Commercial Litigation Lawyer

Stellar Recruitment; Auckland; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing allowance

Flexible working

Home office allowance

Parental leave

Public transport benefit

Meal allowance

Leave flexibility

Job summary

Stellar Recruitment represents a leading New Zealand firm seeking a lawyer around three years' NZ litigation experience to focus on insolvency and restructuring in Auckland. The role offers exposure to high-calibre clients and complex matters across formal insolvencies, workouts, and cross-border work.

You will advise on a broad spectrum of restructuring and disputes, draft pleadings and transactional documents, and work with partners on multi-disciplinary matters while developing your practice

Qualifications

• Around three years of New Zealand litigation experience, with some R&I exposure preferred.
• Comfortable in court and confident drafting pleadings and litigation documents.
• Strong academics; you will be asked for your transcript.
• Someone who writes well, thinks clearly, and does not need to be told twice.
• Comfortable working independently, but knows when to ask questions.

Responsibilities

• Advising a sophisticated client base on complex insolvency and restructuring matters
• Court engagement and preparation across a range of proceedings
• Drafting pleadings, opinions, and transactional documents
• Working across practice groups on multi-disciplinary matters
• Running your own files with partner support when you need it

Skills

Litigation

Insolvency

Restructuring

Cross-border

Job description

One of New Zealand's most respected litigation teams is looking for a lawyer around the three-year mark to take on a caseload focused on insolvency and restructuring work in Auckland. The work is genuinely complex, the clients are high-calibre, and this team has a serious reputation in the market. You will need a litigation background to hit the ground running here, and some existing R&I exposure will put you ahead of the field.

The Role

You will be working across the full spectrum of restructuring and insolvency, from formal insolvencies and workouts through to distressed M&A, enforcement, and cross-border matters. There is also a steady stream of commercial disputes work in the mix, so you won't be limited to just insolvency matters. Clients include banks, credit funds, insolvency practitioners, corporate borrowers, and directors, both domestic and international.

Key Work

• Formal insolvency appointments and enforcement
• Workouts, turnarounds, and distressed refinancings
• Cross-border restructuring matters
• Distressed M&A transactions
• Director liability and third-party claims
• Commercial disputes alongside the core R&I caseload

Day to Day Responsibilities

• Advising a sophisticated client base on complex insolvency and restructuring matters
• Court engagement and preparation across a range of proceedings
• Drafting pleadings, opinions, and transactional documents
• Working across practice groups on multi-disciplinary matters
• Running your own files with partner support when you need it

About You

• Around three years of New Zealand litigation experience, with some R&I exposure preferred
• Comfortable in court and confident drafting pleadings and litigation documents
• Strong academics; you will be asked for your transcript
• Someone who writes well, thinks clearly, and does not need to be told twice
• Comfortable working independently, but knows when to ask questions

What's on Offer

• Wellbeing allowance to spend however it is most useful to you
• Flexible working and a home office allowance
• Generous parental leave with structured support on the way in and out
• Public transport benefit, late-night travel and meals covered when needed
• Some flexibility around leave, including the option to purchase additional days

About the Firm

A full-service national firm with a well-established litigation team and a restructuring and insolvency practice that carries genuine weight in the market. The team handles high-complexity domestic and cross-border work at volume, and the broader litigation group keeps things varied. This is a firm that takes development seriously and tends to attract lawyers who want to be stretched.