Senior Associate

Lewis Silkin; Belfast; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm is seeking a corporate lawyer to join their Northern Ireland team. This role covers M&A, investment, and corporate governance with an emphasis on intellectual property and tech law. Ideal candidates will bring experience in investment processes, corporate advisory, and a passion for innovation and tech. The firm values collaboration, offering hybrid work arrangements to support a diverse and inclusive culture.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in M&A processes and corporate advisory work.
• Drafting shareholder agreements and conducting legal due diligence.
• Understanding of intellectual property and tech law.

Responsibilities

• Focus on M&A, investment, and corporate governance.
• Manage transactions independently with guidance.
• Review disclosure documents and draft ancillary documents.

Skills

Team Player

Interest in Innovation

Collaborative Environment Experience

Job description

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PQE: 5 years + Term: Permanent Working hours: Full-time Team: Corporate Location: Belfast

Lewis Silkin works with leading businesses to protect and enhance their most important assets - their ideas, their people, their brand and their future. We call it: Ideas. People. Possibilities.

With offices in London, Oxford, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Belfast, Dublin and Hong Kong, we are recognised by clients and industry alike as being distinct for our unique culture, market-leading practice areas, sector-focused approach, and for providing solutions to complex, multijurisdictional business challenges, with a pragmatic and human touch. We have two things at our core: people — both ours and our clients’— and a focus on creative, tech, and innovative businesses.

Our culture is encapsulated by an ethos of bravery and kindness, guided by our values of Integrity, Clarity, Unity, and Excellence (our ‘I-CUE’). We aim to provide a supportive environment for our people, clients, and wider community, embracing diversity & inclusion, and enabling everyone to bring their full selves to work.

The department

We currently have corporate teams across London, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Through those teams, we deliver transactional advice and support of the highest quality, backed by our experts in key practice areas including data and privacy, tax, intellectual property, employment, and real estate. Our legal directory ratings, client testimonials, and client retention all attest to our excellence.

Our experts advise on the full range of corporate services:

1. Mergers and Acquisitions – share and asset sales and purchases for corporates, buyout transactions, and due diligence. Our clients range from UK, European, and US listed multinational organizations to UK and international funds, and owner-managed businesses across sectors from financial services to advertising. Our experience in media and technology sectors grants us unrivalled expertise.
2. Corporate finance – venture capital and private equity investments, pre-IPO fundraising, investment agreements. We serve a diverse client base including business angels, venture funds, private equity, investee companies, and management/founders.
3. Joint ventures – contractual structures, corporate and LLP vehicles, and tax-efficient structuring. We assist in selecting appropriate joint venture vehicles and structuring them efficiently.
4. General corporate advice – insolvency, corporate recovery, compliance, shareholders’ and partnerships agreements, and constitutional documents. We advise on the best corporate structures, recent legal changes, and strategies for financial difficulties.
5. Debt – loans, security, and financial advice. We advise both borrowers and lenders on suitable financing structures and day-to-day financial matters.
6. Commercial tax – structuring and reorganizations. Our tax experts support all transactional work, ensuring tax efficiency in acquisitions, disposals, private equity, and debt structuring, including transfer pricing and LTIPs.

Responsibilities

The role is based in our Northern Ireland team, focusing on M&A, investment, corporate governance, and a particular expertise in intellectual property and tech law, especially within the vibrant start-up community in NI.

The successful candidate will be a key part of a friendly, supportive team, with a strong team-player mindset and experience working in a high-performing, collaborative environment.

Our associates are encouraged to manage their own transactions with guidance as needed and to develop their legal knowledge.

Interest in innovation, tech, and business is essential.

The ideal candidate would have significant prior experience in most of the following: M&A processes, venture capital/private equity investments, corporate advisory work (share issues, buy-backs, reorganizations), drafting shareholder agreements and articles of association, conducting legal due diligence, reviewing disclosure documents, drafting ancillary documents, handling client calls independently, and an understanding of IP.

The role offers hybrid working with at least 2 days in the office per week.

Additional information

At Lewis Silkin, our ethos is to do the best for our clients, our people, and our communities. We value diversity and inclusion, fostering a culture where everyone can be themselves, which enhances our service quality. We are committed to flexible working arrangements and office locations, and we look forward to finding the right candidate for this role.