Associate, Real Estate Finance (Global Loans)

Ashurst; City Of London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global law firm is seeking a real estate finance associate with 1-4 years of experience to join their Global Loans team in London. The role involves drafting and negotiating finance documents, managing client relationships, and working closely within a team. Candidates must have experience in finance documentation and a proactive, can-do attitude. This law firm offers flexible work options, market-leading parental leave, and extensive opportunities for career advancement.

Benefits

Flexible work options

Market leading parental leave

Health and wellbeing benefits

Extensive Learning & Development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating finance documentation.
• Ability to manage projects assigned and liaise with various stakeholders.
• Understanding of and response to client needs.

Responsibilities

• Drafting and negotiating term sheets and facilities agreements.
• Managing projects and client relationships.
• Working collaboratively within a transaction team.

Skills

Drafting finance documents

Negotiating with counterparts

Business development

Interpersonal skills

Proactive attitude

Team player

Cross-border transaction experience

Education

1-4 years of experience in real estate finance

Job description

Overview

About Ashurst: Ashurst is a leading global law firm with a determination to go beyond the ordinary by outpacing change. We have a community of 4800+ people across over 30 offices globally and are a trusted adviser to top corporates, financial institutions and governments. What sets us apart is our ambition for our people and our clients.

Team overview

We are proud to have been involved in some of the highest-profile and most innovative real estate finance transactions in the market. We advise some of the world's leading financial institutions, sponsors, investors and asset managers, across the full spectrum of assets and transaction types.

We firmly believe that the best results come from bringing together bright, passionate and enthusiastic professionals as part of a committed industry-focused team. Our real estate finance team works closely with our real estate, development, tax and corporate teams, as well as our leading real estate and finance teams around the world.

We understand the direction of travel for real estate and real estate finance is increasingly complex. We work closely with our clients to find creative solutions to the challenges created by the current global macro-economic environment and capitalise on the opportunities it presents.

Job overview

You would typically act on all elements of a financing from term sheet stage, through to closing and post-closing. Your specific areas of responsibility will be to draft and negotiate term sheets, security documents and facilities agreements ensuring a smooth process to transaction close.

You will be expected to have client relationships and a desire to build on these and develop your own client network with support and guidance from the partners and wider team.

You would also be expected to manage projects that have been assigned to you, and liaise closely with colleagues, clients, counterparties and other advisers. You would be working as part of a committed and inspired friendly team that enjoys its work and considers itself a leader in its field of practice.

Typical responsibilities include:

• Drafting finance documents and working with the transaction team to ensure effective and efficient transaction management
• Negotiating with counterparts and leading calls
• Contributing to department know-how and developing precedent documents
• Working with the partners to supervise and develop more junior talent

In addition to strong technical skills, you should be able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for business development and strong interpersonal skills as there will be significant client contact, in both the work and business development context.

Essential skills and experience

We are seeking a real estate finance associate with 1-4 years of experience to join our Global Loans team.

The candidate must:

• have experience of drafting, reviewing and negotiating the full suite of finance documentation (using both LMA precedents and bespoke agreements) in a private practice environment
• be proactive, a fast learner, and a team-player who can work effectively with colleagues at all levels
• have experience working on cross-border transactions
• have the ability to understand and respond effectively to client needs, and the desire to create a memorable client experience
• have a motivational, "can-do" attitude
• adopt a commercial approach

Recent work

You can expect to have exposure to a wide range of high quality transactions.

• Lendlease- Advised on the JV arrangements, financing and £800million acquisition of 21 Moorfields, London from Land Securities plc, including providing ongoing asset management advice.
• Oxford Properties- Advised in connection with the financing of the £429 million acquisition of the iconic grade II listed property known as Victoria House in Bloomsbury, London.
• Lloyds- Advised in connection with its financing of the designer outlet village and entertainment district at London's O2 Arena.
• Cain International- Advised in connection with a £170 million development loan advanced to a joint venture between Ballymore and Oxley for the delivery of Deanston Wharf, London.
• Thomas Cook- Advised the Official Receiver as liquidator and AlixPartners and KPMG as Special Managers of 26 Thomas Cook UK entities in compulsory liquidation including on the sale of Thomas Cook's UK retail estate to Hays Travel.
• Oaktree- Advised on the acquisition of a portfolio of non- performing loans from Lloyds Banking Group with a portfolio face value of €4.7 billion.
• Apollo- Advised on the acquisition of a portfolio of Greek commercial mortgages and REOs from Alpha Bank with a portfolio face value of €1 billion.

Career advancement

An established Associate Career Path Framework is in place clearly defining expectations and outlining opportunities for promotion.

Secondment opportunities

Opportunities often arise for associates to spend time on secondment in house with a key client of the firm. From time to time, secondment opportunities also come up within other Ashurst offices in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.

What makes Ashurst a great place to work?

• Flexible work options
• Market leading parental leave of 26 weeks paid leave irrespective of gender
• Health and wellbeing benefits, gym membership (discounted memberships) and corporate health plans
• Genuine opportunities to grow your career through secondments or global opportunities,
• Extensive Learning & Development opportunities including tailored professional developmentfor all employees, coaching, mentoring and study support for further education.
• We have a strong commitment to social impact, demonstrated by our extensive volunteeringand pro-bono opportunities, as well as our award-winning social inclusion and mobility programmes.
• We are committed to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

For more information or if you require any support and adjustments to participate equitably in our recruitment process or in the workplace, we encourage you to contact: [e-mail] for a confidential conversation.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply directly to Ashurst. We prefer to talk with you personally and are not accepting applications from recruitment agencies.