Each year we welcome students and graduates into our teams, arming you with the tools to build a solid foundation for your legal career.

Applications for our summer law programme open in March for students in their penultimate year of study.

Location: Tāmaki Makaurau and Ōtautahi

Area of expertise: As a full-service firm, we have expertise across a wide range of services and industries, from Litigation to Corporate/Commercial, Property to Employment. Find out what we offer: https://www.ah.co.nz/expertise

Staff: Over 130 people, with 34 partners

Contact: People and Culture team on HR@ah.co.nz

Starting your career with Anthony Harper is your opportunity to be part of a highly influential, successful law firm with an incredible market presence – a great place to begin.

Working at the firm

At Anthony Harper, you’ll be part of a team that values collaboration and innovation, where our open-door policy means your ideas and feedback matter. You’ll engage in diverse, challenging work with hands-on training and learning to drive your career forward. With flexible work options, a strong focus on wellbeing, and opportunities to have a positive impact on our communities, we foster an environment where you can thrive. This is more than just a job – it’s your opportunity to grow, contribute and make a difference. Join us to build your career and carve your path forward.

Meet Anna Yu

Solicitor, Retirement Villages

What inspired you to pursue a career in law?

I was inspired to pursue a career in law as I found it to have a real-world application and found it to be incredibly practical. Exploring how the law applies to issues that pop up in day-to-day life sparked a lot of interest and encouraged me to learn more.

How did you choose your area of specialisation?

I am a Solicitor on the Retirement Villages Team at Anthony Harper. While this is a very niche area of law, governed by industry specific legislation, our team engages in very broad areas of legal practice, covering corporate, commercial, property, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution.

During University and initially after graduating, I worked in a medico-legal role, which is an area that I have always been interested in. Given the retirement villages and aged care industries are becoming more intertwined, I expressed interest in my current role, as it would still allow me to work in my area of interest, while practicing broadly in other areas for the law.

How does your firm support professional development and career growth?

Anthony Harper invests heavily in supporting junior lawyers. One way the firm does this is through hosting a “Junior Authors Trainings” programme. This covers both the technical aspects of practice, but also the administrative aspects of practice such as networking, building client relationships, financial wellbeing, and discussing in more detail what our career progression will typically look like.

Being a mid-large sized firm, I have had the opportunity to work closely with my Partners, and also do work across different teams. Receiving meaningful mentorship and a diverse range of work has provided me a strong foundation at the start of my career.

How does the firm stay ahead of industry trends and changes?

Anthony Harper takes a dual approach by engaging externally with our clients and internally within the firm.

The firm has recently launched a bespoke software from the Retirement Villages Team, Villageinfonet. Villageinfonet is a bespoke software which has been developed to aid retirement villages in simplifying and streamlining their settlements process. It is offered to our existing clients and is also marketed broadly to retirement village operators. As legal practice continues to progress with further technological advances, launching this software has provided the firm with a new avenue to engage with our clients.

Internally, the firm invests in the wellbeing of its employees, by way of offering flexible working arrangements, frequent social events, free pilates classes, and an annual wellbeing allowance. These initiatives are aimed at fostering a healthy work life balance.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career at your firm?

To keep an open mind, as it goes a long way to be positive and communicative. Also take initiative when expressing interest in the type of work you want to take part in. Communicating your career goals adds value to the relationship you have with your mentors.

Meet Lewis Sutherland

Solicitor, Corporate and Commercial

What inspired you to pursue a career in law?

I saw law as the intersection between academia and face to face interaction which fit perfectly to my personal skillset.

How did you choose your area of specialisation?

Anthony Harper put us through two rotations of our choice, so I ended up doing half a year in the corporate team and half a year in the litigation team. The experience in both teams was amazing, and I ended up learning a ton of new things in both areas. In the end it just came down to which area I felt more excited about, and I chose based on my gut feeling.

What skills do you find most valuable in your current role?

At this stage of my career, I think that my positive attitude and my people skills are my two most important attributes. The early stages are all about learning as much as possible, and this is made easier by being able to interact with people from all backgrounds.

How does your firm support professional development and career growth?

The firm sets a clear path of development for its junior members right from the get-go. Outside of training that is undertaken by all staff, juniors are catered for with our own program specially designed to both refresh our memories and educate us on new topics.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career at your firm?

It’s not all about grades. If you are enthusiastic, able to persevere and willing to learn (and to make mistakes!) you have just as much of a chance to perform as the next person.