Senior Associate Solicitor - Corporate M&A

WP Legal Search; England; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

W&P Partners is collaborating with a highly regarded law firm to appoint a Senior Associate into its Corporate M&A team. The role offers high-quality mid-market deals and broad exposure across buy-side and sell-side transactions.

You will lead on complex M&A matters, draft and negotiate key documents, supervise junior lawyers, and work closely with clients and internal specialists to drive deals through from structuring to completion.

Qualifications

• Be a UK-qualified solicitor with 5+ years’ PQE.
• Have strong experience in Corporate M&A.
• Be comfortable running transactions with a high degree of autonomy.
• Have experience supervising or mentoring junior lawyers.
• Be commercially minded, pragmatic and confident in front of clients.
• Have experience gained within a strong corporate practice, ideally with exposure to mid-market transactions.

Responsibilities

• Leading on a broad range of buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions.
• Drafting and negotiating key transaction documents, including SPAs, shareholders’ agreements, disclosure letters and ancillary documentation.
• Managing legal due diligence processes and identifying key commercial and legal risks.
• Advising on transaction structure and supporting clients throughout the full deal lifecycle.
• Working closely with specialists across tax, employment, real estate and finance.
• Managing transactions and coordinating internal and external stakeholders through to completion.
• Building strong relationships with clients, intermediaries and other professional advisers.
• Supervising and mentoring junior lawyers within the team.
• Supporting wider corporate matters including reorganisations, investments and shareholder arrangements.

Skills

Corporate M&A experience

Client-facing

Mentoring juniors

Autonomous deal handling

Education

UK-qualified solicitor

Job description

W&P Partners is working with a highly regarded law firm looking to appoint a Senior Associate into its Corporate M&A team.

This is a strong opportunity for an experienced corporate lawyer to join a well-established transactional practice advising on a broad range of mid-market mergers and acquisitions, including both buy-side and sell-side transactions, often with cross-border or private equity elements.

The team works with a varied client base including entrepreneurs, owner-managed businesses, corporates, investors and international organisations, advising on transactions from initial structuring and due diligence through to negotiation, signing and completion.

The role will involve:

• Leading on a broad range of buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions
• Drafting and negotiating key transaction documents, including SPAs, shareholders’ agreements, disclosure letters and ancillary documentation
• Managing legal due diligence processes and identifying key commercial and legal risks
• Advising on transaction structure and supporting clients throughout the full deal lifecycle
• Working closely with specialists across tax, employment, real estate and finance
• Managing transactions and coordinating internal and external stakeholders through to completion
• Building strong relationships with clients, intermediaries and other professional advisers
• Supervising and mentoring junior lawyers within the team
• Supporting wider corporate matters including reorganisations, investments and shareholder arrangements

The successful candidate will ideally:

• Be a UK-qualified solicitor with 5+ years’ PQE
• Have strong experience in Corporate M&A
• Be comfortable running transactions with a high degree of autonomy
• Have experience supervising or mentoring junior lawyers
• Be commercially minded, pragmatic and confident in front of clients
• Have experience gained within a strong corporate practice, ideally with exposure to mid-market transactions

This would suit a Senior Associate looking for high-quality M&A work, increased deal responsibility and a clear opportunity to play a senior role within an established corporate team.