Legal Director - Corporate and M&A

CRA Legal; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working 50/50

Private healthcare

Enhanced pension arrangements

25 days annual leave

Job summary

CRA Consulting is recruiting a Legal Director into its Corporate team in Sheffield. You will lead a varied portfolio of corporate transactions and advisory matters, coordinating input from colleagues across Banking, Tax, Employment, Commercial and Real Estate.

You will be UK-qualified with substantial transactional experience, typically eight years' PQE, and possess strong client relationships and a commercial, practical approach.

Qualifications

• UK-qualified Corporate solicitor with substantial transactional experience.
• Approximately eight years' PQE or above.
• Experience leading corporate transactions.
• Experience supervising and developing other lawyers.
• Strong client relationships and communication skills.
• Ambition to progress toward partnership and equity.
• Portable following advantageous but not essential.
• Interest in business development and practice growth.
• Ability to advise and negotiate at board level.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex transactions and multidisciplinary deal teams.
• Act as trusted adviser to business owners, investors and boards.
• Develop existing client relationships and identify new opportunities.
• Build relationships with accountants, funders and professional advisers.
• Support pitches, tenders and business development campaigns.
• Generate referrals across the firm's UK office network.
• Contribute to recruitment and team development.
• Support departmental strategy, performance and profitability.
• Build a visible profile across Sheffield and Yorkshire.

Skills

Corporate transactions

End-to-end deals

Board-level negotiation

Drafting & project mgmt

Commercial mindset

Team leadership

Client relationships

Business development

Partnership track

Education

UK-qualified solicitor

Job description

Role: Legal Director - Corporate and M&A

Location: Sheffield

Salary: £80,000 to £150,000, depending on experience

Contract: Permanent, Full-Time

Working Pattern: Hybrid - approximately 50% office and 50% home

Progression: Clear Route to Partnership and Equity

CRA Consulting is working with a major national law firm to recruit a Legal Director into its established Corporate team in Sheffield.

The firm has a strong UK office network and advises businesses, investors, shareholders and management teams on complex corporate transactions. Its Sheffield office benefits from a regular flow of work and referrals generated across the wider national practice.

This is an opportunity to join an established team with access to high-quality work and existing client relationships.

The position may suit an existing Legal Director, a Senior Associate seeking a credible route to partnership or a Partner who would benefit from a broader national platform.

The Role

You will lead a varied portfolio of corporate transactions and advisory matters, including:

• Mergers and acquisitions
• Share and asset sales
• Private equity and venture capital transactions
• Management buyouts and buy-ins
• Joint ventures and shareholder agreements
• Corporate reorganisations and restructures
• Investments and growth funding
• Corporate governance and advisory work
• Succession planning and employee ownership structures

You will manage transactions from initial instruction through due diligence, negotiation and completion. You will also coordinate input from colleagues in Banking, Tax, Employment, Commercial and Real Estate.

Clients will include owner-managed businesses, investors, private equity houses, national organisations and larger corporate groups.

Your Responsibilities

As a senior member of the team, you will:

• Lead complex transactions and multidisciplinary deal teams
• Act as a trusted adviser to business owners, investors and boards
• Develop existing client relationships and identify new opportunities
• Build relationships with accountants, funders and professional advisers
• Support pitches, tenders and business development campaigns
• Generate referrals across the firm's UK office network
• Contribute to recruitment and team development
• Support departmental strategy, performance and profitability
• Build a visible profile across Sheffield and Yorkshire

The Candidate

You will be a UK-qualified Corporate Solicitor with substantial transactional experience. Approximately eight years' PQE or above is anticipated as a guide, although applications will be assessed on experience and capability.

The firm is looking for candidates who can demonstrate:

• A strong record of leading corporate transactions
• Experience managing matters from heads of terms to completion
• Confidence advising and negotiating at board level
• Excellent technical, drafting and project-management skills
• A practical and commercially focused approach
• Experience supervising and developing other lawyers
• Strong client relationship and communication skills
• An interest in business development and practice growth
• The ambition to progress towards partnership and equity

A portable following would be advantageous but is not essential. Candidates with an established network, introducer relationships or a credible business development plan will also be considered.

Why Consider This Role?

The opportunity offers:

• A senior position within a national Corporate practice
• A strong pipeline of work generated across the UK
• Access to established regional and national clients
• Collaboration with specialist teams across multiple offices
• Support for business development and profile building
• Responsibility for developing junior lawyers
• Influence over the future development of the Sheffield team
• A transparent route to partnership and equity
• Hybrid and flexible working

Salary and Benefits

The package includes:

• Basic salary of £80,000 to £150,000
• Firm-wide salary increases year on year
• Hybrid working, split approximately 50% between the office and home
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private healthcare
• Enhanced pension arrangements
• Leadership and professional development support
• Defined partnership and equity milestones