▁in ▁which ▁he ▁ad vised ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁government . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁this ▁period ▁that ▁he ▁met ▁his ▁future ▁wife , ▁Margaret ▁L ’ Est range , ▁an ▁Australian . ▁ ▁After ▁getting ▁married , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Sydney , ▁Australia . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁there ▁that ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁legal ▁firm ▁Free h ills ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁ ▁Tw enty ▁years ▁later ▁he ▁was ▁made ▁the ▁Sydney ▁Chair man ▁and ▁a ▁senior ▁partner ▁of ▁the ▁firm . ▁ ▁Ste ele ▁helped ▁over see ▁the ▁firm ' s ▁transformation ▁from ▁a ▁feder ation ▁to ▁a ▁fully ▁integrated ▁national ▁firm , ▁which ▁was ▁achieved ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁years ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁national ▁Head ▁of ▁Lit ig ation . ▁ ▁He ▁played ▁a ▁key ▁role ▁in ▁establish ing ▁Free h ills ’ ▁pro ▁b ono ▁program ▁in ▁Sydney . ▁ ▁He ▁also ▁helped ▁orch est rate ▁Free h ills ▁becoming ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Public ▁Interest ▁Law ▁Clear ing ▁House . ▁ ▁Ste ele ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁director ▁of ▁that ▁body ▁for ▁nearly ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁from ▁its ▁in ception . ▁ ▁Out side ▁of ▁the ▁legal ▁firm , ▁Ste ele ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Administr ative ▁Law ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁South ▁Wales ▁Law ▁Society , ▁the ▁Law ▁Council ▁of ▁Australia ▁and ▁as ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Custom s ▁Law ▁Committee . ▁ ▁He ▁had ▁also ▁served