Senior / Principal Associate – Corporate Birmingham

Gowling WLG; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Free private medical insurance

Life assurance covering four times your annual salary

State-of-the-art offices with onsite restaurant

Job summary

Gowling WLG in Birmingham is looking for Senior/Principal Associates to join their corporate team, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and joint ventures.

The successful candidates will play key roles in delivering exceptional client experiences and be part of a supportive culture known for its commitment to equality and diversity. With a hybrid working model and generous benefits like private medical insurance and a pension allowance, Gowling WLG provides a rewarding work environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in corporate work, especially M&A and private equity transactions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality corporate legal advice in M&A and private equity.
• Build and maintain long-term trusted client relationships.
• Participate in business development initiatives.

Skills

Corporate law expertise

Client relationship management

Business development acumen

Education

Qualified solicitor

Job description

Job Description

We are looking for Senior/Principle Associates to join our Corporate Birmingham team and undertake a wide spectrum of high-quality corporate work – principally mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures and group restructurings working collaboratively with fellow team members including the five partners who lead the team.

As part of a national team, the Birmingham corporate team provides comprehensive corporate legal advice, with a strong emphasis on M&A and private equity transactions. The team is known for its cohesive and supportive culture, and is highly responsive and results‑driven in its approach to both clients and colleagues.

Recognised as a top‑tier team by Chambers UK and The Legal 500, it is widely regarded as one of the leading corporate practices outside the City of London. While the team handles a significant volume of high‑quality regional work, the majority of its transactions are for national and international clients, many of which are multi‑jurisdictional.

The team has demonstrated strong sectoral and international expertise, attracting work of the highest calibre. Key sectors include advanced engineering (including aerospace and defence), health and life sciences, technology and real estate. Internationally, the team leads the firm’s initiatives in the USA, India, Germany, and Scandinavia, with team members regularly travelling to these regions.

Clients include Lloyds Development Capital, BGF, Birmingham City Council, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Rigby Group, HC-One, Cummins, Midcounties Co‑operative, THG, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Weetabix and Avison Young.

About you

We are experiencing continued growth and are seeking a Senior Associate and/or Principal Associate to join our team and help us deliver an exceptional client experience. In this role, you will be an integral part of dedicated client teams, building long‑term trusted relationships. You will collaborate with all partners and directors across a wide range of corporate matters and will be encouraged to take part in business development initiatives and further your professional development.

What We Can Offer You

• A hybrid approach to office and remote working.
• Generous annual leave, with the option to buy up to a week's extra annual leave.
• Free private medical insurance, and the option to add family members.
• A generous pension allowance.
• Life assurance covering four times your annual salary.
• The chance of a three‑month sabbatical every five years.
• Maternity, paternity and adoption leave schemes.
• A range of health and wellbeing programmes.
• State‑of‑the‑art offices, in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, with an onsite restaurant.
• Opportunities to flourish in your role through training and personal development.

Many of our people work flexibly in some way. If you would like to explore your own flexible working arrangements with us, we are happy to discuss this during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunities

Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment. The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re‑assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.

At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our aim is to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.