Dentons is a leading full service law firm in New Zealand, and part of the world’s largest global law firm. We are a firm that embraces change and has unparalleled access to legal expertise in over 80 countries and more than 160 locations.

We help you grow, protect, operate and finance your organisation by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. The challenges that our clients are navigating and the opportunities they are advancing are changing at an accelerated pace. This is why we offer more than legal insight; we help you find business solutions to achieve your goals.

Governance

We want you to have an unbeatable experience when you work with us. Our Board is made up of four elected partners:

• Hayden Wilson | Chair and Partner
• Greg Cain | Partner
• Jenni Rutter | Partner
• Hayley Miller | Partner

The board is supported by our management team: Charles Spillane, Chief Executive Officer; Matthew Fleming, Chief Financial Officer; Paul Conaghan, Director of ICT and Operations; Pippa Grey, Business Development Director; and Emma Gibbins, HR Director.

Our Values

Our values underpin what drives the people who help support your business. They define how we work with you, and with each other. We hold ourselves to these guiding principles.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Inclusion, Diversity and Equity

We are committed to creating a culture that is supportive, inclusive, and celebrates diversity.

Inclusion and diversity are essential to the success and strength of our firm and the quality of our advice to our clients. We are committed to providing a flexible environment where everyone respects, supports and learns from our collective skills, talents and differences. By attracting, supporting, promoting and retaining individuals from all backgrounds, inclusive of race, ethnicity, faith, religion or spiritual beliefs, gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, abilities, social perspective and other characteristics, we create a dynamic and inclusive work environment that is critical to our success.

We value the unique backgrounds and perspectives of our people and we believe have a responsibility to contribute to the positive development of the communities in which we operate. Our Social Impact Framework brings together all of our inclusion and diversity, cultural and corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Gender equality

In 2023, Dentons had 35 partners, of which 12 are women, meaning a 33% women-based partnership, this is similar to other large law firms in the market.

The firm’s Partnership Deed contains a mechanism to ensure gender diversity on our Board – currently the ratio is 50% men and 50% women. Our Board comprises two partners from each of our Auckland and Wellington offices, and if an election results in the members from either office being of the same gender or there being only one member of either gender, a further election is held to balance out the gender composition on the Board.

Supporting LGBTTQIA+ inclusion

Our rainbow alliance group, GLOW, provides a forum for discussion and progression of LGBTTQIA+ inclusion, ensuring our people feel comfortable and supported to bring their authentic selves to work. GLOW ensures that everyone, no matter their background, gender or sexuality, feel like they belong. In our 2023 Diversity Survey, 80% of people said they feel like they can be their authentic self at work, consistent with our 2022 results.

After first being recognised in 2021, in 2022 we were reaccredited with the Rainbow Tick, a testament to our ongoing focus around diversity and inclusion.

Dentons New Zealand is proud to be Rainbow Tick certified. We are committed to having an inclusive environment and a culture of equity where everyone respects, supports, and learns from each other, where all our people feel empowered to be their authentic selves and are valued equally for their unique perspectives and experiences. We aspire to create a dynamic and inclusive work environment by attracting, promoting, retaining, and supporting individuals from all backgrounds—inclusive of race, ethnicity, culture, nationality, faith, religion, spiritual beliefs, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, abilities, and other characteristics and lived experiences.

Commitment to Te Ao Māori

We embed the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as part of the everyday work we do. Our te reo and tikanga Māori strategy promotes and encourages a diverse and multi-talented workplace and a responsive approach to clients and their problems and we participate in a number of initiatives supporting young Māori and Pasifika entering the legal profession.

Community outreach and pro bono work

At Dentons, we believe we all have a shared responsibility for the well-being of our communities. We like to assist and participate in projects that make a real and tangible difference to people and the community. We are proud of the relationships we have developed through our work in local communities, and the professional and personal development it affords us.

We contribute to our community by providing pro bono legal advice where it is needed the most. We regularly assist clients with navigating the peculiarities of the charitable and not-for-profit sector. Our structured pro bono programme supports community initiatives and individuals under six categories: Social / community; Disadvantaged; Cultural; Environmental; Industry thought leadership; and NZ innovation.

Some of our significant and ongoing relationships include:

• Save the Kiwi 
• Hungerball
• Live Ocean
• Community Law
• Eyesea
• Philanthropy New Zealand
• Skylight Trust

Promoting well-being

Our biggest asset to our clients are our people. We support and encourage our people to be themselves in the workplace and we proactively take steps to promote this. We have a number of initiatives and committees that fall under our dedicated wellness programme that aim to counter the risk of stress and to encourage employee well-being and resilience. 

Our Wellness Committee is made up of representatives from all levels of the business, including partner representation. The Wellness Committee organises activities based on five elements of wellness:

• Physical health
• Financial health
• Nutritional health and wellbeing
• Mental health
• Social wellbeing

Our Connections

Working with thought leaders and respected business people helps us to advise you better. Our interactions with industry associations that are working to shape the future allow us to tap into latest developments and innovative thinking. We bring the issues that matter to New Zealand businesses to the table and drive better connections, helping you achieve your goals. 

We support or sponsor organisations that allow us to contribute to the community, our clients, or the legal profession. These include:

• Institute of Directors
• Chapter Zero New Zealand 
• ILANZ (In-house Lawyers Association New Zealand)
• Infrastructure New Zealand
• Auckland Rugby

Industry Recognition

We ranked first in ‘ease of doing business with’ and ‘reliability’ across all professional service firms across Australia and New Zealand in Beaton’s 2023 benchmarking survey results. 

In 2023, we were the only New Zealand law firm named as a finalist in Beaton’s Client Choice Awards in the ‘Best Law & Related Services Firm’ category. We were also named as a finalist in the ‘Best CX Firm: Law & Related Services’ category.

We were the winner of the ‘Outstanding Firm for D&I’ award at the 2022 Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific & Greater China Region wards, and a finalist in 2023.

Each year, international legal directories conduct independent research about the New Zealand legal market and the top firms. Although it’s not our reason for coming to work, it is nice to be consistently recognised. Here’s how the 2023 directories ranked us.

Chambers & Partners
Legal 500
IFLR 1000