Private Client Lawyer – Senior Associate

About the role

We are seeking a Senior Associate to join a nationally recognised private client team at a leading mid‑sized firm in Auckland. You will work alongside experienced partners on sophisticated trusts, estates and private wealth matters, benefiting from a collaborative culture and clear progression pathways.

Key responsibilities

• Advise on the creation, restructuring, administration and winding‑up of trusts, including charitable trusts.
• Prepare and counsel on wills, enduring powers of attorney and comprehensive estate‑planning structures.
• Support executors, trustees and beneficiaries with complex trust and estate issues.
• Manage estate administration, including high‑value and litigious estates.
• Provide relationship‑property advice where it intersects with trusts and estates.
• Handle transactional property work arising from private‑client matters such as transfers, transmissions and refinances.
• Assist the litigation team and external counsel on trust disputes and estate litigation.
• Mentor junior lawyers and support staff while building strong client and referrer relationships.
• Contribute to business‑development initiatives, articles and internal projects.

Required profile

• 5+ years post‑qualification experience in trusts, estates or private‑client law.
• Strong drafting and analytical abilities with a commercial mindset.
• Ability to manage files autonomously with minimal supervision.
• STEP qualification or progress towards the STEP Diploma (preferred).

Required skills

• Trust establishment and restructuring.
• Trust administration and winding‑up.
• Estate planning and wills drafting.
• Enduring powers of attorney preparation.
• Relationship‑property advice.
• Transactional property work (transfers, transmissions, refinances).
• Trust dispute support and estate litigation assistance.
• STEP qualification (or working towards).

What we offer

• High‑quality, complex private‑client work.
• Supportive, collegiate team culture with strong mentoring.
• Clear career‑progression opportunities.
• Modern CBD offices with flexible hybrid working arrangements.
• Competitive remuneration package.