Associate - Corporate M&A

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in London is seeking an experienced mid-level Associate for its Global M&A and Capital team. The role focuses on corporate M&A, private capital, and capital markets with a broad international dimension and involvement in large and complex transactions.

You will join a leading practice with exposure to cross-border deals, asset reorganisations and spin-offs, while collaborating with teams across antitrust, tax, finance and data protection.

Qualifications

• Qualified England & Wales or common law qualified lawyer with a top class academic record.
• Corporate M&A experience involving cross-border transactions at a leading firm.
• Experience of handling transactional workstreams with appropriate supervision.
• Strong technical drafting skills and commercial awareness.

Responsibilities

• Advise on complex corporate transactions, including acquisitions, disposals, mergers, restructurings, carve-outs, spin-offs and JVs.
• Advise on a broad range of corporate matters, including strategic acquisitions and governance issues.
• Work on public and private M&A, takeover bids and schemes of arrangement.
• Coordinate multi-jurisdictional deal teams and collaborate with specialist teams.

Skills

M&A experience

Drafting abilities

Project management

Cross-border transactions

Commercial awareness

Education

England & Wales or common law qualified

Job description

About the practice/team

Freshfields’ Global M&A and Capital (GMAC) together lawyers specialising in Corporate M&A, Private Capital, Capital Markets, finance in a single transactional practice group, acting for private and public companies, banks, governments and states. The practice is consistently ranked at the top of the league tables in Europe, Asia and globally. Most of the work will have an international dimension and will range from some of the largest and most complex transactions to smaller deals which provide greater responsibility. We offer comprehensive training and career development for associates at all levels and encourage secondments, both within our international network and to our clients.

We are currently looking to hire an experienced mid-level Associate into our M&A team. The team is one of the firms largest and acts for a wide range of companies, their boards and special committees on all aspects of the M&A landscape, including public and private M&A, carve-outs, spin-offs, split-offs, joint ventures and strategic alliances.

Our Associates work across a range of sectors where we have deep expertise including Financial Institutions, Technology, Telecoms, Energy & Infrastructure, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Industrials and Consumer Markets.

Key responsibilities

• Advise on complex corporate transactions, including, acquisitions, disposals, mergers, restructurings, carve-outs, spin-offs and joint ventures involving both public and private companies.
• Advise public and private companies on a broad range of corporate matters, including strategic acquisitions, reorganisations, shareholder arrangements and governance issues.
• Work on public and private M&A transactions, including takeover bids, schemes of arrangement and competitive auction processes.
• Collaborate with specialist teams across antitrust, finance, tax, employment, regulatory, technology, IP and data protection to deliver seamless client advice.
• Manage due diligence, transaction structuring, drafting and negotiation of key documents, while coordinating multi-jurisdictional deal teams.
• Advise on transaction-related separation, integration and transformation projects, including post-merger integration and carve-outs.
• Support clients on strategic partnerships, consortium arrangements and joint ventures across a variety of sectors.

About you

• Qualified England & Wales or common law qualified lawyer with a top class academic record
• Corporate M&A experience involving cross-border transactions gained at a leading firm
• Experience of handling transactional workstreams with appropriate supervision
• Strong technical drafting skills and commercial awareness
• Excellent organisational and project management skills
• Genuine interest or experience in the TMT, Energy & Infrastructure or Financial Institutions sectors and a willingness to build sector-specific regulatory and commercial knowledge alongside core M&A technical skills.

Equal opportunities and right to work

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer. All applications are considered on merit alone, and the firm welcomes applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background.

All offers of employment are conditional on the candidate having, or securing, the right to work in the UK, and providing evidence as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. Applicants are asked to disclose criminal convictions only once a conditional offer of employment has been made. A conviction does not automatically lead to the withdrawal of an offer; any disclosure is assessed case by case, taking into account the role applied for and the circumstances of the offence, and the candidate will have the opportunity to discuss the matter before any decision is made.