• Legal
• Lawyer - Litigation
• Auckland
• Permanent / Full Time

3/7/2026

We are seeking an experienced senior litigator to join our market-leading team in Auckland | Tāmaki Makaurau. We are open to discussing arrangements for people interested in working part-time hours, as well as those seeking a full-time role.

As a Senior Associate in our Financial Lines team, you’ll be supporting clients with a wide range of litigated matters. This role spans Professional Indemnity (PI) and Financial Institutions (FI) matters. You’ll help insurers and insureds navigate evolving risks, regulatory investigations, and disputes - bringing pragmatic, commercial advice to every matter.
You’ll work across a broad range of civil litigation matters, with a strong focus on professional negligence and insurance matters. This includes defending civil, disciplinary, and regulatory claims involving:

• accountants
• financial advisers (investment, mortgage and insurance)
• valuers
• solicitors
• architects
• engineers
• surveyors

In this senior role, you will provide key support to your supervising partner, as well as mentor and guide junior team members, contributing to the development of our collaborative and high-performing practice. We are open to discussing flexible work arrangements and helping you to balance your home life while also offering career development.

What you’ll do:

• Defend civil claims against professionals in a range of forums, including the High Court, District Court, and dispute resolution schemes.
• Defend professional negligence claims, particularly for accountants, lawyers, and valuers.
• Advise clients in relation to regulatory investigations and defend enforcement action.
• Provide advice to professional services firms in relation to risk management.
• Work closely with insurers, brokers, and insureds, leveraging strong market relationships to resolve underlying litigation.
• Assist with investigations and litigation management, including pleadings, discovery, and briefing counsel.
• Contribute to a team culture that values commerciality, collaboration, and client‑focused solutions.

What we’re looking for
The ideal candidate will have 7+ years’ post-qualification experience and demonstrable experience in insurance litigation. We’re seeking someone who is:

• An Associate or Senior Associate with experience in insurance litigation, ideally PI.
• Experience handling High Court litigation, especially through the interlocutory and pre-trial stages.
• Experience instructing and working with experts.
• Experience handling disciplinary claims would be advantageous, but is not essential.
• Experience working with London Market clients would be advantageous, but is not essential.
• Excellent analytical and drafting skills, with the ability to produce clear advice.
• Strong client management skills, with a track record of building relationships with insurers and brokers.
• A pragmatic, commercial approach to problem‑solving and strategy.
• Curiosity about the evolving financial lines landscape, including regulatory trends and emerging risks.
• Confidence across all aspects of civil procedure, contract interpretation, and negligence claims.
• Experience delegating work and supporting junior lawyers.
• Proactive, collaborative, and comfortable working in team-based environments.
• A strong communicator with excellent analytical skills and high attention to detail

About Us
At WK, we solve complex legal problems, challenge ourselves to innovate, and create impact for our people, clients, and communities. We’re Asia Pacific’s leading insurance and risk legal business, and due to growth, we’re expanding our Professional & Financial Risks (PFR) team.
We’re not your typical law firm. We are forward-thinking pioneers, creative strategists, and genuine professionals reshaping insurance law. We thrive on collaboration, bold ideas, and unwavering support.
Founded in 2002 by David Kearney and Phillip Wotton, we began as a small Sydney practice with two partners, four lawyers, and big aspirations. Today, we are a team of over 900 professionals, including 100+ partners, across 13 offices in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand.
Our New Zealand team spans Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Tauranga.
We are the trusted firm for many local, global, and London Market insurers, brokers, and corporates, particularly on complex matters involving:

• financial lines, including D&O, regulatory investigations, and professional indemnity
• complex property, energy, and infrastructure claims
• general liability, including product, property damage, and public liability

We also have specialist teams in cyber, privacy and technology, government, healthcare, marine and transport, media and defamation, workplace and safety, and commercial litigation and class actions.

What We Offer
At Wotton Kearney, we are passionate about creating a supportive environment where our people can achieve both their professional and personal goals.

• Career development & support
  
• Access to complex, cutting-edge matters and high-profile clients
• Dedicated mentoring through a Kaitiaki (Supervising Partner) and buddy
• Opportunities to mentor junior lawyers
• Ongoing training and development, including internal and external workshops
• Access to expert facilitators to help build leadership and people skills
• Opportunities for secondments with clients
• Support for professional association memberships

Benefits & recognition
We recognise and celebrate the contributions of our people. Benefits include:

• Competitive remuneration
• Health insurance contributions
• Income protection and life insurance
• Wellbeing reimbursements and initiatives
• Additional week of leave for senior lawyers
• Birthday, wellness, and volunteering leave
• Long Service Awards
• Flexible working arrangements, including work‑from‑home options
• A generous employee referral programme
• Involvement in our Community Footprint Pro Bono & CSR Programme
• Regular social events and team activities

How to apply
If you’re looking to join a high‑performing team and grow your career as a recognised specialist in litigation, we’d love to hear from you.
If you’re after a confidential discussion, feel free to contact our People & Culture Manager, Rachel Weir, directly at rachel.weir@wottonkearney.com. Or, if you’re ready to apply, please send your cover letter, CV, and academic transcript to join.nz@wottonkearney.com.