At JW Legal, we are passionate about empowering all stakeholders to help them achieve their goals.
Our mission is to be the best-in-class advisors for NZ businesses. We are driven by a broader vision to leverage our legal expertise to empower our clients, our people and our community. This is our fundamental belief and it defines who we are and how we work.
What we do
Corporate and commercial legal work we specialise in:
Business sales and purchases (including bolt-on acquisitions)
Seed, Series A-C funding, wholesale capital raises
NZ-inbound investments
Legal due diligence support
Employee share option schemes
Founder/Shareholders’ agreements
Corporate governance advice
Direct listings / IPOs
Our Team
Joshua Woo
Director
Josh has a decade of transactional experience, including listing a few companies on the NZX, over 50 capital raises and private M&As of all sizes.
Before founding JW Legal, Josh worked at specialist corporate transactions firms in Auckland, including Harmos Horton Lusk and Webb Henderson. Josh is one of the solicitors approved by the NZX to provide opinions on listed entity governing documents.
Qualifications: LLM, Tsinghua University, China, LLB (Hons), BA (Statistics), University of Auckland
Admission: 2014, Auckland High Court
josh.woo@jwlegal.co.nz | Linkedin | Book a consultation | +64 21 0293 8699
Kara Choi
Senior Associate
Kara helps clients make confident decisions across immigration and corporate/commercial matters, with a focus on business and investment migration.
She advises on New Zealand’s business and investment visa pathways, helping businesses and investors navigate complex immigration requirements, and supports corporates in securing international talent. Kara also has experience in corporate and commercial law, advising on contracts, governance, and broader business issues. She brings a detail-oriented approach and provides clear, practical advice to ensure clients are well supported at every stage.
Qualifications: LLB/BCom (Accounting and Economics), University of Auckland
Admission: 2021, Auckland High Court
Srijanee Bhattacherjee
Associate - India Qualified
Srijanee is a corporate lawyer with extensive commercial experience in advising on cross-border transactions involving India and international markets (mainly, United States, Europe, and Singapore).
Before joining JW Legal, Srijanee practised at Khaitan & Co, one of India's leading full-service law firms, as a Principal Associate, where she advised on mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments and complex corporate transactions for domestic and international clients. Drawing on her experience across both the Indian and New Zealand legal landscapes, Srijanee assists businesses and investors navigating cross-border investment, corporate structuring, governance and commercial transactions.
She is particularly interested in supporting businesses seeking to establish, invest or expand across the India–New Zealand corridor, combining technical legal expertise with a practical understanding of the legal and practical issues that may arise when working across jurisdictions.
Qualifications: LLB, BLS (Legal Sciences), Government Law College, Mumbai University, India
srijanee@jwlegal.co.nz | +64 274 371 469 | Book a consultation
Samuel Wilson
Associate
Sam is an associate at JW Legal, working on corporate and commercial matters with a focus on private capital raisings and M&A deals.
He advises founders and business owners on structuring, investment and transactional execution, bringing a practical perspective shaped by hands-on deal experience. Sam is especially interested in how legal structures and incentives can support business growth and align stakeholder interests.
Qualifications: LLB, Auckland University of Technology, BA (Criminology), University of Auckland
Admission: 2023, Auckland High Court
Gahana Hiremath
Associate - India Qualified
Gahana is a corporate lawyer with strong international experience acting on high-value inbound transactions into Asia with mainly US and European counterparts.
She focuses on due diligence and M&A project management. Gahana believes in empowering her clients with the right arsenal to make informed decisions during their most strategic pressure points. Gahana joined JW Legal in 2024.
Qualifications: LLM, Auckland University of Technology, LLB, BA (Social Sciences), Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies, India
Admission: 2022, Bar Council of India
Tracey Hopkins
Executive Assistance & Office Manager
Tracey is an experienced office manager who brings a strong commitment to efficiency, organisation, and continuous improvement. She is dedicated to developing practical systems and processes that enable the team to work at their best.
With a keen eye for simplifying administrative tasks and streamlining workflows, Tracey ensures the firm operates smoothly behind the scenes. Her focus is on creating an environment where lawyers are fully supported and able to concentrate on delivering exceptional service to clients.