The 2026 listing of leading New Zealand Employment Law Firms details firms practising within the areas of employment and industrial relations matters across the New Zealand legal market who have been identified by clients and peers for their expertise and abilities in these areas.
First Tier
Bell Gully
Kiely Thompson Caisley
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Second Tier
Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
LangtonHudson
Simpson Grierson
Smith Dunn
Third Tier
BE Employment Law
Buddle Findlay
Dentons
Lane Neave
Russell McVeagh
Recommended
Anderson Lloyd
Anthony Harper
Chapman Tripp
DLA Piper
Duncan Cotterill
Dyhrberg Draton
Edwards Sluiters Employment Lawyers
Hesketh Henry
Tompkins Wake
Previous editions
2025 edition published March 2025
First Tier
Bell Gully
Buddle Findlay
Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Simpson Grierson
Second Tier
Kiely Thompson Caisley
LangtonHudson
Third Tier
BE Employment Law
Dentons
Russell McVeagh
SBM Legal
Smith Dunn
Recommended
Anderson Lloyd
Anthony Harper
Chapman Tripp
DLA Piper
Duncan Cotterill
Hesketh Henry
Lane Neave
Oakley Moran
Tompkins Wake
2024 edition published May 2024
First Tier
Bell Gully
Buddle Findlay
Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
Simpson Grierson
Second Tier
Kiely Thompson Caisley
LangtonHudson
SBM Legal
Third Tier
BE Employment Law
Dentons
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Russell McVeagh
Smith Dunn
Recommended
Anderson Lloyd
Anthony Harper
Chapman Tripp
DLA Piper
Duncan Cotterill
Dyhrberg Drayton
Hesketh Henry
Lane Neave
Oakley Moran
Quigg Partners
Tompkins Wake
2023 edition published May 2023
First Tier
Bell Gully
Buddle Findlay
Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
LangtonHudsonButcher
Simpson Grierson
Second Tier
Kiely Thompson Caisley
Russell McVeagh
SBM Legal
Third Tier
BE Employment Law
Chapman Tripp
Dentons
Dyhrberg Drayton
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
Recommended
Anthony Harper
DLA Piper
Douglas Erickson
Duncan Cotterill
Hesketh Henry
Lane Neave
McBride Davenport James
Oakley Moran
2022 edition published April 2022
First Tier
Bell Gully
Buddle Findlay
Simpson Grierson
Second Tier
Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
Kiely Thompson Caisley
LangtonHudsonButcher
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
SBM Legal
Third Tier
BE Employment Law
Chapman Tripp
Russell McVeagh
Recommended
Anthony Harper
Dentons
DLA Piper
Douglas Erickson
Duncan Cotterill
Dyhrberg Drayton
Lane Neave
McBride Davenport James
2021 edition published June 2021
First Tier
Bell Gully
Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
Simpson Grierson
Second Tier
Buddle Findlay
LangtonHudsonButcher
MinterEllisonRuddWatts
SBM Legal
Third Tier
Chapman Tripp
Duncan Cotterill
Kiely Thompson Caisley
Recommended
Anthony Harper
BE Employment Law
Dentons
Douglas Erickson
Dyhrberg Drayton
Lane Neave
McBride Davenport James
Russell McVeagh
2020 edition published February 2020
First Tier
Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
LangtonHudsonButcher
Simpson Grierson
Second Tier
Bell Gully
Buddle Findlay
Kiely Thompson Caisley
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
SBM Legal
Third Tier
Dyhrberg Drayton
Russell McVeagh
Recommended
Anthony Harper
Chapman Tripp
Cullen - The Employment Law Firm
Dentons
DLA Piper
Douglas Erickson
Duncan Cotterill
Lane Neave
McBride Davenport James
Quigg Partners
2019 edition published May 2019
First Tier
Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
SBM Legal
Simpson Grierson
Second Tier
Bell Gully
Buddle Findlay
Kiely Thompson Caisley
LangtonHudsonButcher
Third Tier
Chapman Tripp
Dyhrberg Drayton
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
Russell McVeagh
Recommended
Anthony Harper
Cullen - The Employment Law Firm
DLA Piper
Douglas Erickson
Duncan Cotterill
Kensington Swan
Lane Neave
Quigg Partners
Wynn Williams
2018 edition published March 2018
First Tier
Bell Gully
Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
Kiely Thompson Caisley
LangtonHudsonButcher
Simpson Grierson
Second Tier
Buddle Findlay
SBM Legal
Third Tier
Cullen - The Employment Law Firm
Dyhrberg Drayton
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
Quigg Partners
Russell McVeagh
Recommended
Anthony Harper
Chapman Tripp
DLA Piper
Douglas Erickson
Duncan Cotterill
Kensington Swan
Lane Neave
McBride James Davenport
2016 edition published March 2016
First Tier
Bell Gully
Kiely Thompson Caisley
SBM Legal
Second Tier
Buddle Findlay
LangtonHudsonButcher
Simpson Grierson
Third Tier
Cullen - The Employment Law Firm
Dyhrberg Drayton
DLA Piper
Dundas Street Employment Lawyers
Recommended
Anthony Harper
Chapman Tripp
Kensington Swan
Lane Neave
Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
Quigg Partners