Senior Solicitor / Senior Associate - Litigation

Minter Ellison Rudd Watts; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 120,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

MinterEllisonRuddWatts in Auckland is seeking Senior Solicitors and Senior Associates to join our expanding Auckland Litigation team. You will take on meaningful responsibility from day one, working alongside New Zealand's leading litigators on a broad range of complex commercial matters, including insurance, insolvency and regulatory matters.

You will have 3–12 years PQE, excellent advocacy, a strong academic record, and the ability to mentor junior colleagues while building lasting client

Qualifications

• 3–12 years PQE in commercial litigation.
• Strong academic record.
• Experience running or contributing to complex matters.
• Excellent advocacy across multiple court levels.
• Ability to build and maintain client relationships.
• Senior Associate level: mentorship of junior colleagues and team collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Join Auckland Litigation team with meaningful responsibility from day one.
• Work on a broad range of commercial matters (insurance, insolvency, regulatory).
• Appear in court across multiple levels as required.
• Mentor junior colleagues and contribute to a collaborative culture.

Skills

Advocacy skills

Client relationship building

Mentoring junior colleagues

Commercial litigation

Team collaboration

Job description

At MinterEllisonRuddWatts, our vision is to be the best firm to work with, and in. We are known for our technical excellence and our ability to provide practical, commercial solutions that genuinely meet our clients' needs. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we are proud to have built a culture that is as collaborative and supportive as it is ambitious.

About our firm

MinterEllisonRuddWatts is a leading New Zealand law firm with a proud 130-year history and was named New Zealand Law Firm of the Year at the 2024 Chambers Asia-Pacific Awards.

Known for our technical excellence and commercial approach, we partner with leading clients to deliver practical solutions to complex challenges. Guided by our value of Waka Eke Noa, we foster an inclusive, collaborative culture where our people are empowered to thrive.

With offices in Auckland and Wellington and strong Asia-Pacific connections through the MinterEllison Legal Group, we offer the best of a top-tier New Zealand firm with the reach of an international network.

About the team

Our Auckland Litigation team is one of the most highly regarded in New Zealand. Led by partners Andrew Horne, Aaron Lloyd, Jane Standage and Nick Frith, the team is energetic, close-knit, and deeply committed to supporting one another, from partners through to graduates. We appear regularly at all levels of the court system and are consistently instructed on some of the country's most significant and high-profile commercial disputes.

About the Role

We are seeking a small number of Senior Solicitors and Senior Associates to join our expanding Auckland Litigation team.

This is a genuine career progression opportunity in which you will take on meaningful responsibility from day one, working alongside New Zealand's leading litigators on a broad range of complex commercial matters , including (but not limited to):

• Insurance
• Insolvency
• Regulatory matters

About you

You are a confident, commercially minded litigator who is ready to step into a senior role and make it your own. You will bring:

• between 3 and 12 years PQE of commercial litigation experience (including experience gained in private practice, as a judge's clerk, or in the public sector) with a strong academic record;
• a strong track record of running or working on complex matters;
• excellent advocacy skills, with experience appearing across multiple levels of the court system;
• the ability to build and maintain strong, lasting client relationships;
• (for Senior Associates) a genuine commitment to mentoring junior colleagues and contributing to a collaborative team culture; and
• a professional, energetic approach and the kind of personality that thrives in a team that takes its work seriously but genuinely enjoys working together.

For further information please contact Donna Douglas, HR Manager on [e-mail].

PwC Tower
15 Customs Street West
Auckland 1010
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Wellington

Te Whanganui-a-Tara

BNZ Place
1 Whitmore Street
Wellington 6011
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