MC is one of New Zealand's oldest and most respected law firms, providing expert advice and dispute-resolution services across every area of the law.
We seek to evermore closely reflect contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand and train the next generation of senior litigators, King's Counsel, judges and commercial lawyers.
100+ Years of Service
MC has served the New Zealand Government and people of Auckland for more than 100 years.
MC's service has grown over the decades to include private and public- sector clients seeking advice on every type of law and commercial dispute.
Prosecution remains at MC's heart, with the values of integrity and acting in the public interest it demands.
In February 2023, Alysha McClintock became the seventh Crown Solicitor at Auckland.
Alysha is one of New Zealand’s leading prosecutors, with over 20 years’ experience representing the Crown, Crown entities and government agencies.
She described the great responsibility of being custodian of a tradition going back to Sir Vincent Meredith in 1921 and continuing the process of ongoing modernisation of the five Crown Solicitors that connect them.
Alysha pledged to stand alongside and protect the interests of victims and their families, work towards the Chief Justice's vision of a legal profession that reflects today's New Zealand and support the wider law-and-order team making every community safer.
Reflecting Contemporary Tāmaki Makaurau
As Auckland evolves and grows, so too does MC. Tāmaki Makaurau is now a major South Pacific and Asia-Pacific commercial centre.
Auckland's companies operate globally and it is home to a third of New Zealand’s population and 40% of its GDP.
More than 200 ethnic groups live in our region. Well over a quarter of the population is Asian, more than 15% are Pacific people, 12% are Māori, and a growing minority are of Middle Eastern, Latin American or African heritage.
Historically, the legal profession, including MC, has not reflected all the communities it serves.
MC has picked up the Chief Justice's challenge to help make the legal profession and judiciary better reflect the people of Tāmaki Makaurau - to better fulfil our obligations as Office of the Crown Solicitor and meet the needs of our commercial and private clients.
This is reflected in how MC employs and develops our people, and in our current service offering. It is why we invest more in litigation training and related ongoing legal education than any other New Zealand firm.
Our mission is for New Zealand's best lawyers to be available to our public and private-sector clients in today's boardrooms and courts, and to the wider legal profession and judiciary in the generations ahead.
MC Training Courtroom
MC invests more than any other New Zealand law firm in courtroom training. It is where the senior litigators, King's Counsels and judges of the future can learn their trade.
That's why MC has invested in the country's only full-scale replica courtroom.
Tucked behind a nondescript door in the MC Centre in Auckland, it is designed to be identical to a courtroom in the High Court at Auckland.
We use this facility for litigation training, moots and trial preparation, and expert witness training for our clients.
Ngā rangatira o āpōpō
It's not enough to invest in our own people alone. MC commits to ngā rangatira o āpōpō: working with the community to develop tomorrow’s leaders in the law.
Led by our flagship Te Kuhunga, ngā rangatira o āpōpō is about inspiring and supporting young New Zealanders from underrepresented communities, from primary schools to law school to pursue legal careers.
Te Kuhunga was created and funded by MC and targets Years 11-13 students from decile 1 to 4 secondary schools. It starts with small group discussions with students identified as having potential in law-related subjects but for whom law school may feel beyond their reach.
Te Kuhunga extends to visits to MC's office, the courts and law schools, through to $8000 scholarships for students who would otherwise experience significant financial hardship studying at university. The Chief Justice kindly presents Te Kuhunga scholarships and MC's lawyers facilitate study groups and one-to-one mentoring for recipients.
MC supports The Malosi Project, run by Pacific law students at the University of Auckland. This initiative encourages Pacific secondary-school students to enrol in law and equips them with advocacy skills to assist their communities. As at the end of 2023, over 150 secondary-school students have visited MC, met our lawyers and been helped with moots in our training court.
At the University of Auckland, AUT and Victoria University of Wellington, MC helps fund and support initiatives such as AUT’s Te Aro Ture Māori Law Students’ Society; Auckland University’s Te Rākau Ture Māori Law Students’ Society and Pacific Island Law Student’s Association; and Victoria University of Wellington’s Māori Law Students’ Society/Ngā Rangahautira and Pasifika Law Students’ Society.
More broadly, MC's lawyers, with the firm's full support, work with Citizens’ Advice Bureaus, Community Law Centres, Māori and Pacific community groups, other NGOs, and iwi working with vulnerable communities in Care or Protection, Family Harm, Youth Justice and other social justice spaces.
Commitment to Te Ao Māori
Through our varied range of litigation and advisory work, including for Government departments and Crown entities, we understand the importance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tikanga, and te reo Māori to our work.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi and He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni stand at the heart of the MC Centre in Auckland.
MC is on our own journey to give better effect to obligations under Te Tiriti, understand and draw on Te Ao Māori in our work, and ever-better reflect Māori and all the communities we serve.
Ngā tikanga and te reo Māori are integrated into our ongoing legal education modules, which include dedicated training on Te Ao Māori, Te Tiriti and He Whakaputanga for everyone at MC.
To ensure training is ongoing, MC provides weekly te reo classes for beginners through to advanced speakers.
MC was fortunate to partner with artist, carver and designer Arekatera Maihi, who produced Te Ture, the tāniko design used in our documents and offices.
The outer diagonal bar forms the roof of a whare or house, the sheltered zone that provides safety for work.
The internal bar refers to the connections and foundations that are core to our business. Inside is the most sacred part of the whare, where you find the people: MC's communities of families, workers and clients.
Te Ture visually reminds us that people centre all our work.
Best People
MC's attitude is kia māia; kia manawanui: be bold; be committed.
MC continually evolves and is home to some of Aotearoa New Zealand's brightest and most innovative legal minds. Our commitment is to clients, to each other and to the communities we serve.
Approximately 40% of MC’s partners and over 67% of our workforce identify as women. Our people increasingly reflect our clients and communities in terms of background, experience and thought.
Our lawyers are backed by the strongest and most comprehensive litigation training in Aotearoa New Zealand, extensive ongoing legal and other training for all our people, and the psychological and professional support to deal with difficult material.
Our people celebrate one another everyday, in their work or through MC's many staff-led groups, including:
Te Tauhere Manaaki (TTM): MC's staff-led Māori and Pacific rōpū, providing Te Ao Māori and Pacific leadership across the firm, including as a sounding board for the firm’s leadership and a touchstone for our collaborative work with Māori and Pacific communities. TTM also facilitates MC's annual noho marae visit. While staff-led, TTM is supported by three partners, who identify as Māori, Māori/Tongan, and Pākehā.
Rainbow Alliance: MC's staff-led Rainbow Alliance welcomes and encourages people of all genders and sexualities. Established by Rainbow staff and partners, the Rainbow Alliance celebrates and supports MC's LGBTQI+ staff, and brings their perspectives to continuously improve our firm and the wider legal sector. The Rainbow Alliance took the lead in MC becoming the only law firm sponsoring the Big Gay Out, the largest Rainbow community event in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Green MC: Green MC takes the lead in making MC an environmental leader among law firms, and a contributor towards positive environmental outcomes, locally to globally.
Sports teams: From futsal to tennis, indoor netball to football - there's a passionate team of MC people giving it a go! (Results are usually kept strictly confidential!)
BEST PLACE TO WORK
MC has the best legal offices in New Zealand, designed for the best lawyers.
Winner of a Gold Best Award for Workplace Environment, the MC Centre was also among the world's first law offices to receive international recognition through WELL Platinum certification that our workspaces enhance holistic health and wellbeing for everyone who works at and visits MC.
The life-size indoor terrariums offer space for contemplation, creativity, informal meetings and to experience the restorative effects of being immersed in nature during the workday.
The terrariums take the concept of office greenery to a new level. They were inspired by Aotearoa New Zealand’s native forests, in particular the Waitākere Ranges, with more than 1,600+ plants creating a microclimate where the air is cooler and cleaner.
Other spaces are designed to enhance concentration or rest the senses, such as dedicated wellness, parenting and reflection rooms, including for silent prayer and meditation for MC people of all faiths and none, and a Wudu wash facility for those who are Muslim.
At the heart is Te Kāuta, our café and dining area, where staff and clients connect over coffee from our in-house baristas, over shared lunches or during an evening event. Commissioned artworks feature some of our country's most exciting contemporary artists.
Our Auckland office sits within a building with a ‘6-Star’ Green rating, reflective of WELL requirements, and features enhanced bike parking and storage areas, exceptional end-of-trip facilities, including showers and lockers, and e-bike/e-scooter charging stations.
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