New special counsel, senior associate soup up DLA Piper’s Auckland team

DLA Piper has beefed up its team in Auckland with the hires of a new special counsel and of a senior associate.

Special counsel Carl Blake joins the employment team, while senior associate Greg Mitchell is the latest addition to the corporate M&A group. The expertise offered by both senior practitioners is expected to bolster the firm’s offering to clients.

Blake focuses on all aspects of employment law, including health and safety and privacy matters. He has advised international companies in addition to corporate organisations in New Zealand.

He is knowledgeable on matters involving restructuring, redundancies, trade restraints, performance management, misconduct, privacy and human rights. He has also tackled ACC-related matters, conducted independent investigations and defended personal grievance claims.

Blake said that DLA Piper’s global presence complements his enjoyment of employment law’s variety and complexity.

“I enjoy the challenge of employment law issues, particularly those involving the sale and purchase of businesses and cross-border transactions. Working in the dispute resolution space also means regular appearances at mediations and hearings before the Employment Relations Authority,” he explained. “What I relish is the variety and complexity of this type of law, particularly with the global reach that DLA Piper has. It’s a dynamic area and always shifting according to the temper of the times.”

Meanwhile, Mitchell concentrates on private M&A, private equity, joint ventures and general corporate advisory. He has worked with both local and global clients and their advisers in various sectors.

He has advised on joint venture arrangements, shareholder arrangements and overseas investment transactions. Prior to starting with DLA Piper, he finished up a stint in Australia with a global firm.

Mitchell said that he was eager to collaborate with DLA Piper’s national and international teams.