Associate / Senior Associate / Special Counsel, First Response

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Atmos Legal seeks Associate, Senior Associate or Special Counsel for the First Response team in Auckland (onsite, full-time) to lead frontline incident response for cyber breaches, privacy events and digital crises, coordinating with cyber forensics, crisis comms, regulators and our Atlas global panel. This is legal-led crisis response in real time, not traditional law firm work. You will own matters from initial response through remediation, mentored by Atmos partners. Ideal candidates bring cyber incident response or privacy/regulatory experience, strong judgement under pressure, and the ability to translate complex issues into actionable advice, with a collaborative mindset. We offer a market-leading bonus, merit-based progression, hybrid work, AI-enabled support and pro bono impact. To apply, tailor your CV and cover letter to show real-time advisory, cross-disciplinary collaboration, client-facing outcomes, and alignment with Atmos values; include STAR examples.

The future isn’t waiting. It’s accelerating. Threat actors are evolving. Technology is moving faster than ever. And when everything hits at once - that’s when Atmos steps in.

Welcome to the specialist First Response Team at Atmos.

We operate at the frontline of cyber incidents, data breaches and digital crises - where legal risk, operational response and reputational impact converge in real time.

When a major breach unfolds. When regulators need answers. When customers, stakeholders and boards demand clarity.

That’s where we operate.

We bring together law, cyber intelligence, crisis communications and digital expertise - standing alongside our clients in their most critical moments. And we’re growing.

Your Mission

Lead and coordinate frontline incident response, working directly with clients, internal teams, and the Atmos First Response and Remediation Panel to manage high stakes cyber and privacy events as they unfold.

You’ll take ownership of matters involving:

• Cyber incidents and data breaches
• Privacy events and regulatory notification strategy
• Crisis response, government and stakeholder management
• Cross-border incident coordination, drawing on international expertise from our Atmos Atlas global panel
• Post-incident remediation and risk mitigation

You’ll work shoulder-to-shoulder with:

• Leading cyber incident responders
• Digital forensics and threat intelligence teams
• Crisis communications specialists
• Regulators and global legal partners
• Cyber insurance leaders
• Our inhouse product and data teams which underpin our service delivery
• Our internal Readiness, Recovery, and Disputes and Investigations teams

This isn’t traditional legal work. This is legal led crisis response in real time.

You will be coached and mentored by Atmos’ leading team of First Response Partners – Reece Corbett-Wilkins, Richard Berkahn, Stefanie Luhrs, Anthony Cooke, Georgia Schulberg and Claudia Dennison, together with other leading Partners and Directors within the Atmos Group.

You Might Be

An Associate, Senior Associate or Special Counsel with:

• Experience in cyber incident response, privacy, regulatory or technology matters
• A desire to move beyond traditional law firm thinking into dynamic, real-time advisory, with a strong client facing role
• Strong judgement in high-pressure, fast-moving environments
• The ability to translate complex legal and technical issues into clear, actionable advice
• A collaborative mindset and interest in working across disciplines

We are looking to build the next generation of industry leaders with a passion for solving technology related harms and protecting our community. Experience in cyber incident response, data protection and/or privacy law or in-house incident response is highly valued but mindset, adaptability and curiosity matter just as much.

Why Atmos

Atmos is building something distinctive in the market, shaping the future of cyber, privacy and digital risk. We are constantly innovating and evolving, improving how we operate and streamlining the work that slows others down, giving you more time to focus on meaningful client impact, your development and your wellbeing.

Here, you grow faster and contribute meaningfully, working alongside senior leaders who are invested in your development and share how they think, decide and lead.

We empower you to do the best work of your career, fostering curiosity, continuous learning and genuine flexibility that support both professional performance and a life outside work.

We offer:

• A market-leading bonus structure (including innovation rewards)
• Merit-based progression with no PQE ceilings
• Hybrid work and genuine flexibility
• AI-enabled systems and operational support
• Real impact through the Atmos First Response Pro Bono Program

Our culture is built on four guiding principles:

We are humans first, looking out for each other and our clients.

We deliver solutions and are willing to do things differently.

We move at pace, keep things simple and deliver on our promises.

We value our people and recognise their contribution.

The Bigger Vision

Atmos exists to revolutionise cyber, privacy and digital risk management, building the next generation of innovative legal services for a world where technology, crisis and law are permanently connected.

If you want to help shape that future, we should talk.