Graduate Solicitor – Payments and Financial Services Regulation

at  Buddle Findlay

THE OPPORTUNITY

Are you a junior solicitor or recent law graduate with an interest in financial services law and looking to kickstart your legal career at a top-tier law firm? The perfect opportunity has come up to join our market leading Financial Services Regulation (FSR) team based in Wellington.
You’ll be an important part of our tight-knit team that will invest in your professional and personal growth while providing you with good exposure to their exceptional clients and matters. The work is high-quality, high-profile, and intellectually challenging. You’ll rapidly gain and enhance your skills through exceptional training, mentorship from senior practitioners, hands-on work, and our career progression framework that is designed to support you to do your best work.
This team is split across Auckland and Wellington and works very closely with the Christchurch FSR team as well, so you will be joining a truly national practice. There will be opportunities to travel to Auckland to collaborate with team members based there.

ABOUT US

Buddle Findlay is one of New Zealand’s leading commercial and public law firms with offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Join us to discover the unique energy and enthusiasm we bring to the legal market. Our culture and the focus on collaboration is the foundation of who we are. In joining us, you will feel valued, connected and supported to do your best work and in turn, we will enable you to thrive in all areas of your professional and personal life.

THE ROLE

You will work closely with Emma Geard (Senior Associate) who has a particular focus on prudential regulation (regulation of banks to promote financial stability) and payments regulation, as well as working with other lawyers in the wider Financial Services team. This role is unique in New Zealand’s FSR landscape because it has a core focus on payments law and advising the payments industry in New Zealand and the Pacific. New Zealand’s payments industry is currently experiencing significant development, for example in relation to the implementation of the Financial Markets Infrastructure Act 2021, Retail Payment Systems Act 2022 and the upcoming consumer data right ( CDR ). In addition, the industry is undertaking several significant industry-led developments such as ongoing work to develop an industry-led open banking solution in tandem with the CDR and real-time payments capability . You will also have the opportunity to work on a broad range of financial services regulatory work, including advising deposit takers, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) providers, and FinTech’s.

We value people who bring a different perspective, who are passionate, curious, and innovative. To be successful in this role, you would ideally be:

• Recently admitted law graduate and up to 2-years’ PQE within commercial, banking, finance, tax, accounting, consulting or a similar environment,
• Interested in financial services law and with a curiosity towards payments and regulatory work,
• Someone with a proven academic ability,
• Someone that works with high attention to detail and enjoys working under pressure while meeting deadlines,
• A good communicator and keen to engage with clients directly,
• A natural problem solver – drawing on your ability to identify, understand, and resolve complex issues,
• A self-starter who is motivated, curious and eager to learn, andSomeone who would thrive in a collaborative, team-based environment