In-house lawyers are familiar with making fast, impactful decisions. The role demands much more than legal expertise; it requires balancing commercial priorities with legal obligations, all while relying on strategic analysis—critical thinking, weighing risks, and applying data-driven insights to guide decisions. But it’s not all head-based. Intuition plays a crucial role, especially when under pressure. A recent Harvard Business Review article backs this up too: the most effective decision-making blends intuition with data-driven insights, a balance reflected in this edition's stories.
This month, we spotlight Allison Whitney’s role as CLO at Stuff, find out about our follow-the-sun offering with Marissa Flowerday, and introduce our updated ESG clauses supporting sustainability in our Clause Bank. Plus, don’t miss the chance to preregister for our upcoming Juno Learning online CPD session, "Head, Meet Heart," where we’ll revisit two old friends, instinct and reason, and explore how we can allow them to work together.
Like the whakataukī 'Mā te huruhuru, ka rere te manu' (with feathers, the bird will fly) reminds us, that when equipped with the right tools and knowledge (the "feathers"), success or progress (the "flight") becomes possible.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Allison Whitney, CLO at Stuff
Allison Whitney is no stranger to the fast-paced world of media. After over a decade at NZME, she stepped into the role of Chief Legal Officer at Stuff earlier this year. With deep experience supporting news teams, Allison shares how her legal expertise continues to shape storytelling, from investigative journalism to the launch of ThreeNews. "There’s nothing like the buzz of a newsroom breaking news or releasing a carefully crafted investigative piece."
Starting the day with key legal advice already in your inbox is one of the ways Juno's follow-the-sun offering helps clients meet tight deadlines. Marissa Flowerday shares her experience of providing seamless support across time zones, easing pressure on in-house teams, and keeping projects on track, even after NZ hours. "It’s about finding balance—supporting clients when they need it most."
JUNO CLAUSE BANK: Ready to use, new ESG clauses added
In line with our value of being Open and Generous, we’ve just added two new ESG-aligned clauses to Juno's public Clause Bank: one on Cultural Equity and another on green Dispute Resolution. These clauses are designed to support your business’s sustainability initiatives and cultural inclusivity efforts. Ngā mihi to the in-house legal community member who contributed these valuable resources.
Have a clause to share? If you’ve developed clauses that work well for your team, we invite you to contribute them to the in-house legal community. Sharing—whether attributed or anonymously—helps to build a resource of practical, adaptable resource that’s ready whenever it's needed.
JUNO LEARNING ONLINE CPD: Head, meet Heart.
We’re excited to a sneak peek at our upcoming Juno Learning Online session!
If you're naturally suspicious of AI, and wonder how large language model (LLM) can handle your specialist subject, give this prompt a go:
Prompt: "My mastermind specialist subject is [your topic here]. I want you to tell me everything you know about this subject, including the main aspects, key details, and any relevant historical or cultural context. Additionally, compare it to related subjects and discuss its impact or significance."
Why this works: This challenge puts AI’s expertise and information recall to the test. Does it deliver accurate, clear answers and relevant context, or do you spot inaccuracies or 'hallucinations'? Be mindful of any potential biases in the response too.
Want some ideas for your specialist subject? Try: Shakespearean plays;The Apollo Moon Landings; 1990s Sitcoms - anything you'd double down on in a quiz!
WHAT WE ARE READING/LISTENING TO
🤖Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark– one Juno Lawyer says it's "the best non-fiction book I have read recently." Max seeks to facilitate a much wider conversation about the kind of future we, as a species, want to create.
🐘How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner breaks down why projects—a home reno or a space mission—so often go off the rails. A good read for those into figuring out execution risk and the seeming impossibility of delivering the projects on time and within the budget (aren’t we all?).
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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.
Juno Legal, Level 6, 44 Victoria Street, Wellington 6011, New Zealand, 04 8854958
