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Why choose Lane Neave - the lowdown

Grow with us

At Lane Neave, it’s about doing great work and having an enjoyable time doing it. As a Summer Clerk or graduate, you’ll get the opportunity to work within supportive teams who will provide you with a variety of work and opportunities to learn and grow. Your work will include connecting with our valued clients and you’ll have the opportunity to be involved in complex legal cases, with the right level of support required for you to succeed.

We’ll help you develop the career you want and encourage you to follow your passion. There are many opportunities for you to get to know people around the firm from each of our practice areas and develop a wide range of skills and experience that will help kick-start your career.

The Lane Neave way

At Lane Neave, we walk the talk, championing principles of equality and diversity that result in a welcoming, friendly and non-hierarchical working environment. We have a formal diversity policy and have a long-standing zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment and discrimination.

We work hard, but we also reckon it’s important to have a pleasant working environment and a fulfilling life outside the office. That might mean spending time with colleagues out of hours, including at weekly social events and regular firm parties, or taking part in activities related to our corporate social responsibility commitments.

Caring for our communities and environment

We have a commitment to empowering, enhancing and supporting the communities in which we live and work, and promoting environmental restoration and sustainability. See here for more details.

Flexible work, and work-life balance

Our Flexible Work and Work-Life Balance Policy was developed to support the implementation of flexible working arrangements. Flexibility enables our people to effectively manage the juggling act between paid work and the other activities that are important to them. Activities such as time with family and friends, participation in the community, sporting pursuits, voluntary work, personal development, recreation, or simply having time to attend appointments and look after yourself.

This policy allows for the following:

  • Flexible hours – employees can request the work pattern that best suits their personal needs to allow for a better balance between work and family responsibilities.
  • Flexible yearly working patterns – employees can request to work yearly patterns to provide time off at times that suit both parties.
  • Flexible location – employees can request to work from home, or another location outside of the workplace.
  • Flexible career – provides options for a gradual return to work after parental or other leave – for example,  a sabbatical, work transition or phased return to work.

Diversity

Our diversity journey is ever-evolving, with highlights over the past few years including:

  • Employer of Choice Award at the 2023 New Zealand Law Awards.
  • Being an active member of Diversity Works New Zealand.
  • Recently updating our Flexible Work and Work-Life Balance, and Parental Leave policies.
  • Ongoing sponsorship of the Great Potentials Foundation, including workshops with young aspiring lawyers from low socio-economic backgrounds.
  • Regular high school open days to encourage students from a range of backgrounds to consider law as a career.
  • Sponsorship of Keystone Trust to offer scholarship opportunities to students who may not otherwise have the chance to go to university.

Gender Equality

We are committed to creating an inclusive environment and helping female lawyers progress their careers. Our 2025 numbers speak for themselves (numbers are rounded):

  • 80% of all staff are female
  • 30% of Partners are female
  • 50% of our non-legal management team are female
  • 40% of Board members are female, including the Board chair.

Awards, accreditations and memberships:

  • Named both Asia-Pacific Firm of the Year and New Zealand Firm of the Year at the 2022 Women in Business Law Awards.
  • Signatory to the NZLS Gender Equality Charter since 2018.
  • Signatory to the United Nations’ initiative Women’s Empowerment Principles in New Zealand.

Te reo Māori

We work with an external consultant to guide us on our te ao Māori journey, including on the ways we can improve our professional and personal use of te reo Māori. This includes regular webinars on Māori language, customs and protocols.