What team/teams did you clerk in this summer?

Mayne Wetherell does not have separate teams. As such, I was able to work on a variety of deals across different practice areas. Working with different partners, as well as other senior and junior lawyers has taught me a lot and gave me great insight into the different styles of practice and approaches that can be taken to solve our clients’ legal issues. The summer gave me great insight into what life would be like as a graduate at Mayne Wetherell.

What were the social opportunities like at Mayne Wetherell?

There are many social opportunities available at Mayne Wetherell, including a welcome function, a Friday afternoon drinks, the Christmas function and regular coffee catch ups.  Everyone is keen to get involved and have fun, which provides a great opportunity to get to know the team outside of a work context.

What makes Mayne Wetherell unique?

Mayne Wetherell is unique in the way it combines the benefits of a big firm with those of a smaller firm.  Summer clerks are involved in a diverse range of complex and high-profile transactions, which, combined with the supportive, collaborative, and people-focused environment, fosters a great environment for professional growth. There is a real sense of community within the firm, and everyone is invested in your learning and development.

What has surprised you about working at Mayne Wetherell?

I have been surprised by the variety of work I have been tasked with. I expected the range of work to be more limited at a ‘specialist’ firm, however being able to work across all aspects of corporate and finance transactions means the work is very diverse – you never knew what you could be assigned when going into a briefing on a new matter.  I also didn’t expect to be as immediately or heavily involved in the firm’s transactions; from day one, I have felt like a valued member of the team. Finally, I was surprised how friendly and non-hierarchical the firm was. I felt just as comfortable asking questions to the partners or my graduate buddy.

What would you want a potential summer clerk to know about Mayne Wetherell?

The working environment is great and the people, at all levels, truly make time and invest in you and your learning which is invaluable. The pay is also great – it makes the 5/6 years’ worth of studying worth it!

About the firm

Mayne Wetherell is a premier specialist corporate, finance and tax legal practice in New Zealand. We regularly act on ground breaking transactions where creativity, collaboration and an in-depth commercial understanding of our client’s business is required.

Our clients are deal makers who want practical, commercially minded solutions to their problems. They seek us out for our commercial approach to the delivery of complex legal advice and our commitment to quality of service. Our focus on delivering practical solutions ensures that our young lawyers develop business acumen and problem-solving skills to complement their legal expertise.

It is the combination of legal expertise with astute business judgement that distinguishes our alumni on the world stage. In the competitive international job market, Mayne Wetherell alumni continue to secure jobs in top international law firms, companies and banks – a testament to our reputation as a market leader in corporate and finance law.

Working at the firm

Operating as a single team, Mayne Wetherell’s solicitors have exposure to all areas of law which underpin business transactions. Our focus is our clients’ most sophisticated and complex transactional work. This means that our young lawyers are involved in stimulating, high profile projects that require bespoke legal solutions and advice. Our specialist practice allows us to provide our lawyers with a quality of experience and a level of remuneration which is unsurpassed in the market.

Our clients include New Zealand, Australian and multinational corporations, investment banks and private equity funds, including 2degrees, ANZ, ASB, Auckland International Airport, Bank of New Zealand, Deutsche Bank, Fonterra, Goldman Sachs, KKR, Macquarie, Pacific Equity Partners, Quadrant Private Equity, Transpower, UBS and Westpac.

We invest significant time and effort into training and developing our lawyers to ensure that they have the breadth of knowledge and experience necessary to surpass our clients’ expectations. For our solicitors, this is the key to driving individual growth and professional development. Time and again, the opportunities provided to our solicitors and associates result in them progressing at a faster rate than their peers at other firms.

Website: https://maynewetherell.com/careers/
Email: recruitment@maynewetherell.com