Chapman Tripp Announces Five New Community Partnerships

Chapman Tripp Announces Five New Community Partnerships

29 January 2015

Chapman Tripp is proud to announce five new national community partnerships as part of its revitalised Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy.

Chapman Tripp has agreed to support Aera Foundation, Creative HQ, First Foundation, New Zealand Opera and The Sir Peter Blake Trust with pro bono work, funding and volunteering time (where relevant) over the next three years.

The five community partners were selected following a period of consultation with Chapman Tripp’s partners and staff, based on their connection to the firm’s values of integrity, people, collaborative, astute and dynamic. They are also closely aligned to the three core areas of focus for the firm’s CSR programme: NZ Inc, youth and education, and the arts.

Managing partner Andrew Poole said: “Being a responsible member of the New Zealand business community is important to the firm and we believe this new partnership approach will help us play an even more active role in this area.

“We are looking forward to working closely with these five organisations as they continue to make a positive difference within the business, youth and arts communities.”

In addition to these five national partnerships, the firm is also developing closer links with a number of long-standing pro bono clients including Arts Access Aotearoa, Circa Theatre, the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards and the Foundation for Youth Development.

In 2003, Chapman Tripp became the first major New Zealand law firm to set up a formal pro bono practice.

About Chapman Tripp
Chapman Tripp is New Zealand’s leading full-service law firm with a truly national presence, with 54 Partners and 170 other legal staff across offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Our clients span the full spectrum of industry, commerce and government.

Our lawyers are recognised leaders in corporate and commercial, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, banking and finance, restructuring and insolvency, dispute resolution, employment, public law, intellectual property, telecommunications, real estate and construction, energy and natural resources and tax law.

About Aera Foundation
Recently set up by Derek Handley, Aera Foundation incubates and advances ground-breaking models of talent, philanthropy and entrepreneurship that fuse social, environmental and financial outcomes.

About Creative HQ
Creative HQ is a Wellington-based start-up incubator and accelerator. Through the company's incubation programme, Creative HQ works with 10-15 start-ups at any one time. Creative HQ also runs the “Lightning Lab”, a three-month accelerator programme for digital start-up ventures in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. Alumni of Creative HQ include Star Now, Optimal Usability, Silver Stripe, Dash Tickets, De Nada Clothing and Gecko Press. The company's overall goal over the next three years is to create ten ventures valued at more than $10 million each.

For more information, see www.creativehq.co.nz.

About First Foundation
First Foundation assists academically talented and financially disadvantaged New Zealand students to achieve their potential through tertiary education and prepares them to positively influence and benefit their communities. They achieve this through a four-year programme of mentoring, scholarships and support through workshops and training to help with the transition from school to university. Organisations sponsor an individual student through the duration of the programme, funding their scholarship and providing paid work experience and professional mentoring.

To date, First Foundation has awarded almost 400 scholarships and 79% of scholarship recipients have completed their scholarship or are still in the programme.

Find out more about them at www.firstfoundation.org.nz.

About New Zealand Opera

New Zealand Opera is the face of professional opera in New Zealand and is one of the country's leading and largest arts organisations. The company currently produces three main stage productions annually, two of which are performed in Auckland and Wellington and one in Christchurch. They also deliver a series of one-off opera in concert performances, small opera recitals and a growing education and outreach programme. New Zealand Opera Ltd is a registered charity. It has volunteer support groups in all three cities.

Find out more about them at www.nzopera.com

About The Sir Peter Blake Trust
The Trust was established ten years ago to continue Sir Peter Blake’s legacy of leadership in action by inspiring and mobilising the next generation of New Zealand leaders, adventurers and environmentalists. The Trust’s dual aim focuses on the importance that Sir Peter placed on creating opportunities to grow young leaders and his passion for the marine environment. They offer environmental education and adventures for young Kiwis (Young Blake Expeditions, Youth EnviroLeaders’ Forums and Blake Ambassadors) while recognising, rewarding and fostering leadership, at all levels to ensure a bright future for New Zealand (Leadership Awards, Leadership Week programmes, The Dream Team).

The Dream Team is led by the Governor General and sees inspirational New Zealand leaders spending an hour in a classroom during Leadership Week to discuss aspirations and inspire children to dream. In 2014, 300 Dream Team leaders reached over 23,000 school children across the country.

See more about The Sir Peter Blake Trust and the Dream Team initiative at www.sirpeterblaketrust.org.

ENDS

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