Auckland | Top-tier New Zealand firm
This is a rare opportunity for a senior restructuring and insolvency specialist to step into a genuinely strategic role within the litigation practice of a leading New Zealand firm.
The team is entering a new phase following the recent retirement of a long-standing Partner in this space, creating a clear mandate to bring in senior expertise capable of continuing – and elevating – an already well-established restructuring and insolvency practice. The brief is not maintenance; it is growth, profile-building, and long-term leadership.
The work sits at the premium end of the market and spans complex corporate restructurings, formal insolvency appointments, creditor and shareholder disputes, enforcement actions, and advisory work arising from financially distressed situations. Matters are frequently high-value and multi-stakeholder, often intersecting with broader commercial litigation and regulatory considerations. The firm is well known for its strength in contentious work, and this role would operate at the heart of that capability.
The ideal candidate will be operating at senior Senior Associate level (likely 8+ PQE) and be comfortable running matters, leading strategy, and acting as a visible point of expertise for clients and colleagues alike. While New Zealand experience is helpful, the firm is particularly interested in New Zealand-qualified Lawyers currently offshore – especially those in the UK, Australia, or other major financial centres – who are looking to return home with enhanced technical depth and international perspective.
What truly differentiates this opportunity is progression. The firm is explicitly seeking someone with the credibility, ambition, and intellectual leadership to move into Partnership in the near term, with a realistic timeframe of 12–18 months. You will be encouraged to publish, present, build client relationships, and help shape the future direction of the practice. For the right individual, this is a platform to establish themselves as a recognised leader in the restructuring and insolvency market in New Zealand.
If you are looking for a role that combines top-tier work, genuine influence, and a clear pathway to partnership – rather than an indefinite holding pattern – this is well worth exploring.
