From time to time, Webb Henderson’s Auckland office makes a limited number of summer clerk and/or graduate lawyer opportunities available, for people who demonstrate a genuine interest in practising in the firm’s corporate or competition specialist practice areas.

Staff: 8 partner and 18 lawyer Auckland team.

Contact: When opportunities arise, details are posted on the firm’s website. If you have any questions about working with Webb Henderson, please contact Victoria Fletcher.

Trans-Tasman specialist law firm with offices in Auckland and Sydney.

Clients and Work

The firm is proud to work with pre-eminent national and international, private and public entities, on some of New Zealand’s largest and most complex transactions and projects. Almost all of the firm’s work is undertaken with, or opposite, the large New Zealand and Australian firms.

If you join Webb Henderson, you will work with all partners and staff within your preferred practice area, and directly with clients, on:

Corporate practice area:

• Major corporate transactions, such as acting for privately owned family businesses, private equity firms and corporates on their most significant transactions (across the full range of transaction sizes – from $15m to more than $1bn); 
• Advising on a range of important capital markets transactions, including IPOs and takeovers;
• Drafting and negotiating unique and sophisticated commercial contracts and agreements; 
• Providing specialist advice on serious and complex corporate and governance issues;
• Drafting and negotiating documents involved in major infrastructure projects.

Competition, consumer and economic regulatory law practice area:

• Providing competition law advice on market-leading local and global corporate transactions, including in respect of clearance and authorisation processes;
• Assisting major corporates on consumer law matters, market studies, substantial market power matters, and on Commerce Commission cartel investigations and leniency applications (including in respect of dawn raids and criminal cartel investigations);
• Providing specialist advice on joint venture arrangements, supply and licencing agreements and distribution structures; 
• Advising on the interface between IP and competition law, including in the context of media, global platforms, health, construction and horticulture industries;
• Advising on detailed aspects of economic regulatory regimes, including in telecommunications, dairy, and electricity markets.

Telecommunications, media and technology law practice area:

• TMT commercial transactions, such as agreements for the construction of major telecommunications and internet infrastructure globally and for the supply of wholesale internet services;
• Advising on major regulatory projects in the telecommunications and media sectors; and
• Providing TMT or privacy law advice on market-leading local and global corporate transactions.

One of the key benefits of Webb Henderson’s working environment is that lawyers are able to work fluidly across all partners and seniors in their preferred practice area, from the beginning of their careers. The firm’s fully open plan, single work space, with partners, legal and support staff sitting among one another, as well as the firm’s strong egalitarian and collaborative ethos, helps everyone quickly build strong relationships and creates exceptional learning opportunities.

Environmental and Social Responsibility

The firm is genuinely focussed on mitigating its impact on the environment and proactively supporting a variety of socially responsible initiatives.

Examples include:

• Being a Toitū Net Carbon Zero Certified Organisation;
• Being signatories to the NZLS Gender Equitable Engagement and Instruction Policy and extending the policy to apply to the engagement of all lawyers (as opposed to barristers only);
• Being a partner to the TupuToa internship programme and providing summer internships to Māori and Pacific law students;
• Founders and hosts of a mentoring programme for University of Auckland law students with limited exposure to the legal industry;
• Regularly supporting (by giving time and financially) to a wide range of charitable appeals and events;
• Undertaking a range of pro-bono legal engagements, where the firm’s experience and expertise can make a real difference; and
• The firm is proud to be a B Corp certified company. This globally recognised certification confirms that Webb Henderson meets the highest standards of social and environmental impact, balancing purpose and profit.

Meet Shaun Gallagher

Solicitor, Webb Henderson

“I love working in a small firm where everyone knows and supports one another.”

Besides watching Suits (obviously!), I have always been fascinated at how much of an impact the law has on society, ranging all the way from day-to-day interactions to matters of national significance. Combined with an interest in reading and writing and enjoyment of many of my law school classes, a career in law seemed an obvious choice.

How did you choose your area of specialisation?

I was fortunate to have opportunities to try out a few different practice areas before committing to a specialisation, so I was able to rule out what I didn’t want to do.

I wanted to specialise in Corporate and Finance as I thought I would be well suited to the practical aspects of working on transactions for clients as well as being able to learn about a range of businesses and how they operate. After spending a summer with Webb Henderson, I enjoyed the work I was doing and so it was an easy decision to return to the firm as a graduate.

Can you describe a typical day at your firm?

One of my favourite parts of my job is that in my specialisation, things move quickly so my days are quite varied.

Typical tasks I might be doing include reviewing and reporting on the legal aspects of a large company (for example, its corporate structure or its key contracts) on a due diligence exercise, reviewing and drafting key documents for a transaction, and advising a business on its commercial contracts.

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

In addition to skills which are useful to all lawyers, such as clear and concise writing, attention to detail, and time management, I find that it is important that I remain flexible and pragmatic when approaching a task for a client. It is important that my work helps our clients achieve their goals, and this includes tailoring my approach to the needs of the client, as well as being ready to adjust on the fly as commercial matters unfold.

How does your firm support professional development and career growth?

The firm holds weekly training sessions (either internal or external) which helps me learn more about our practice areas or recent developments in the law or legal industry. In addition, members of the firm regularly have opportunities to attend conferences or business development events.

What are the firm’s values and how do they influence your work?

While the firm prides itself on its high-quality work, the work environment itself is supportive, collaborative, and light-hearted. The firm trusts us to manage competing deadlines, and I feel independent to manage my own time.

I love working in a small firm where everyone knows and supports one another. I was worried about joining a firm with a rigid and competitive environment, so I am happy that I am at a firm which maintains an authentic and inclusive atmosphere.

Beyond the work itself, Webb Henderson has progressive values which align with my own, including doing its part to make the legal profession inclusive and accessible, taking steps to promote environmental and social responsibility, and promoting the well-being of its employees.

How does the firm handle work-life balance for its employees?

Due to the fluid and demanding nature of my role, it is often difficult to fit my workload into a rigid 9-5 schedule. The firm recognises this, and we generally look at work-life balance over a longer period of time than a single day or week. The firm regularly checks in with its employees to ensure their workload isn’t too heavy and makes sure that work is reallocated if this is the case. When we aren’t so busy, the firm encourages us to enjoy light periods rather than jumping into new matters straight away. Beyond this, the culture of the firm includes regularly taking time out of work for social events to enjoy as a team.

What opportunities for advancement exist within the firm?

The firm spends a lot of time encouraging career growth, including regular catchups to discuss how I am tracking and what the next stages in my career could look like. Partners make clear what is expected of me and how I am performing and are always available for career-related discussions.

We also regularly have firm-wide calls to discuss how the firm and its practice areas are performing, what work we are doing, and general market trends.

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

The firm keeps a close watch on what other firms in the industry are doing, often looking to go beyond what they offer rather than simply matching them. As a small firm, we are flexible and can adapt quickly to the latest developments, such as adopting the latest technology.

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

I think an important part of the recruiting process is to think carefully about what types of work and culture you are interested in and how that matches up with the firm. Being honest and genuine about yourself and what you are looking for comes across far better than pre-prepared answers or generic statements. After all, the firm is looking to hire someone that they will be working with and so they want to learn about you as an individual, rather than just an employee.

August Wairau

Solicitor, Webb Henderson

“Webb Henderson is unique in that the work we do is on a scale comparable to large firms, but in the dynamic environment that a smaller specialist firm offers.

Being one of only a handful of juniors at Webb Henderson, I have been exposed to a variety of matters and have had the opportunity to assist with complex corporate and commercial matters and contribute to large scale M&A transactions.”

I am a solicitor in Webb Henderson’s Corporate team. I started at Webb Henderson as a summer clerk in 2021 and returned as a graduate at the beginning of 2023.

What kind of work have you been involved in at Webb Henderson?

Since joining Webb Henderson, I have been involved in a range of corporate matters and transactions. I have worked on a number of M&A transactions (for both domestic and international clients and from both a buy-side and sell-side position), advised on a range of corporate governance matters, corporate financings, provided regulatory banking advice and carried out extensive research on complex corporate and commercial matters.

What do you enjoy most about working at Webb Henderson?

The opportunities it provides, the calibre of work and the team! Webb Henderson offers a close knit, supportive and collaborative work environment.

Working with top lawyers in their field, I am constantly learning and developing my legal skills. The culture is supportive and collaborative, I receive meaningful feedback on my work, and I am often given direct credit for my contributions in a transaction (including ringing the gong in the office on completion of a transaction). Although the environment at Webb Henderson is fast paced and the team work very hard to ensure the best outcome for their clients, it is really nice to know that the team genuinely wants to see you grow and develop and there is always support there when needed.

What sets Webb Henderson apart from other firms?  

Webb Henderson is unique in that the work we do is on a scale comparable to large firms, but in the dynamic environment that a smaller specialist firm offers. Being one of only a handful of juniors at Webb Henderson, I have been exposed to a variety of matters and have had the opportunity to assist with complex corporate and commercial matters and contribute to large scale M&A transactions. I also get to work directly with colleagues at all levels including partners, which has meant that I have been able to experience a variety of personal styles of practice and learn from industry leaders.

What has surprised you about working at Webb Henderson?

Being a junior, I didn’t think I would be able to make as many meaningful contributions to important legal work as I have – which of course involved a lot of learning along the way. I regularly get the opportunity to be part of client meetings as well as meetings with other law firms and industry players where I find I am usually one of very few juniors (if not the only junior) in these meetings which has been such a surreal experience and one I believe is unique to juniors in smaller specialist firms. Watching how the partners and other industry leaders interact has been a great learning opportunity not to mention the networking opportunities it has presented.

What has been your favourite experience at Webb Henderson?

My favourite experience at Webb Henderson would have to be my admission to the bar. Webb Henderson arranged a full firm function to celebrate and invited my family to attend. On the day of my admission ceremony, a group from the firm trekked up to the High Court to congratulate me and snap a couple of pics. It was a very special occasion, made more memorable by the team at Webb Henderson.

Work wise, I have been involved in a number of market leading transactions. One notable transaction being that I was a part of the team which advised Pacific Equity Partners on the acquisition of a 35% stake in FirstCape, a (at the time) newly formed entity combining National Australia Bank and Jarden Wealth’s New Zealand wealth advice and asset management businesses.

What is your advice to other students who would like to work with Webb Henderson?

As clichéd as it sounds, remember to be yourself! While it is important to have a well-rounded CV, Webb Henderson wants to ensure that the firm finds the right fit both for you and for the team, so remember to let who you are “off paper” shine through. I always think back to a quote I read that said that you miss every opportunity you don’t take, so if you are thinking about applying – do it!