Mid-Level Associate | Private Equity

Henderson Scott Limited; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global law firm is seeking a talented Associate to join its award-winning Private Equity team in London. This role involves advising on all aspects of transactions, including investments, exits, and ongoing portfolio company work. Ideal candidates will have mid-level experience in M&A and private equity, excellent drafting skills, and a strong commercial awareness. Opportunities for growth and a balanced hybrid working model are offered.

Benefits

Comprehensive training and development

Balanced hybrid working model

Exposure to cutting-edge transactions

Qualifications

• Mid-level lawyer with strong M&A and private equity experience.
• Excellent drafting, analytical, and communication abilities.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead workstreams on major transactions and manage smaller deals independently.
• Draft and negotiate complex legal documents.
• Provide commercially focused advice to multinational corporates.

Skills

M&A experience

Private equity experience

Legal drafting

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Commercial awareness

Education

Outstanding academic credentials

Job description

A leading global law firm is seeking a talented Associate to join its award-winning Private Equity team in London. This group sits at the heart of the firm's corporate practice and plays a central role in its global business strategy. The team offers exceptional opportunities to work on high-profile, market-leading transactions for some of the world's most prominent financial sponsors, including international private equity houses, infrastructure funds, banks, and portfolio companies.

The firm has been a leader in private equity for more than 40 years. Its integrated global network and multi-disciplinary approach provide clients with unrivalled strength and depth across acquisition finance, capital markets, funds, regulatory, and key industry sectors. This breadth of expertise enables the team to advise on transactions of any size and complexity, anywhere in the world.

Recent Highlights

Since January 2025, the Private Equity group has advised on 40 deals across 17 countries, with a combined value of US$74 billion. Notable mandates include:

• Advising CVC Capital Partners and Cinven on the sale of NewDay's consumer credit portfolio to KKR-managed funds.
• Acting for Blackstone on its minority stake in Property Finder.
• Advising TPG Rise Climate on further investment in Enpal.
• Representing Permira on acquiring a minority interest in Property Finder.
• Partners Group on the EUR 1bn sale of GREENLINK to Equitix and Baltic Cable.
• Daisy Group on its merger with Virgin Media O2's B2B business, creating a joint venture with GBP 1.4bn annual revenue.
• Cinven on its acquisition of Smart Communications.
• A consortium of BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and Mubadala on the sale of a majority stake in Calisen Group.
• KKR on financing for CapVest's potential EUR 10bn acquisition of Stada and its exit from PT Nippon Indosari Corpindo Tbk.

Awards & Recognition

• Chambers Band 1 rankings for UK PE (Buyouts £500m+), Global PE, and Europe-wide PE.
• International Law Firm of the Year.
• European Private Equity Team of the Year.
• Private Equity Deal of the Year (IFLR Europe Awards).

The Role

The successful candidate will work at the forefront of the private equity market, advising on all aspects of transactions, including:

• Investments (private acquisitions, public takeovers, minority stakes, joint ventures).
• Exits (trade sales, IPOs, dual-track processes).
• Ongoing portfolio company work (add-on acquisitions, asset sales, refinancing, restructurings).

Key Responsibilities

• Act as an integral member of deal teams, leading workstreams on major transactions and managing smaller deals independently.
• Draft and negotiate complex legal documents with clarity and precision.
• Provide commercially focused advice to multinational corporates.
• Build strong client relationships and contribute to business development and thought leadership initiatives.
• Collaborate with multi‑jurisdictional teams on high‑value matters that frequently make headlines.

Candidate Profile

• Mid-level lawyer with strong M&A and private equity experience, ideally gained at a leading City or international firm.
• Outstanding academic credentials and proven transactional skills.
• Excellent drafting, analytical, and communication abilities.
• High level of commercial awareness and ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Appetite for client engagement, business development, and thought leadership.
• Experience working with multi-disciplinary and cross-border teams.

Why Join?

This is an opportunity to work with one of the largest international law firms in the world, offering:

• A truly global platform with over 30 offices.
• Exposure to cutting‑edge transactions and industry‑leading clients.
• Comprehensive training and development.
• A balanced hybrid working model (minimum 50% office presence).

The firm prides itself on delivering world‑class service through collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to excellence. Its global strategy focuses on supporting core clients across sectors and geographies that matter most to them.