Named in the ‘Change Maker’ category of NZ Lawyer's Most Influential Lawyers list

Accolades

Media

Milestones

2018

2019

2020

2021

Appointed Employment Group head for New Zealand and becomes a member of the DLA Piper New Zealand Board, as well as co-chair of DLA Piper's Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee

2018

Becomes a member of the DLA Piper Asia Pacific Regional Advisory Group

2019

Becomes a member of the DLA Piper Asia Pacific Regional Diversity and Inclusion Council

2020

Leading change

Becoming DLA Piper New Zealand’s first female leader is a momentous milestone for Laura Scampion, who is pleased to do so at a time that promises to be an exciting new phase in the firm’s journey. That said, she sees the journey and the company’s successes as a team effort. “I work alongside some phenomenally talented partners and executives both here in New Zealand and across the globe, many of whom are women. The leadership team I have around me is committed to carving out a unique space in the legal sector, which makes this role incredibly exciting.” Scampion says the firm’s recent accolades relating to innovation, leadership and diversity and inclusion illustrate its drive to make business better for its clients – and to make the workplace experience exceptional for its people. This holds true for the New Zealand office and other DLA Piper offices across the globe. Scampion says drawing on – and contributing to – the firm’s international connections has spurred several initiatives in which she has been involved. “From a New Zealand perspective, our alignment with the global firm goes far deeper than just the DLA Piper brand. Our strong connections with specialist DLA Piper teams in other jurisdictions are a defining factor of the value we deliver to our clients."

Likewise, innovation is a key focus for both Scampion and the firm. DLA Piper has a ‘change council’, which is essentially a group of its people driving new ways of thinking and working, she says. “We are also working collaboratively with our global peers to bring our Law& solutions to the New Zealand market. These solutions go beyond traditional legal services, for example litigation funding, artificial intelligence that detects anti-competitive business practices, and a range of advisory services, including environmental, social, governance (ESG) advice and integrated merger and acquisition solutions that cover the entire M&A life cycle. “In my role as the New Zealand lead for ESG, our evolution in this space will be a particular focus for me. Our commitment to continuing to create long-term sustainable value and drive positive social impact is clearly set out in the recent Sustainability Report from International.”

“I recently listened to a great podcast about the importance of ‘right now’ as opposed to ‘reactive’ in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion, pushing through bold initiatives at pace and creating constant change. This is how I intend to continue to drive our own initiatives," she says. “[And] I'm proud of the progress we have made. We have a market-leading parental leave policy; we’ve achieved our Rainbow Tick accreditation and introduced a new gender transitioning policy. But the job is never done; we need to constantly monitor, review, adjust, and listen to our people.” Scampion says she is looking forward to continuing to support the great work of DLA Piper’s Leadership Alliance for Women (LAW) program this year. The alliance is a gender-based network that plays a vital role in generating awareness and informing action, with the aim of becoming a more gender-balanced organisation.

Spotlight

In the face of fundamental changes in the legal industry, global firm DLA Piper is challenging the status quo of the traditional law firm, expanding beyond legal services and providing innovative solutions. With lawyers located in more than 40 countries, the firm is well positioned to help clients around the world with their legal needs, which gives it a unique competitive edge on local and international stages. DLA Piper was the first global business law firm to operate in New Zealand. Its clients range from some of the world’s most renowned global brands to some of the most influential businesses in New Zealand that are defining the future.

Company Profile

90+

Number of offices worldwide

>4,000

Number of lawyers worldwide

200,000+

Hours of community AND pro bono work globally

World ranking of global M&A by volume

Ranking of DLA Piper brand on global index

Bio

Spotlight

Milestones

Media

Accolades

Company Profile

Years of Experience

Tenure at current position

2017 - Present

QUOTE

“My vision for 2022 is to keep building on the momentum we have built over the last few years. Bringing all of our new thinking to life in New Zealand, challenging the status quo in the legal industry, and doing right by our clients, our people and our communities”

Laura Scampion

Country managing partner at DLA Piper

Laura Scampion has more than 20 years of international legal experience representing a range of large organisations and is a well-known legal adviser, commentator and presenter with expertise in diversity and inclusion programs, employment law, and health and safety law. She is head of employment at DLA Piper New Zealand, holds leadership and governance roles locally and globally, and leads a number of pro bono initiatives.

Read on

“I work alongside some phenomenally talented partners and executives both here in New Zealand and across the globe, many of whom are women”

Laura Scampion, DLA Piper

“I intend to continue embedding the global mindset within the New Zealand firm, embracing innovation and implementing the DLA Piper global vision, values and local business strategy”

Laura Scampion, DLA Piper

IN Partnership with

DLA Piper New Zealand’s first female managing partner, Laura Scampion, talks to NZ Lawyer about progressing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and driving innovation in the legal profession

Scampion says DLA Piper is also looking forward to supporting its clients with their social and environmental transition. “This means helping our clients deliver their sustainability goals in a number of key ways: strategy and decision-making; policies and procedures; and crisis management, to name but a few.” Being a champion of the Law& solutions initiative has meant reflection and planning for Scampion as she steps into the business end of evolving the service over the coming years – a time that most would agree will be challenging on a global scale. “The current environment has required businesses to re-evaluate direction and priorities. We've taken a progressive approach in the development of our Law& solutions, creating solutions beyond traditional legal services that support our clients in the modern world of business. Our Law& solutions evolve our legal offering into broader advisory services and new business areas." Scampion’s role at the helm also positions her to advocate for opportunities within the diversity and inclusion space, which she is approaching with thought and inspiration from a number of places.

“I'm also looking forward to introducing our Head Start program in Wellington, following its inaugural year running in Auckland. Head Start is a global initiative formed to improve social mobility and break down barriers faced by under-represented groups when entering the legal profession. “We have great people, great clients and a strong, progressive brand," Scampion says. "I can't wait to see what's ahead for us.”

1 Mergermarket, 2010–2021 2 Thomson Reuters Global Elite Law Firm Brand index 2022 (formerly the Acritas Global Elite Brand Index)

Named in the ‘Change Maker’ category of NZ Lawyer's Most Influential Lawyers list, and as one of the Top 100 Diverse Board-Ready Directors by the Super Diversity Institute and the Ministry for Ethnic Communities

2021

Companies

About us

Authors

Policy

RSS

People

Newsletter

External contributors

Ranked as a Leading Individual in Labour and Employment by Legal 500 Asia Pacific

Named in the Top 100 Diverse Board-Ready Directors list by the Super Diversity Institute and Ministry for Ethnic Communities

News

Practice Areas

Surveys & Reports

Events

Best In Law

Resources