About this role
About the role
The New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa is seeking a highly experienced Chief Legal Counsel – Chief Executive & Board to provide strategic legal leadership and trusted advice to the Chief Executive, President, Board and Council.
This pivotal role is responsible for delivering high‑quality legal advice across governance, statutory compliance, strategic projects, commercial operations, and organisational risk. As the organisation’s key legal advisor, you will support major strategic initiatives, ensure robust governance practice, and help drive the transformation and operational effectiveness of the Law Society.
The role works closely with the Chief Executive, President, Executive Leadership Team, and internal and external stakeholders to ensure the organisation’s legal frameworks, agreements, policies and governance documents are effective, compliant, and future‑focused.
Our ideal applicant will have:
- A law degree and 10+ years' PQE in corporate/commercial law, ideally gained in major law firms or senior in-house roles.
- A current New Zealand practising certificate.
- Demonstrated experience advising a Board, CEO and senior leaders.
- Extensive experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating a wide range of commercial and technology agreements.
- Strong knowledge of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006, governance frameworks, and the broader regulatory environment.
- Proven ability to support strategic and special projects, including liaising with internal experts and external vendors.
- Strong organisational, analytical, and project‑management skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and prioritise effectively.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present clear and pragmatic legal advice to diverse audiences.
- A collaborative and solutions‑focused mindset, with the ability to develop trusted relationships across all levels.
- Experience in compliance, privacy, data protection, policy development and risk mitigation is advantageous.
We are looking for candidates who shares our purpose of a Kaitiaki of an exemplary legal professional in Aotearoa and understand how our values of Kaitiakitanga – tāria te wā, Manaakitanga and Pono underpin the work we do at New Zealand Law Society.
What we can offer
Become part of an exceptional team in a dynamic organisation, where the work is challenging and rewarding. We offer a cohesive workplace culture across our organisation with a number of social activities to come together across teams to connect and collaborate with colleagues. Your development and growth will be nurtured, and your work recognised and valued.
It is important that the Law Society can attract, support, and retain quality staff and one of the ways we can achieve this is by offering employees some flexibility to manage their work/life balance. We embrace flexible working to support our staff to deliver their best and achieve a good work-life balance, and to connect and collaborate with others, by providing a hybrid approach sharing your time between the office and home.
Other benefits of working at the Law Society include
- Three days Special Leave to use during our annual close-down period between Christmas and the new year.
- Discounts and benefits as part of our membership Partner Programme.
- Competitive remuneration.
Diversity and inclusion are important to us, and the Law Society is keen to ensure that appointments reflect Aotearoa New Zealand’s multicultural society. Applications from a diverse range of backgrounds are encouraged.
About the Law Society
The New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa is the professional body for barristers and solicitors in New Zealand. The Law Society regulates all lawyers practising in New Zealand and is a membership organisation for practising lawyers. With 13 branches throughout the country, the Law Society is the Kaitiaki (guardian) of the practice of law in Aotearoa New Zealand and the consumers of legal services.
How to apply
If you would like to apply, please submit your CV and cover letter through Seek.
Applications close 5pm, Thursday 19 February 2026
Shortlisting may occur whilst the advertisement is open, so we encourage you to make an early application.
For a confidential discussion and additional information, including the position description, please contact the People and Culture team at human.resources@lawsociety.org.nz
Applicants for this position must have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa.