Senior Associate - Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions

Baker McKenzie; Dubai; On-site; AED 700,000 - 1,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Baker McKenzie in Dubai seeks a Senior Associate with 6 to 10 years PQE to handle complex cross-border M&A, private equity, and funds matters. You will draft and negotiate documents, manage due diligence, and contribute to client service excellence.

You will work with a global team, advising major clients, and may engage in secondments and broad development opportunities within the firm.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with excellent academic credentials.
• Experience and training with a leading international firm.
• Strong technical skills in transactions and drafting.
• Excellent English communication skills (reading, writing, speaking).
• Significant experience on M&A, private equity, venture capital or funds.
• Arabic language is an added value.

Responsibilities

• Advise on large-scale cross-border M&A, VC, PE and funds transactions.
• Draft and negotiate key transaction documents and manage DD and closings.
• Provide high level client service and be client-focused.
• Supervise junior lawyers and paralegals; share knowledge with the team.
• Engage in business development and client relationship building.
• Participate in secondments and multi-office transfers when available.

Skills

M&A

Private equity

Venture capital

Investment funds

English communication

Client service

Education

Law degree

Job description

Our Mergers & Acquisitions team is seeking an ambitious, energetic and talented Senior Associate with 6 to 10 years PQE. The role will involve:

• Advising on large scale, complex, cross-border M&A, venture capital, private equity, and/or investment funds transactions.


• Working closely with SWFs, national and multinational corporations and regional and global funds and family offices.


• Drafting and negotiating key transaction documents, working with members of the team to manage due diligence, disclosure exercises and closings. Taking responsibility for providing a high level of client service.


• Advising on key transaction documents including term sheets, offer letters, subscription agreements, share sale and purchase agreements, shareholders' agreements, joint venture agreements and ancillary documentation.


• Working closely with the corporate Partners to develop leadership skills on transaction teams on large, complex transactions.


• Developing relationships with clients including gaining knowledge of the client’s businesses, economic drivers, market and sector requirements in order to ensure advice is relevant and commercial.


• Working as part of a team including assisting with the supervision of junior lawyers and paralegals, and taking an active part in sharing knowledge and experience with the team.


• Associates are given regular and direct contact with clients, with a culture based on associates being given the level of responsibility they are ready for, rather than a PQE based method of work allocation.


• There are regular opportunities for secondments with clients. Posting to other offices under the Firm's associate transfer programme is also a possibility.


• Engaging in business development activities and being active in the promotion of the Firm.

The Team

Our UAE offices offer clients one of the strongest corporate, M&A, private equity, venture capital, investment funds and commercial practices in the UAE. Our team in the UAE works closely with global clients including major tech companies and multinationals, the region’s leading sovereign wealth funds, private equity and venture capital funds and family offices. With offices across the region including in Saudi Arabia ('Tier 1' for Commercial, Corporate and M&A), Egypt ('Tier 1' for Commercial, Corporate and M&A), Bahrain ('Tier 1' for Commercial, Corporate and M&A), Turkey ('Tier 1' for Commercial, Corporate and M&A) the UAE team is fully integrated and offers clients unrivalled coverage for their most sensitive transactions. We are known for our deep knowledge of not just the UAE legal environment but the regional deal landscape and for being able to offer fully integrated advice across the region and globally.

Clients include private equity funds, publicly listed companies, sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions and major national and multinational corporations. Our practice is broad, and much of what we do is cross-border.

As the practice is fast growing, the prospects of career promotion are promising for the selected candidate. The emphasis is on developing well rounded, technically astute, commercially aware, relationship-focused lawyers, who are interested in a long-term career in a global law Firm.

Key Skills and Experience Required

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate all or the majority of the following:

• A qualified lawyer with excellent academic credentials.


• Experience and training with a leading international Firm.


• First rate technical skills.


• Excellent English communication skills (fluency in reading, writing, speaking).


• Significant experience on M&A, private equity, venture capital and/or investment funds matters.


• Arabic language is an added value.


• Strong client service orientation - a "client first" mentality.


• Ability to develop strong relationships with clients.


• Maturity, gravitas and emotional intelligence.


• Ability to work well in both a team and individually.


• A keenness to learn.


• Respects and enjoys the diversity of backgrounds found in the Firm and amongst our client base.


• Qualified candidates will have the ability to function smoothly in a global team environment with culturally diverse team members.