Corporate Energy Associate

Buchanan; Greater London; On-site; GBP 158,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

Buchanan in London seeks a Corporate Energy Associate with 1–4 PQE to join its specialist energy team handling cross-border oil & gas transactions, finance, projects and disputes.

You will work on multi-jurisdictional M&A and project structures, with a platform that supports energy clients across Africa, the Middle East and beyond; the role offers a collaborative culture and a distinct market position.

Qualifications

• Solid cross-border corporate transactional experience in the energy sector.
• Exposure to oil and gas transactions and related finance or M&A work.
• Willingness to work in a fast-moving, collaborative team.

Responsibilities

• Support cross-border oil and gas M&A, disposals and joint ventures.
• Contribute to complex multi-jurisdictional deal execution.
• Work within a tight-knit, collaborative team to deliver client outcomes.

Skills

Cross-border deal experience

Energy sector exposure

Commercially minded

Education

Qualified solicitor

Job description

Corporate Energy Associate - 1–4 PQE - London

We are building early-stage pipeline for a Corporate Associate opportunity at one of London's most distinctive and specialist international energy practices. This is not yet a fully live mandate the team is planning ahead proactively but there is genuine intent to hire, no candidates currently in process, and a real opportunity for the right profile to get ahead of the market.

The Firm & Team

This is a unique platform in the London legal market. The firm is the only law firm in London solely dedicated to energy transactions, finance, projects and dispute resolution, giving it a market position that no generalist competitor can replicate. The Corporate team sits within this specialist energy context, advising on complex, cross-border transactions across Africa, the Middle East and the United States with a primary focus on oil and gas one of the most technically demanding and internationally complex deal environments in the market.

The firm has a unique position in the London legal market and demonstrates particular strength in upstream oil and gas financing as well as the development of floating LNG projects. Its lawyers regularly handle restructurings and a range of M&A work across the sector, with clients including major financial institutions and energy companies as well as private equity-backed new entrants. The firm's global reach extends to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Chambers Global 2026 recognised the firm as a global leader in energy, finance and infrastructure, awarding Band 1 rankings for both USA: Energy: Oil & Gas and UK: Energy & Natural Resources: Oil & Gas, with clients praising the firm's cross-border capabilities and depth in complex energy and infrastructure matters. The Corporate team itself is close-knit and highly collaborative — described internally as a \"wolf pack\" in the best sense — where lawyers work across all partners and matters rather than in silos. The culture is energetic, outgoing, and commercially driven without being overly rigid or hierarchical. Personality fit and team integration are as important as technical ability.

The Work

The deal flow reflects the firm's genuinely distinctive global network. Associates in this team work on cross-border corporate transactions spanning oil and gas acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, complex multi-jurisdictional M&A and project-related corporate structures often involving African and Middle Eastern counterparties, including sovereign and government entities, and coordinating across multiple time zones and legal systems simultaneously. Renewables and energy transition work is a growing area alongside the core oil and gas practice.

This is not siloed or narrowly defined work. It is the kind of complex, sometimes unpredictable, international transactional environment where lawyers develop broad judgment and deep commercial instinct quickly.

Why This Opportunity?

The compensation is benchmarked against leading US firm rates NQ salaries in the region of £158,000–£171,000 meaning candidates are not trading pay to move. What they are gaining is a materially different working environment: more collaborative, more team-oriented, and more trust-based than the typical high-intensity US firm model, with genuine flexibility for those who deliver. The team actively supports the development of its lawyers and is willing to bring on slightly more junior candidates if the fit is right and the ambition is clear.

Crucially, there are no candidates currently in play. This is a genuine pipeline opportunity for a well-positioned candidate to be first to the table.

What They Are Looking For

The team is targeting corporate lawyers at 1–4 PQE. Backgrounds from US or international firms are strongly preferred given the nature of the cross-border work, though strong candidates from UK firms with relevant energy and international exposure will be considered.

Non-negotiable requirements include solid corporate transactional experience, genuine exposure to cross-border and multi-jurisdictional deal execution, and critically experience in or a strong interest in the energy sector, particularly oil and gas. Africa-related transaction experience is a significant advantage given the complexity of the jurisdictions involved.

Behaviourally, the team is looking for someone who is outgoing, commercially minded, comfortable with ambiguity and fast-moving deal environments, and who genuinely wants to be part of a tight-knit, collaborative team rather than a large hierarchical machine.

Candidates without cross-border experience or energy sector exposure will not be considered. In-house backgrounds are not preferred unless directly relevant.

Given the pipeline nature of this opportunity, timing and feedback may be slower than a fully live search. We are collecting strong CVs now to present ahead of the formal process opening. If you are a corporate lawyer with energy and international experience and are open to a confidential conversation, please reach out directly.