Ākuhata | August 2025



 

Kia ora – it’s been a while! We hope you’ve been well. Our updated quarterly rhythm means we haven't seen you since May. While we’ve been sharing CPD learning invites and quick updates along the way, sometimes we need to step back from the daily rush and take time for a proper catch-up on everything that makes our community thrive.

 

In this edition:
People – Leaders and teams, in their own words
Spotlights on Emily Reeve, General Counsel at Datagrid, and the Vista Group legal team.

 

Learning – Ideas and conversations we can explore together
Key insights from our recent Juno Learning webinar on mental health, and upcoming Juno Learning events for GCs and in-house legal leaders.

 

Resources – Sharing practical tools and tips
A case study on our in-house legal support for The Warehouse Group, new updates to the Juno Clause Bank, and an office hack to help bring te reo Māori into your everyday tools, just in time for the 50th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori!

 

SPOTLIGHT:

Emily Reeve, Datagrid

 

As General Counsel at Datagrid, a start-up developing a hyperscale data centre in Southland, Emily Reeve shares how she’s navigating a fast-paced, high-opportunity environment, and how tools like AI are reshaping the in-house role.

"AI is also now a vital team member, particularly for sole-counsel roles.” 

👉 Read Emily’s spotlight
 

 

TEAM OVERVIEW:

Vista Group Legal Team

Listed on both the NZX and ASX, Vista Group is a New Zealand-grown success story whose software powers movie theatres around the world. We caught up with their legal team, small, strategic, and spread across jurisdictions, to learn how they support a fast-paced, global business.

"We’re here to help the business move fast while staying protected."

👉 Get to know the Vista Group legal team
 

 

JUNO CASE STUDY: The Warehouse Group

When TWG’s new GC needed space to reset, rebuild, and lead strategically, we parachuted in Juno Lawyer Luana D’Appollonio to steady the day-to-day and help shape the team’s long-term structure.

 

The result? A legal operating model that still guides them today.

👉 Read how TWG got instinct capacity and time to plan with Juno

 

 

JUNO LEARNING:

Mental health for in-house lawyers

Our recent session with clinical psychologist Jacqui Maguire covered the pressures in-house lawyers face supported by science-backed research and strategies that can help. Juno Lawyer, Nicola Hardy has summarised the key takeaways, with a link to the recording, so you can revisit or catch up.

👉 Explore the summary and resources

 

JUNO LEARNING: Navigating the Unwritten Rules
This year’s Juno in-person events for GCs explore how senior legal leaders navigate the unwritten rules that shape decision-making, and how to do it with integrity.

These sessions are tailored for GCs and senior legal leaders and eligible for 1 CPD hour.
- Wellington – Thurs 4 Sept
- Auckland – Thurs 11 Sept
- Christchurch – Thurs 18 Sept

 

👉 Request an invite if you'd like to attend, and for the in-house legal community, we’ll share generalised key takeaways and top tips in an upcoming issue of Juno Counsel.

 

JUNO CLAUSE BANK

We’ve refreshed a wide range of clauses in Juno’s public Clause Bank, a free resource of ready-to-use contract wording designed to support fair, clear, and practical contracting.

New updates include clauses on approval and consent, confidentiality, assignment, and payment terms. These are designed to be adapted to your team’s needs and reflect our commitment to plain language and real-world usability.

Ngā mihi to the Juno Lawyers and Juno Community who have contributed. As always, the Clause Bank is about sharing what works, because a rising tide lifts all boats.

 

👉Explore the updated Clause Bank here. If you'd like a Word doc of all the clauses, please contact us directly.

 

OFFICE HACK: Bring more te reo into your work week

We’ve pulled together some simple, practical hacks to help embed te reo Māori into your everyday tools. With the 50th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori coming up this September, it’s a great time to make sure your keyboard, inbox, and shortcuts are ready.

 

👉 Read Office hacks: Using keyboards and shortcuts to support te reo Māori

 

WHAT WE ARE READING/LISTENING TO

Podcast: What Matters Most - Recommended by Jacqui Maguire during our mental health webinar. In this episode Jacqui and Antonia Prebble discuss unhelpful thinking patterns, including perfectionism, and how to shift them when they stop serving you. Listen to: Vol XX: Perfectionism: When Excellence Becomes Prison.

 

From Microsoft WorkLab: the Work Trend Index Special Report on the “infinite workday,”
draws on anonymized Microsoft 365 data to reveal some recognisable trends. Such as employees are interrupted every two minutes, and PowerPoint edits spike 122% before meetings, and why our focus time keeps vanishing.

 

That’s it from us for this chilly August. With inboxes overflowing, it’s no small feat to make it to the end of a newsletter. Thank you for joining us for these stories and resources from and for the in-house community.

 

Juno Counsel reflects what matters to us: people first, fresh thinking, and generous sharing to lift the bar for in-house legal teams across Aotearoa. We love being able to share and learn alongside you.

 

Ka kite anō,

 

 

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Juno is a leading provider of on-demand legal services and flexible in-house lawyers, actively supporting Aotearoa's in-house legal community. Get in touch today to discuss options for experienced in-house legal support on an interim basis, embedded within your team, or on a managed legal services basis. Click here to see our full range of services.