We think beyond the law, combining commercial insight, innovative thinking, and sector expertise to advise on many of New Zealand’s most significant transactions, projects, and disputes. Join our team and work alongside some of the country’s top legal minds to build your capability and accelerate your career. By joining us, you’ll gain hands‑on experience, real responsibility, and the support of a team committed to helping you grow.
We’re passionate about the work we do and constantly look for smarter, better ways to deliver for our clients and communities, helping shape New Zealand’s future.
Our purpose, vision, and values guide who we are and where we’re going. They’re part of our DNA and at the heart of our uniquely collaborative culture. Work with us and you’ll quickly see that it’s our people, approach, and environment that set us apart.
Why us
Not all corporate law firms are the same
And the best way to find the right fit is to experience it for yourself. Our intern, summer clerk and graduate programmes play a vital role in our firm’s success. You’ll spend time with some of the best lawyers in the country, do real work for real clients, and learn how to think innovatively and commercially in a supportive and inclusive environment. By joining us, you’ll gain practical experience, genuine responsibility, and the backing of people committed to helping you grow.
Working with you to help shape New Zealand’s future
Our purpose is simple – to help shape New Zealand’s future.
We do this by working alongside our clients, our people, and our communities. We deliver value by listening deeply, understanding our clients’ industries, and providing practical, innovative, and commercially focused solutions that help them achieve their goals.
Kia ora
At MinterEllisonRuddWatts, we are proud to attract and develop exceptional talent. We’re passionate about what we do and always looking for smarter, better ways to deliver results. We believe we have a fantastic group of people who share a mindset of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Our culture of equality and inclusion is long‑standing, and we’re committed to being supportive, open‑minded, and genuinely invested in each other’s success, both professionally and personally. A world of opportunity awaits you at MinterEllisonRuddWatts, and we hope to see you soon.
Janine Stewart, Chair and Partner
Andrew Poole, Chief Executive
About | Mō mātou
MinterEllisonRuddWatts is a leading full‑service legal and business advisory firm with offices in Auckland and Wellington. We are a New Zealand‑owned and operated partnership with 48 partners and more than 150 legal staff. Our proud Kiwi heritage dates back more than 140 years and forms the foundation of our reputation for excellence.
We’re proud to have been recognised as the “National Law Firm of the Year – New Zealand” at the IFLR Asia Pacific Awards 2025 in Hong Kong. We were also finalists in the Digital Finance, Financial Services Regulatory, and Pro Bono categories. The IFLR Asia Pacific Awards celebrate legal innovation and highlight firms that lead across the region to support cross‑border investment.
In Chambers Asia‑Pacific, we hold five Band 1‑ranked practice areas with 46 individually ranked lawyers. We were also named New Zealand’s Law Firm of the Year at the Chambers Asia Pacific Awards 2024 — our third win since 2017.
In The Legal 500 Asia‑Pacific, we have 46 lawyers ranked across 13 practice areas.
Valuing our people | Helping you to achieve your potential
The start of your career requires a huge amount of learning as you switch from study to the workplace. In your first 18 months, our DevelopME programme will see you participating in training sessions to build your legal knowledge, technical skills, personal leadership and interpersonal skills. Your professional development will continue throughout your career at our firm.
Supporting you to be your best includes supporting your physical, mental and financial health.
Our health, safety and wellbeing programme provides a range of initiatives you can take advantage of. From free regular health checks and flu vaccinations to a mentoring programme and peer-to-peer support network, together with firm lunches and morning teas, you will be well supported to look after your wellbeing. We also make it fun – more than half our staff participate in our ‘Steptember’ challenge, an annual step challenge to help get us moving after the long winter.
Diversity and inclusion | Kanorau me te whakawhanaungatanga
Our firm’s culture is built on waka eke noa (respecting individuality and working as one). We champion diversity and inclusion within our firm, the legal profession and our wider communities. We support diversity and inclusion through a range of initiatives that create meaningful impact within our firm and across the wider profession, including:
- Founding partner of Global Women’s Champions for Change initiative. Our leadership of greater gender diversity and gender initiatives in the legal profession was recognised at the Euromoney Legal Media Group Asia Women in Business Law Awards 2021, with the firm taking out the award for New Zealand Firm of the Year, along with National Firm of the Year for Gender Diversity at the Asia-Pacific Women in Business Law Awards.
- Mind the Gap. We were the first law firm to publicly report our gender and ethnic pay gap information through Mind the Gap.
- Ngā Karahipi Whakaeke. To help encourage greater diversity in the law profession, we established Ngā Karahipi Whakaeke – the MinterEllisonRuddWatts Awards Programme – providing financial assistance and mentoring support to Māori law students.
- LGBTTQIA+. We are proud to be a gold supporter of Pride Pledge, demonstrating our commitment to a LGBTTQIA+ inclusive culture and systems, and showing that we are a safe and welcoming workplace for employees who are members of the Rainbow community.
Since starting at MinterEllisonRuddWatts, I’ve felt nothing but welcomed and encouraged to excel. One of the best parts of the culture here is everyone is keen to help whenever and wherever they can. This has made me feel like a contributing and valued member of my team.
– Edward Kruger, previous summer clerk now law clerk in our Banking team
I found the firm’s volunteering initiatives to be a fantastic way to foster a culture where work is not just about billable hours, but also about giving back to the community we work in. The Homework Club was super fun and rewarding and volunteering at Tiritiri Matangi Island was an unforgettable experience.
– Maha Fier, previous summer clerk now law clerk in our Environment team
The culture at MinterEllisonRuddWatts made my experience incredibly enjoyable. Everyone at the firm is super friendly and supportive, which has built an environment where everyone genuinely wants to see each other succeed.
– George Dickinson, previous summer clerk
Sustainability | Tō mātou manawanui ki ngā take ukauka
Our commitment to sustainability
We commit to three pillars built upon te taiao (environment), ngā tāngata (people) and ngā tikanga (practices). The three pillars see us playing our part in a low emission, circular economy; contributing to social empowerment; and using our position as strategic advisers to positively shape Aotearoa New Zealand’s future.
We partner with Toitū Tahua, the Centre for Sustainable Finance, in its quest to leverage the power and resources of Aotearoa New Zealand’s financial industry for an equitable, inclusive and thriving low-emissions economy. Our firm helped establish Toitū Tahua and provides ongoing legal advice to the Centre and some of its implementation groups.
In 2021, our firm proudly became a Living Wage employer, a movement that emerged as a response to growing poverty and inequality holding back New Zealand workers and families.
Learn more about our Sustainability Strategy and Partnerships.
Investing in our communities is important to us
We want to make a positive impact for our communities because we are passionate about helping to shape Aotearoa New Zealand’s future.
Pro bono and CIP programme
Our Community Investment Programme (CIP) supports grassroots and community organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand so we can make a greater impact and help to shape our country’s future.
In our Sustainability Strategy we have committed to having 90% of all partners and staff involved in pro bono client work, regardless of their role in our firm.
We support a range of organisations through our pro bono programme. Examples include Waitematā Community Law Service – Community Te Korowai Ture o Waitematā and Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley – Te Whare Ture Hapori o Te Whanganui-a-Tara me Te Awa Kairangi, Who Did You Help Today Trust, Tiritiri Matangi, and The Chancery Lane Project.
As wāhine Pasifika, I wanted to choose a law firm that had expertise within a wide range of corporate and commercial mahi. My values fall within the scope of helping others in making a positive difference in our communities and I really like the kaupapa that Minters upholds in building trust with its clients and in providing a motivating work environment for its staff.
– Simran Bechan, previous summer clerk now solicitor in our Banking and Financial Services team
Hands down, the biggest highlight of my summer clerk experience has been the people. We work hard and also make time for each other, creating such an enriching experience. Learning from some of the top lawyers in the country is amazing, but that pales in comparison to learning from top lawyers who also happen to be amazing people. Without the awesome people we have here at the firm, I would have learnt nowhere near as much throughout my clerkship. It is the people that make MinterEllisonRuddWatts the place to be.
– Zach Kirby, previous summer clerk now law clerk in our Corporate team
Everyone at MinterEllisonRuddWatts has been so supportive and friendly from day one. I really like the buddy system that the firm has in place, as it helped me settle into the firm with ease knowing there was always someone I could turn to for support and guidance.
– Jess Tonge, previous summer clerk now law clerk in our Construction and Infrastructure team