We’re looking for highly motivated, high achieving candidates, with a passion for corporate law.
Areas of expertise: Corporate law
Staff: 5 directors, 12 lawyers
Contact: For more information visit www.hhl.co.nz/careers
You will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in corporate law and get involved in client facing work.
About the firm
Harmos Horton Lusk is New Zealand’s premier specialist corporate law firm. We are market leaders in public takeovers, private mergers and acquisitions, public and private capital raisings, strategic board and governance advice, foreign investment, and banking and finance. We value excellence, commitment, confidence, and judgment. Above all else, we value our clients and each other.
We have an enviable reputation for expertise at the high stakes end of the market. The transactions on which we advise are regularly nominated for, and have won, international and national awards for the innovation and excellence we bring to complex challenges, and members of our team are highly recognised in legal and rankings publications.
Our clients value us for the absolute commitment to achieving the best possible commercial outcomes for them. We do this as creative thinkers and innovative solution finders, industry-leading strategists, and a laser like focus on solutions. This, not simply application of the law, is what you will learn working with us.
Our philosophy, and the nature of our work with some of New Zealand’s leading listed companies, private equity firms and corporates, means you’ll be part of a team whose work is constantly stimulating, challenging and dynamic. Recent notable transactions include advising Manawa Energy on a NZ$1.86 billion take-private transaction with Contact Energy and the Access Group on its acquisitions of various businesses in New Zealand including Tradify.
Does this sound like something you’d like to be part of?
Working at the firm
We differ from other firms in critical areas which drive your development.
We organise ourselves around our clients, not our partners’ areas of interest. Our client centric approach accelerates the development of your technical expertise and your client relationship skills. As our clients have complex needs across the full range of corporate law, we all have the expertise to meet those needs. By working with us you will become a well-rounded corporate lawyer. From day one you will have meaningful contact with clients and quickly grow your confidence to deal with them.
We hire the best for a reason. You will work in small teams with responsibility and autonomy, even as a junior lawyer. Our small flat structure means you will work with everyone in the firm. You will often be working directly with partners and benefit not only from being mentored by some of the sharpest thinkers and commercial strategists in the business but by learning directly from them how to think outside the square.
If breadth and depth of expertise, responsibility, accelerated development, being part of a special team, and above market remuneration and other benefits to match are important to you, then we would welcome discussing this with you. We promise your knowledge and expertise as a professional will grow exponentially, while working in a fun and energetic team environment.
A position at Harmos Horton Lusk will prepare you to work in any of the world’s financial centres – we’ve helped our alumni secure positions at leading international law firms in London, New York and Singapore.
Opportunities for students
You will enjoy learning alongside experts in their field, working with clients from the get-go and having hands-on experience with exciting and stimulating projects.
We’re looking for highly motivated, high achieving candidates, with a passion for corporate law.
For more information visit www.hhl.co.nz/careers.
Meet Tallara Daldorf
Associate, Harmos Horton Lusk
“At Harmos Horton Lusk, I’ve had the opportunity to learn from some of New Zealand’s best corporate lawyers and work on complex and exciting transactions while feeling supported in my development as a young lawyer.”
Harmos Horton Lusk is a specialist corporate law firm. This means the kind of work I do includes public company takeovers, private mergers and acquisitions, capital raisings, advising boards on compliance with their directors’ duties, advising on foreign investment in New Zealand, and advising large companies on compliance with the Companies Act, Financial Markets Conduct Act, NZX Listing Rules and Corporate Governance Code.
What do you enjoy most about working at Harmos Horton Lusk?
The team-oriented environment. At Harmos Horton Lusk, you will frequently work in a team of 3-5 people on a deal or transaction. This is important to me as someone at the beginning of my career, because it means there is always someone who can answer my questions and give me guidance. The team mentality is also great because by the end of a transaction, you become really close with who you have been working with – there is always lots of banter, inside jokes and celebrating wins together.
Harmos Horton Lusk itself is also one big team. We all take an interest in each other’s personal lives and successes, and there is plenty of camaraderie. We have a team lunch every Wednesday, and often go out for team drinks and functions.
What sets Harmos Horton Lusk apart from other Law firms?
Harmos Horton Lusk operates on a flat structure. As a young lawyer, this means I frequently find myself working one-on-one with directors – which can be both daunting and exciting! The flat structure allows you to learn straight from directors, and because of this you not only pick up technical legal skills, but also skills relating to client interaction, negotiation, communication and transaction management. This has been an invaluable learning experience.
What has surprised you about working at Harmos Horton Lusk?
The amount of autonomy and responsibility you get right from the get-go. In the first few months of being a graduate at Harmos Horton Lusk, I was helping draft documents that were going to clients, and writing research memos for the directors, who would then relay my research to clients. Before I knew it, I was meeting clients unsupervised. The responsibility was daunting at first, but I can already see how much I have learnt and grown.
What has been your favourite experience at Harmos Horton Lusk so far?
My favourite experience at Harmos Horton Lusk so far was the first time I got to witness the signing of a deal which I had been involved in. Working on the transaction for months, helping prepare and check all the final documents the night before signing, and then hearing the deal had finally signed was very exciting. The next day, I checked the news and saw multiple articles about the deal, and I said to myself “I helped with that”. It was very cool.
What would your advice to students be who are wishing to apply to Harmos Horton Lusk?
My advice to students interested in Harmos Horton Lusk would be to really think about why you want to do corporate law, and make sure this is reflected in your application and interview. Everyone at Harmos Horton Lusk is very passionate about what they do – so you need to show why you are too!
Meet Kelsey Haub
Associate, Harmos Horton Lusk
“I knew that coming to Harmos Horton Lusk would allow me to build a strong foundation to my legal career. The quality of work experience you receive as a junior lawyer is unparalleled.”
What inspired you to pursue a career in law?
A career in law, in particular corporate law, appealed to me because of the scope to problem solve and think
outside the box – every day you encounter a new challenge and a new learning opportunity.
How did you choose your area of specialisation?
Harmos Horton Lusk is a specialist corporate law firm. I chose to specialise in corporate law because of the transactional nature of the work. Unlike litigation, transactional work is solution focused – you often work across the table with the other side to build a strong working relationship. To me, corporate law is one of the most interesting areas of the law to practice in because of the strategic thinking involved.
At Harmos Horton Lusk, your mentors are more than just legal experts – they are commercial problem solvers. At Harmos Horton Lusk, legal expertise is paired with strong commercial knowledge and pragmatism.
Describe a typical day at your firm
Every day at Harmos Horton Lusk is different, which is one of the aspects of my role that I enjoy the most.
Because of Harmos Horton Lusk’s unique flat structure you will have the opportunity to work with all of the firm’s directors. This means you will have a wide exposure to a variety of different areas of corporate law – including, complex merger and acquisitions, takeovers, capital markets and equity advice, corporate governance and strategic board advice, overseas investment, and a range of other high-profile work.
Typically, as a junior lawyer, your day may include researching a legal issue, attending client meetings or calls, assisting in preparing an overseas investment application, reviewing commercial contracts or preparing legal advice for a particular matter.
What skills do you find most valuable in your current role?
Attention to detail is an important skill junior lawyers can contribute to the team; it’s the little things that can make a big difference. It is also important to be able to think creatively and critically about a task or issue.
Harmos Horton Lusk values creative, innovative and pragmatic solutions.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career at your firm?
My advice to students considering a career at Harmos Horton Lusk is to really think about why you are interested in corporate law. As a specialist law firm, it’s important you share the team’s passion for corporate law and bring an eagerness to learn.