You thought the NZ legal market was comfy and cozy? You may need to think again because. It’s limping out of volatility, but the bumps are still there. Thomson Reuters reports a return to profit growth for NZ law firms in 2025 after years of contraction. TR – Legal Insight New Zealand+1 Firms are cautiously optimistic—but that doesn’t mean they’re hiring willy-nilly.
Tug of war: demand for senior lawyers, shortage of depth
NZ firms are still haemorrhaging talent. In Q3 2024, for every lawyer hired, two left. Many jump to in-house roles or head overseas (especially to Australia). Insource At the same time, 39 % of firms say they struggle to recruit senior associates. frogrecruitment.co.nz What that means for you: if you’re senior or mid-level with chops, you’re in demand. The juniors? You’ll have to hustle harder for visibility.
Transactional work still matters — but cycles bite
More than half of NZ lawyers are in transactional roles, making the market acutely sensitive to economic slumps. TR – Legal Insight New Zealand When deals dry up, those roles get squeezed first. So it’s smart to diversify your practice or skillset so you don’t go overboard when the tide turns.
In-house, compliance, ESG: your escape routes
As NZ companies ramp up regulatory oversight, data privacy, ESG, and compliance, in-house roles are growing. LawFuel previously noted that in-house listings are rising fast. – Law news and jobs Firms are hunting lawyers who can straddle legal + business + tech. If you can talk policy and regulation with C-suite, you’ll get looked at.
Money, perks and flexibility: those little things matter big
Tyler Wren’s 2025 guide shows legal salaries are trending upward—nothing dramatic, but real. Tyler Wren Also: hybrid work is table stakes now. > 90 % of respondents say they work from home at least one day a week. Tyler Wren
Bonus structures are shifting too: firms increasingly factor in business development and team contributions, not just billables.
How to play your cards
- As a senior or mid-level lawyer, you’ve got leverage. Don’t accept a weak offer.
- Build a specialty: compliance, ESG, tech-law, regulatory law are less cyclical.
- Make your tech fluency nonnegotiable. Firms want people who understand systems, not just statutes.
- Don’t stay in a firm that treats flexibility as charity. If they can’t offer hybrid work now, they probably won’t change.
