In-house Counsel

Ad Idem MMXXII Limited; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ad Idem MMXXII Limited, a fast-growing New Zealand business, seeks a lawyer with 3–10 years’ PQE to join its small Auckland legal team. You’ll cover corporate/M&A, general commercial law, property, banking and finance, and commercial disputes, with direct access to senior decision-makers and scope to influence major decisions.

You’ll draft, negotiate and advise on complex contracts, support governance and company secretarial matters, and help build templates and processes that make the business

Qualifications

• 3–10 years of PQE, from private practice, in‑house, or a combination
• Experience in Corporate / M&A
• Experience in General commercial law
• Experience in Property
• Experience in Banking and finance
• Experience in Commercial litigation
• Good legal and commercial judgement, curiosity and confidence to work outside current technical comfort zone
• Ability to think commercially and understand how the business operates
• Excellent communication and pragmatic, down‑to‑earth style

Responsibilities

• Drafting, negotiating and advising on complex commercial agreements
• Working alongside project teams from development and structuring through to delivery and operation
• Advising on corporate and transactional matters, financing and security arrangements, construction, supply, procurement and consultancy agreements
• Supporting property matters, commercial disputes and risk issues as they arise
• Working with external counsel where needed, while keeping ownership of outcomes internally
• Contributing to governance and company secretarial matters
• Building practical tools, templates and processes that make the wider business more self-sufficient
• Getting involved in commercial initiatives that may sit outside a traditional legal remit

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

My client is a disruptive player in a sector that is genuinely moving the dial for NZ Inc. Fast paced, highly commercial, very broad, time in this role will open many doors further down your career.

Why this role might be worth a conversation

You’ll join a small legal team inside a fast-growing New Zealand business where the work is broad, visible and close to the action.

Significant projects and transactions, from development and structuring through to delivery and operation

A broad mix of commercial contracts, corporate and transactional work, banking and finance, construction, property, disputes and governance

Direct access to senior decision-makers while decisions are still being formed

Room to take on responsibilities outside the conventional boundaries of Legal as your interests and capability develop.

Legal isn’t brought in at the end to say no or simply list the risks. You’ll help work out what the business should do, how to structure it and how to get it done.

What you’ll be doing

Drafting, negotiating and advising on complex commercial agreements

Working alongside project teams from development and structuring through to delivery and operation

Advising on corporate and transactional matters, financing and security arrangements, construction, supply, procurement and consultancy agreements

Supporting property matters, commercial disputes and risk issues as they arise

Working with external counsel where needed, while keeping ownership of outcomes internally

Contributing to governance and company secretarial matters

Building practical tools, templates and processes that make the wider business more self-sufficient

Getting involved in commercial initiatives that may sit outside a traditional legal remit

What we’re looking for

We’re deliberately open-minded about background. You’ll probably have around 3–10 years’ PQE, from private practice, in‑house, or a combination of both.

Your experience may be principally in:

Corporate / M&A

General commercial law

Property

Banking and finance

Commercial litigation

You don’t need to arrive knowing every area the role touches. More important is good legal and commercial judgement, a love of contracts, curiosity and the confidence to work outside your current technical comfort zone.

You’ll likely be someone who:

thinks commercially rather than stopping at the legal risk

likes understanding how the business actually works

is comfortable working directly with commercial and project teams

can form a view, explain it clearly and advocate for it

will challenge constructively - and change your mind when someone has the better argument

communicates simply and practically

is happy to muck in, and brings a pragmatic, down‑to‑earth style

wants breadth rather than being boxed into one specialisation

Why make the move?

Because this is a chance to get closer to the business, not just closer to the client.

You’ll see projects through rather than handing over advice and moving on. You’ll have access to the people making the decisions, and professional development comes through broader responsibility as much as through title or seniority.

For a private practice lawyer, that can be a genuine step towards commercial ownership.

For an existing in‑house lawyer, it offers more scope to stretch beyond the usual boundaries of legal.