Stonewood Group logo

Junior Legal Counsel

Stonewood Group
June 04, 2026
Full-time
Hybrid (Auckland, Auckland CBD, New Zealand)
Legal Counsel

About the Role

Stonewood Group is seeking a Junior Legal Counsel to join our in-house legal team. This is a hands-on role at the centre of a busy commercial portfolio — you will support the legal team across property, contracts, and commercial matters, keeping files moving and nothing falling through the cracks.

This suits someone early in their career who takes pride in careful, accurate work and wants to build deep commercial legal experience in a fast-moving private group environment.

What You'll Be Doing:
Legal drafting and research
- Draft and review standard commercial documents including leases, commercial contracts and construction agreements
- Carry out legal research on commercial property, tenancy, contract and general commercial questions, and produce clear file notes and reports
- Prepare chronologies, document bundles and correspondence for litigation and dispute matters
- Maintain and update the template and precedent library
Proofread and quality-check documents before escalation or despatch

External counsel and document management
- Liaise with external counsel under direction — tracking matter status, chasing deliverables, coordinating execution and flagging deadlines proactively
- Coordinate document execution across multiple entities
- Maintain legal registers and track key dates across the portfolio

AI and technology
- Use Stonewood's AI platforms confidently as part of everyday legal work
- Apply the human judgement the AI cannot — catch what it misses, and flag anything requiring a signature, a filing, a court step, or real-world action
- Help build and refine the templates, checklists and playbooks the AI runs on

Team support
- Support the legal team with research, file preparation and follow-through on open matters
- Proactively manage deliverables across matters, external advisors and contractors
- Report directly to the Legal team leader


 What You'll Bring

- Up to 3 years' PQE — recent law graduates will be considered
- Genuine attention to detail and pride in careful, accurate work
- Comfortable with steady, process-driven work and seeing every task through to completion
- Able to work independently once briefed and take clear direction
- Eager to learn, coachable, with a strong can-do attitude
- Comfortable using technology and AI tools as part of everyday practice

What's on Offer
- Base salary depending on experience
- KPI-based performance bonus of up to 10%, subject to annual review
- Direct exposure to commercial property, contracts and multi-entity corporate work
- A lean, high-performing team where your contribution is visible

How to Apply:
Apply with your CV and a brief cover letter outlining your experience and why this role interests you.