Solicitor – Public, Competition, and Regulatory

Office: Auckland preferable

The opportunity

Join Buddle Findlay's well regarded public law team and work alongside - partner Susie Kilty (based in Wellington) and special counsel Anna Parker (based in Auckland).  Susie and Anna are widely respected for their deep knowledge and practical experience in competition, consumer, and overseas investment law.  

Both have been involved in some of New Zealand’s most significant and complex regulatory matters, regularly advising major corporates as well as government agencies. If you have 3-6 years' PQE and a strong interest or background in competition/consumer law or public law (interest in the regulation of overseas investment is a bonus), this is your chance to join Susie, Anna and the team, to make your mark at one of New Zealand's leading law firms.

Why Buddle Findlay?

High-impact work: Advise on headline-making competition and consumer law matters, regulatory investigations, and overseas investment projects that will help shape New Zealand’s future

Mentorship that matters: Anna and Susie are known for their collaborative, supportive leadership.  You’ll get hands-on experience, real responsibility, and the chance to learn from them and their team

A team that backs you: Work closely with colleagues across Auckland and Wellington, in a culture where your ideas are valued and your growth is a priority.

What you will do:

Advise on competition and consumer law (Fair Trading Act, Commerce Act, regulatory investigations) and industry regulation (eg electricity)

Support clients with overseas investment consent applications and compliance

Assist the public law team on the breadth of work that Buddle Findlay does across a range of sectors, including electricity, education, and payments

Collaborate on due diligence and cross-practice projects – not only with our team but the wider teams at Buddle Findlay.

What matters to us

Is a genuine commitment to delivering high-quality, client-focused advice, a collaborative approach to working with clients and colleagues, and a passion for excellence in competition and consumer law, and/or public law.  An interest in the regulation of overseas investment would be a bonus, but not essential.  We value integrity, initiative, and a willingness to contribute to our success and reputation as a team and the firm.

To be successful in this role (as well as what has already been mentioned), you will also bring your sharp analytical skills, clear communication, and your client-first mindset.  You are proactive, and take a collaborative approach to what you do, and importantly, have and a passion for public law.

About us

Buddle Findlay is a leading commercial law firm with three offices, 46 partners, and over 350 people.  Collaboration is at our core.  You will feel valued, connected, and supported.  We’re committed to quality in everything we do and to empowering our people to achieve extraordinary results for our clients.

What we offer

A career with us gives you the opportunity to work with a wide range of people that are motivated to help shape the future of business in New Zealand.  We offer a range of benefits that enable you to be the best you can be, such as opportunities for ongoing professional and personal development, flexible working practices, health insurance benefits, social events, charity initiatives and wellbeing-focused programmes.

To apply

You don’t need to tick every box – a willingness to learn and develop is also important to us.  If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.  Please send your CV and a short cover letter to our talent attraction specialist [email protected]

We look forward to hearing from you about your aspirations as a commercial lawyer and we hope that could be at Buddle Findlay.

Together we grow, Ka tipu tahi tatau.

Buddle Findlay is recruiting directly for this role and will only be accepting direct applications at this stage.