We love sharing the voices of our team, and are very happy to spotlight Juno Lawyer, Nicole MacFarlane. With deep experience across commercial, regulatory, and governance roles, Nicole brings calm, clarity, and good judgment to her engagements. She’s known for being a safe pair of hands, quick to build trust and navigate complexity, all while staying connected to family across Aotearoa and Australia.
What most attracted you to the flexible work model that Juno offers, and what’s your favourite part of being on the Juno team?
After many (too many to count) years of private and traditional in-house practice it’s been quite liberating to have a bit more choice about where , when and with whom I work. With family spread across New Zealand and Australia it was important for me to have the flexibility to be able to keep in touch with them on a regular basis while still undertaking meaningful roles supporting New Zealand businesses.
How do you adapt your approach when working with clients from different industries and sectors?
Years of working in private practice teaches you to be adaptable when working with different clients from a range of industries, while being in-house you learn to cater to the needs of different parts of the business. So the combination of the two has taught me to flex into each engagement and adapt quickly according to what’s needed.
Can you share a recent example of a client engagement where you had to think outside the box to find a creative solution to a problem?
It’s actually hard to think of an engagement where I haven’t had to do that! It’s particularly the case when the business is in a state of flux, perhaps because of a restructure or M&A activity – at those times you have to have a lot of empathy for people affected by change and be supportive at the same time as being pragmatic about what’s needed to keep the business going forward. Coming up with the best structure for a legal team is something I’ve been involved in recently which required careful consideration of the needs of the business and the right people to fulfil those needs.
What do you feel contributes to a great Juno client engagement for you and the client?
For me, a great client engagement is one where I’m in a position to contribute right across a business, from reviewing contracts to drafting Board papers, everything that is important to the person you’re supporting in their role. Having the ability to quickly become embedded in a team and get to know their day-to-day reality is something that Juno lawyers are renowned for, and something I’m really proud to be a part of.
Ngā mihi to Nicole MacFarlane for sharing her Juno experience. At Juno, we provide experienced in-house lawyers who can step in when and where they’re needed, from day-to-day support to navigating complexity and change.
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