Associate - Restructuring & Insolvency

A&O Shearman; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A reputable law firm is seeking a Restructuring Associate or Senior Associate to join their team in London. This role requires a qualified lawyer with 4-8 years of experience in restructuring. Responsibilities include drafting documentation, advising clients, managing projects, and supervising junior members. Strong technical knowledge, excellent communication skills, and a detail-focused approach are essential. The firm offers competitive benefits and a hybrid working model, expecting a minimum of 60% office presence.

Benefits

Occupational pension scheme

Private medical insurance

Onsite gym and wellbeing services

Holiday entitlement increasing with length of service

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with 4-8 years PQE in restructuring transactions.
• Strong technical knowledge of the legal framework surrounding restructuring.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build relationships.

Responsibilities

• Draft and review documentation for restructuring cases.
• Advise clients strategically in meetings and in writing.
• Manage client expectations and project delivery effectively.
• Participate in business development and client relationship management.
• Conduct legal research as needed.
• Supervise junior team members.

Skills

Strong technical knowledge of legal framework

Excellent client relationship skills

Strong organisational skills

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Detail-focused approach

Collaborative team player

Education

Qualified lawyer (4-8 PQE)

Job description

Job description

We are recruiting a Restructuring Associate or Senior Associate to join our restructuring and insolvency team in London.

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE

Our unrivalled restructuring and insolvency team, with more than 200 lawyers specialising in restructuring across 33 offices globally, is truly world class. With such an extensive and dedicated team, we advise on the largest and most complex restructurings, and pride ourselves on providing pioneering solutions as well as delivering real commercial results. We specialise in cross-border restructurings and insolvencies and special situation, utilising the full range of international options including U.S. Chapter 11 reorganisations, UK schemes of arrangement, pre‑packaged sales and debt for equity swaps.

Our expertise covers advice on contingency planning, debt restructuring, special situation credit solutions (including drop down financing transactions), reschedulings, distressed acquisitions/sales, credit bidding, formal insolvency proceedings, out‑of‑court refinancings, liability management exercises and distressed debt trading. We advise creditors and investors at all levels of the capital structure as well as corporates/directors, central banks, insolvency officeholders/trustees and government institutions.

We work closely with specialists in related practice areas including finance, corporate, real estate, employment, pensions, tax, environment, regulatory, capital markets and litigation to provide our clients with a seamless and integrated service.

ROLE PURPOSE

We are recruiting for an Associate or Senior Associate to join our Restructuring and Insolvency team as part of our Finance practice.

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drafting, reviewing and amending documentation
• Strategically advising clients in meetings, on the phone and in writing
• Managing client expectations and project delivery appropriately
• Business development – development of personal plan, assistance with and implementation of business development campaign
• Legal research
• Supervision of junior team members

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• Qualified lawyer (4‑8 PQE)
• Strong technical knowledge of the legal framework surrounding restructuring transactions.
• Intellectual curiosity and versatility
• Self‑starter with the desire and ability to continuously acquire, build upon and share knowledge
• Detail‑focused and self‑motivated approach
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines
• Excellent client relationship skills
• Sound experience of operating at associate level within a complex international organisation
• Strong commercial/business acumen with the ability to deliver creative and pragmatic solutions and advice
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interface at all levels and particularly to win the respect of the partner and fee‑earner community, building strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders
• Collaborative team player with the ability to develop and work in a fast paced, intellectually rigorous environment
• A person of sound judgment, able to establish a high level of credibility

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

Our benefits include an occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back‑up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Our approach to hybrid working seeks to combine and maximise the benefits of effective remote working with the benefits of being in the office. Our current hybrid working arrangements require office based working for a minimum of 60% of your time (three days per week for a full time role) in accordance with our hybrid working policy.