Associate, Atmos First Response

About Atmos

Atmos is a fresh, forward-thinking legal and advisory firm built from the ground up to redefine how legal services are delivered in the cyber, privacy, and digital risk space. Founded by a team of Australia and New Zealand's leading cyber, privacy, and digital risk practitioners, we bring more than 12 years of experience in high-stakes incident response, regulatory advisory, readiness, and digital risk management.

We created Atmos to break free from traditional law firm structures - cutting through inefficiencies, embracing technology, and fostering a truly collaborative, high-performing culture. This is a firm where exceptional people do their best work, free from outdated hierarchies and rigid ways of working, with the opportunity to shape the future of the industry.

About our brand

In a world of looming risks and crises, we are the protective sphere around our clients.

We empower all businesses great and small to move through uncertainty with clarity and confidence, using insight to transform challenges into opportunities.

As a team, we are united by a culture of deep collaboration, working closely together to do what is needed. We act as trusted partners and advisors, offering a full-service approach that enables our clients to build resilience.

A collective force of intelligence and legal expertise, we're reshaping the very fabric of guidance and protection in a digital age. Together, we are not only stronger, but also better prepared.

About the role

This is an opportunity to join Atmos as one of our founding members and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the firm. We're not just hiring lawyers, we're building a team of bold thinkers who want to do things differently. At Atmos, you'll have the unique chance to influence how we operate, contribute to a culture of innovation, and be part of something truly transformative from day one. If you're looking for more than just another job - if you want to help build a modern, agile, and forward-thinking legal practice, then we want to hear from you.

Associates within the Atmos First Response team play a crucial role supporting our clients as they navigate all types of cyber, privacy and digital law events. As first responders, our team makes a meaningful impact, providing our clients with market leading crisis, reputation and legal risk management support.

This role would suit a junior lawyer with developing cyber incident response, data protection and/or privacy law experience. Prior work experience in technology and regulatory disputes and/or corporate in-house experience in data breach response management is also considered.

If you are frustrated with traditional law firm thinking, rigid models, and outdated ways of working; if you're tired of unnecessary bureaucracy, constrained career paths, or spending more time on admin than high-value legal work, then Atmos is the place for you. We believe in empowering our people, providing cutting-edge tools and resources, and fostering an environment where talent and ambition are recognised and rewarded.

Our work is fast paced, so you will develop core skills and experience at a much faster rate compared to traditional practice areas. Our Associates have autonomy in a supportive environment and have the opportunity to be directly involved in client work. This gives our people the opportunity to make a significant contribution to successful outcomes.

The Partners encourage all members of the team to foster client relationships and regular opportunities are provided for the team to engage in business development. There is also an opportunity to make a meaningful impact by contributing to the Atmos First Response Pro-Bono Program which provides support and stolen funds recovery for personal scam victims.

You will work with clients large and small across all sectors, as well as partners, lawyers, consultants, crisis communications professionals and threat intelligence consultants across our network of offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.

You will also regularly work with:

• our correspondent law firms in 180+ jurisdictions around the world - an opportunity to become well versed in the global regulatory landscape; and
• leading cyber, privacy and digital law event response experts in digital forensics and IT restoration, threat actor engagement and extortion negotiation and data risk assessment and data breach notification support.

Joining Atmos means being part of something new - an agile, dynamic firm where you can shape your career, work alongside the best in the industry, and help build a legacy. If you're ready to be part of a team that's challenging the status quo and leading the future of cyber and digital risk law, we'd love to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for clients experiencing cyber, privacy and digital law events and provide prompt and efficient support helping them navigate the legal, operational and reputational issues they face.
• Manage the client facing response to the incident through the full lifecycle of the event, taking instructions and maintaining client files.
• Coordinate the initial response to the event, including the client, the internal team locally (or globally in collaboration with our correspondent law firm partners) and third-party vendors in accordance with the client's incident response plan.
• Assist with advising clients on potential regulatory obligations, investigations and corresponding notification requirements.
• Complete event reports outlining the status of the incident, remediation activities recommended and conduct post event reviews (where needed).
• Ensure the event is fully communicated, recorded and tracked in accordance with Atmos best practice frameworks.

Key skills and experience

• Admission as a legal practitioner in Australia with at least 1+ years of post-admission experience with a passion for cyber, data protection and privacy and an intimate understanding of corresponding client regulatory obligations.
• Strong academic credentials and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Developing experience dealing with escalated, client-facing issues, as well as experience handling a high caseload.
• An ability to thrive in a fast-paced rapidly changing environment with a critical mind and fine-tuned problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent time management skills and an ability to effectively manage competing priorities.
• Teamwork and collaboration skills, as well as the ability to be a self-starter that effectively manages work independently.

Atmos Benefits

• A remuneration package that meets the market - benchmarked against Australia and New Zealand's most comprehensive legal salary survey.
• A generous bonus scheme rewarding our people for periods of hard work, including an automatic bonus for achieving budget, early bonus access for team members with over 2 years of continuous service and an innovation bonus to reward hard work on initiatives that improve the Atmos client and/or employee experience.
• Career progression and promotion based on merit not just PQE. Where possible, we promote from within, rather than bringing in senior laterals. Access leading performance coaching and one-on-one career development support.
• Competitive parental leave benefits among the best on offer in Australia.
• Flexibility to work around personal commitments, that only requires you to work from the office 3 days per week.
• No compulsory shutdown period over Christmas and the New Year, giving our people the opportunity to take annual leave when it suits them.
• AI enabled best in class IT software and hardware taking the friction out of doing your day job. Comprehensive operational support, reducing the administrative burden on our lawyers, allowing them to focus on their day job.
• Access 1,000+ exclusive discounts and automatic cashback offers and a range of financial wellbeing resources through the Atmos employee benefits partner.

How to apply

Atmos is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Our core values support fairness, celebrate diversity and prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace. At Atmos we encourage everyone to bring their whole selves to work. We encourage all applications from appropriately qualified individuals, regardless of background or identity.

Take a moment to read our candidate privacy policy carefully (see ). This policy describes how we handle and manage personal information we collect about you as a person who applies to us for a job.

If you are interested in this position and think you have the right skills and experience for the job, your submitted application must include:

• A cover letter demonstrating your passion for cyber, data protection and privacy, which illustrates the relevant skills and experience you would bring to the role;
• A copy of your CV/Resume; and
• A copy of your official academic transcript.

Successful applicants will then be invited to a series of interviews designed to help us get to know each other better. You will also have an opportunity to talk to members of our team at different levels, so you can get a feel for 'a day in the life' of an Atmos first responder. It's important to us that you have an intimate understanding of the role and what sets Atmos apart from other firms before accepting any job offer.

The information provided in this job description (including responsibilities and benefits) is as constituted at present. Our practice area is constantly evolving with the changing cybercrime landscape. Because of this, Atmos reserves the right to reasonably amend it in accordance with the changing needs of the firm.

Atmos is not accepting recruitment agency candidates at this time.