Partner promotion boosts DLA Piper's employment offering

Carl Blake joins the partnership after just a year with the firm

Partner promotion boosts DLA Piper's employment offering
Carl Blake

DLA Piper has bolstered its employment offering in New Zealand with the promotion of special counsel Carl Blake to partner.

New Zealand managing partner Laura Scampion praised Blake’s “extensive experience, commitment to client service and technical ability,” which she said “adds considerable depth and bench strength to both our employment law practice, and the firm as a whole.”

Blake commenced with DLA Piper last year, bringing over two decades of private practice experience and expertise in employment law, health and safety, and privacy. He counts both local and international corporations among his clients.

“There’s a lot happening in the employment law space currently, with businesses adapting to hybrid working models and fair pay agreements on the way. I really enjoy engaging with business leaders as they tackle these emerging opportunities and challenges,” he said.

Blake has a particular interest in employment law matters related to business sales and purchases and to cross-border transactions. He has been the chair of a number of national employment law conferences.

“Working in the dispute resolution space also means appearances at mediations and hearings before the Employment Relations Authority. 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,” he said.