Tallara joined HHL as a graduate after summer clerking at the firm. What initially drew her to HHL was her interest in corporate law along with the tight-knit culture which she could sense from the moment she set foot in the HHL offices. During her time at HHL, she has been impressed by the high quality of work and the firm’s unique focus on helping clients solve complex legal issues through a strategic and commercially orientated approach. Here’s Tallara’s experience in her own words.
Varied
Right from my very first day at HHL, I was expected to help with workstreams that were critical to delivering outcomes for clients. This reflects the amount of autonomy and responsibility you receive at HHL, which has accelerated my growth and development as a lawyer. Within the first month of starting as a graduate, I found myself helping draft transaction documents, due diligence reports, research memorandums and having direct contact with clients and other lawyers.
Responsibility
Because of HHL’s flat structure, I work directly with directors and senior associates on complex transactions and get to follow a deal from start to finish. This means I have been able to learn directly from some of New Zealand’s leading corporate lawyers, not only regarding technical legal skills, but also client interaction, negotiation, communication and transaction management.
Teamwork
Alongside the high quality work HHL does, the best part of working at HHL is the team. Everyone is willing to take the time to provide context before giving you an instruction and answer any questions you might have. We all take an interest in each other’s personal lives and successes, and there is plenty of camaraderie and banter. We also have a team lunch every Wednesday, and often go out for team drinks and functions.
Respect
While the learning curve at HHL is steep, I enjoy the challenge and the team always go above and beyond to support each other.
