. They want global insights with local savvy. And so do we. DLA Piper is a firm built for this rapidly globalising world, and we’re looking for people to join us on this mission. We’re looking for people who see the world differently, who listen to clients, and who solve their problems, not just give advice. Being well read is good, but being able to read the room is great. We’re looking for people to help make business better for our clients.

We offer a handful of sought-after summer clerk and law clerk openings in New Zealand. This means you will experience a first-class journey, with full participation in real work. Partners and senior lawyers will support you with genuine help and encouragement. Applications are open to students in their penultimate or final year at university.

You will be truly contributing to the team and wider teams you become involved with. We have opportunities in our Summer and Law Clerkships, to rotate through two teams in different practices. Our Summer Clerkship generally starts in November, whereas Law Clerks start in late January through to February. At the end of the Summer Clerkship, there is potential for a permanent placement with the Firm.

We do not look for any specific subjects when recruiting, but seek commercially minded students, who have gained a broad platform of understanding from their studies.

About the firm

DLA Piper is a global business law firm located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, positioning us to help clients with their legal needs around the world.

We strive to be the leading global business law firm by delivering quality and value to our clients and contributing to the communities we operate in. DLA Piper is a global powerhouse, consistently ranked in the top five most powerful law firm brands in the world. As the first global business law firm in New Zealand, we offer clients a unique competitive edge on local and international stages.

Our clients range from some of the world’s most renowned global brands to the most influential businesses in New Zealand that are defining the future.

One of our key differentiators is the ability to apply international thinking and experience to the work we do for all our clients, wherever they do business. Across every major sector and specialist practice, the firm provides pragmatic, commercially astute advice.

Working at the firm

We are a values driven business, and everything we do is connected with our People, our Clients and our Communities, we live by these values:

  • Be Supportive – we care about others, value diversity and act thoughtfully
  • Be Collaborative – we give, we share and we join in
  • Be Bold – we stand tall and challenge ourselves to think big
  • Be Exceptional – we exceed standards and expectations

Diversity and inclusion underpins how we live our values and everything we do. We believe that everyone has a voice, and that everyone’s voice counts. We are committed to providing an inclusive working environment and culture across our firm where everyone can bring their authentic self to work. We welcome the unique contribution that each person brings to our firm which is why over a third of our people are active in one of our five D&I committees. Our people own our D&I journey.

Our commitment to pro bono is unparalleled and engrained in our culture. Our approach to pro bono is consistent with our vision to be “truly local, truly global” and we have a strong pro bono practice that is appropriate to the local circumstances and cultures in which we work. We work with individuals and organisations that could not otherwise afford counsel, providing advice across a wide range of specialisms and geographies.

DLA Piper strives to also be a leader in environmental sustainability. We undertake initiatives to reduce our own operational environmental impact and we believe that our greatest contribution to a sustainable environment is the advice and support we provide to our clients:

  • both in managing their own environmental impacts and assessing and responding to climate
  • related risks and opportunities.
Sundaresh Thangavelu

Meet Sundaresh Thangavelu

Solicitor, Real Estate

“DLA Piper is the first truly global law firm in New Zealand. We work with international clients and colleagues from our international offices. I enjoy the friendly, close-knit culture of the firm and flexible working arrangements available to all our people. The firm makes it easy to bring your best self to work.”

What kind of work have you been involved with at DLA Piper?

I work in the Real Estate practice group and my day-to-day work revolves around acquisitions and disposals of land, property development, commercial leasing and large-scale subdivisions. I also do a lot of real estate due diligence work for domestic and international M&A deals.

However, what makes real estate work at DLA Piper unique and exciting is the type of clients we work with. Our clients are both local and international and are from various sectors like fast-moving consumer goods, renewable energy, broadcasting and entertainment, social and affordable housing, high-end retail, banking and finance, iwi clients and local government. No two days are the same at DLA Piper!

What do you enjoy about working at DLA Piper?

Apart from the wide variety of clients and type of work we do, I also enjoy the friendly, close-knit culture of the firm and flexible working arrangements available to all our people. The firm makes it easy to bring your best self to work.

What has been the most challenging part of working at DLA Piper?

We do a lot of work with international clients and colleagues in DLA Piper’s other jurisdictions. Sometimes it can be a challenge scheduling calls and working across different time zones. However, the flexible working arrangement definitely help make this easier.

What sets DLA Piper apart from other firms?

DLA Piper is the first truly global law firm in New Zealand. It has offices all over the world that are seamlessly integrated. This enables us to draw on expertise and insights from our colleagues across the various jurisdictions and provide our clients with that extra level of service and insight that other firms will struggle to offer.

What has been the most challenging part of working at DLA Piper?

We do a lot of work with international clients and colleagues in DLA Piper’s other jurisdictions. Sometimes it can be a challenge scheduling calls and working across different time zones. However, the flexible working arrangement definitely help make this easier.

What sets DLA Piper apart from other firms?

DLA Piper is the first truly global law firm in New Zealand. It has offices all over the world that are seamlessly integrated. This enables us to draw on expertise and insights from our colleagues across the various jurisdictions and provide our clients with that extra level of service and insight that other firms will struggle to offer.

What are the social opportunities like at DLA Piper?

There are plenty of social opportunities at DLA Piper. We have a number of Diversity & Inclusion committees at the firm which are very active. Examples of recent events include learning more about financial wellbeing, a panel discussion on managing bias as well as active allyship training hosted by Rainbow Tick. There are also fortnightly morning teas and fortnightly drinks at the office to catch up with colleagues as well as a number of other social initiatives at the firm.

What has surprised you about working at DLA Piper?

I was surprised by the close-knit culture of the entire firm. Despite being a relatively large firm, everyone is very friendly, approachable and works in a collaborative way. Another factor that surprised me was the amount of resources available to us. Having access to different sectors, jurisdictions and teams as well as all of the resources that goes with it really helps us to produce timely, high-quality work for our clients.

What has been your favourite experience at DLA Piper so far?

I have made some very close friends at DLA Piper, so my favourite experience is being able to hang out with them almost every day at work and after work.

What would your advice to students be who are wishing to apply to DLA Piper?

Be genuine and be yourself. Diversity is celebrated at DLA Piper.

Photograph of Sara Khatau - Graduate at DLA Piper firm.

Meet Sara Khatau

Law Clerk

“I enjoy working at a firm that invests in and cares about shaping my professional future. DLA Piper offers the ideal opportunity for juniors to get direct engagement with leading lawyers through working on high calibre matters within close-knit teams.”

What kind of work have you been involved with at DLA Piper?

I joined as a Summer Clerk in 2022 in the Wellington office and rotated between the Litigation and Financial Services team. Now as a Law Clerk, I am part of the Litigation and Regulation team in the Auckland office. Our team is involved in a wide range of commercial litigation matters including specialising in competition and public law matters, property claims, life sciences and ESG advice. We work closely with our domestic and international corporate teams to minimise the risk of disputes arising. A typical day for me often includes drafting Court documents, conducting legal research, helping with discovery, and writing advice to our clients. The firm also has a large pro bono practice and encourages everyone to get involved in regular pro bono legal work. I’m looking forward to contributing to our work for the Starship Foundation and Refugee and Immigration Legal Advice Service.

What do you enjoy about working at DLA Piper?

I enjoy working at a firm that invests in and cares about shaping my professional future. DLA Piper offers the ideal opportunity for juniors to get direct engagement with leading lawyers through working on high calibre matters within close-knit teams. DLA Piper’s supportive culture is reflected in the commitment Partners take in your development. I’ve learnt so much from being able to ask questions knowing that senior colleagues will be happy to help and mentor me.

What has been the most challenging part of working at DLA Piper?

I found the transition from law school to work challenging in learning how to apply theoretical knowledge practically while building a new commercial, and in DLA Piper’s case, international outlook. Having said that, DLA Piper’s collaborative culture provides plenty of learning opportunities that help you rise to the challenge. You are supported through the clerkship with a structured induction, regular catch ups, a dedicated buddy, and a senior lawyer to guide you. Every day is different, and I love coming into the office knowing that I’m going to get involved in stimulating legal work that I can learn from.

What has surprised you about working at DLA Piper?

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the priority placed on community care initiatives and diversity and inclusion programmes. Our community initiatives involve tree planting days, fundraising drives for Canteen and volunteering for the city mission. We have an active diversity and inclusion community that organises various events that include (but certainly not limited to) Pride Week quiz night, heritage days, and wellbeing classes. I’m lucky to be part of Mosaic, which focuses on promoting cultural diversity and organises celebrations for cultural events. I also recently participated in the Social Steering Committee aimed at making DLA Piper’s culture the best it can be through reviewing and improving the firm’s people engagement, wellbeing efforts and contribution to society broadly. I’ve experienced the inclusiveness of DLA Piper through the authentic people I work with and the support that I was given during Ramadan to make work flexible for me.

What sets DLA Piper apart from other firms?

DLA Piper’s vast international network sets it apart from other firms. Being one of the largest international law firms means that there are significant resources available, from international academies for juniors, secondments to international offices and global pro bono projects. DLA Piper fully embraces its global network and the advantages that come with interconnectedness. This means that on a daily basis, we get to collaborate with our global colleagues on international client work while developing a professional network with talented lawyers across the world. For example, following advising Auckland Council on its successful trans-Tasman AsOne bid to secure co-hosting the 2023 FIFA Women’s World cup, DLA Piper New Zealand ran an international football competition across our offices.

What are the social opportunities like at DLA Piper?

The firm values creating a work-life balance and organises number of formal and informal social opportunities through the year that include delicious morning teas, team coffees and themed events such as a James Bond evening. The social culture is particularly great amongst the juniors, which I can confirm since a non-sporty person such as myself is excited to join the firm’s social sports teams.

What has been your favourite experience so far?

On my first day as a summer clerk, I attended the Supreme Court judgement for Make it 16 that my Partner had been a counsel on. This was really impactful for me personally as a public law enthusiast and also seeing that DLA Piper is at the forefront of the legal industry. Beyond this, it’s the day-to-day experience that is a highlight. For me, working on meaningful client work in a positive environment with people who want to see me be the best version of myself is unparalleled.

What would be your advice to students who are wishing to apply at DLA Piper?

Enjoy the process and be yourself. From experience I know that recruitment can be overwhelming. But it’s also a great opportunity to see if the firm’s culture and practice areas are a good fit for you. I wasn’t sure what firms to apply for or even if corporate law was right for me. After attending DLA Piper’s presentations and meeting DLA Piper’s people, I knew this is the place for me, a decision that I’m truly grateful for.