Solicitor, Private Equity & Venture Capital

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP; Sydney; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer invites a solicitor to join Australia’s premier Band 1 Corporate M&A practice, within the Private Equity & Venture Capital team in Sydney. You will work on high-profile private capital transactions and collaborate with our global offices, partners, and national practice teams.

You will support deal lifecycle activities from drafting and negotiating contracts through due diligence to completion while nurturing client relationships and contributing to business

Qualifications

• Admitted to practice in Australia or New Zealand.
• 2–4 years’ experience in a leading corporate M&A practice.
• Excellent academic results and a passion for continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Assist on domestic and international corporate transactions including private and public M&A with a focus on private equity; support VC and growth capital deals.
• Draft and negotiate contracts, perform due diligence, and manage deal execution.
• Help cultivate client relationships and contribute to business development initiatives.

Skills

M&A experience

Private equity

Client relationships

Regulatory awareness

Job description

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is a world-leading global law firm, where our ambition is to help you achieve your goals.

Exceptional client service and the pursuit of excellence are at our core. We invest in and care about our client relationships, which is why so many are longstanding. We enjoy breaking new ground, as we have for over 170 years.

As a fully integrated transatlantic and transpacific firm, we are where you need us to be. Our footprint is extensive and committed across the world’s largest markets, key financial centres and major growth hubs.

At our best tackling complexity and navigating change, we work alongside you on demanding litigation, exacting regulatory work and complex public and private market transactions. We are recognised as leading in these areas.

We are immersed in the sectors and challenges that impact you. We are recognised as standing apart in energy, infrastructure and resources. And we’re focused on areas of growth that affect every business across the world.

All of this is achieved by supporting the growth of our people, who help us deliver on our ambition – which is to help you achieve yours.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer: Your goals. Our ambition

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Solicitor to join Australia’s premier Band 1 Corporate M&A practice, working in the Private Equity & Venture Capital team.

In this role you will have exposure to some of the best and highest profile private capital transactions in Australia and the opportunity to collaborate with our global offices.

You will work closely with Sydney partners Stephen Dobbs, Elizabeth Henderson, Tom Hoare, Kam Jamshidi and Li-Lian Yeo, as well as with partners in our national practice.

What you’ll do

• Work across a range of domestic and global corporate transactions including private and public M&A with a particular focus on transactions involving private equity; and VC and growth equity capital raises from seed to pre-IPO.

• Work directly with clients and play a key role in market leading transactions across the full spectrum of a deal lifecycle – from drafting and negotiating contracts, undertaking and managing due diligence to managing completion.

• Support the cultivation of strong client relationships across a range of sectors by assisting with business development activities, events, pitching, marketing and thought leadership.

What you’ll bring

• Admission to practice as a lawyer in Australia or New Zealand.

• 2-4 years’ experience in a leading corporate M&A practice.

• Excellent academic results and a passion for continuous learning.

• A desire and energy to contribute to a high performing team.

• A curiosity about our clients, legal issues and the commercial context for our work.

• Eagerness to build client relationships to support the growth and reputation of the practice.

• An ability to adapt to competing demands and work through technical challenges in a calm and collegiate manner.

• A genuine interest in mentoring to support the development of junior lawyers in the team.

• An innovative mindset, curious about AI and emerging technologies.

The Team

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has a market leading private equity and venture capital practice and is widely regarded as having Australia’s leading M&A practice.

Our Tier 1 private equity practice covers the full scope of M&A and structured capital solutions, built on deep and trusted relationships with key private equity sponsors. Our depth of expertise in venture capital and growth equity comes from advising a wide variety of companies and investors at all stages of the investment cycle, from seed stage through to IPO and we are the leading venture capital and growth equity law firm in Australia.

We act for a number of private equity houses active in the Australian market, including Apollo Global Management, Affinity, Allegro Funds, Bain Capital, BGH Capital, EQT, Mercury Capital, Navis, Pacific Equity Partners, Quadrant, Tasman Capital, The Riverside Company, Roc Partners and The Growth Fund.

Our venture capital and growth clients include Culture Amp, Carma, Constantinople, Deputy, Dovetail, Gamurs, Linktree, me&u (Mr Yum), Sonder and SafetyCulture and include 8 of the 10 Australian unicorns or investors in them. We advise a wide range of Australian and foreign VC & growth investors and strategic investors.

What you can expect from us

• We’re a world leading international law firm with a global team of over 6,000 professionals across 26 offices. As the market leader in Australia, we are committed to high performance, collaboration, diversity and digital innovation. We are client‑centred, commercially driven, and renowned for our solution‑focused expertise. We will align your growth with our ambitions.

• We make your personal and professional growth our business. And as part of the team, our ambition is yours too. Wherever you are in your career: grow and help the firm grow with you.

• We will provide opportunities to learn on the job as well as a mix of learning opportunities tailored to you. Daily experiences, supportive challenges, team collaboration, mentors, and structured learning opportunities help you to expand your knowledge and reach your goals.

• We value your wellbeing, both at home and work and we place a strong emphasis on mental health. If you need support, you’ll have it and we’ll empower you to harness your personal strengths, navigate uncertainty, embrace opportunities, and effectively manage things within your control.

• For more benefits on offer such as our holistic wellbeing fund or home office allowance please click here.

• Join us to be part of a human, bold and outstanding team at Australia’s market leading law firm.

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.

Team

Corporate

Working Pattern

Full time

Location

Sydney

Contract type

Permanent Contract

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.