Associate - Corporate M&A

Bass, Berry & Sims; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 260,000 - 435,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Job summary

Bass, Berry & Sims is seeking a corporate attorney with 2+ years of sophisticated corporate experience (3rd year attorney and above) for our Corporate and Securities group in Chicago or Nashville. You will represent private equity firms and public companies in complex mergers and acquisitions, capital markets matters, governance, and related transactions.

JD from an accredited law school and an active U.S. license in good standing are required.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of sophisticated corporate experience (3rd year attorney and above) in corporate law.
• Experience representing private equity firms and/or public companies in M&A transactions.
• Strong analytical, written, and verbal skills; excellent academic credentials.

Responsibilities

• Represent private equity firms and public companies in complex M&A transactions.
• Advise on capital markets matters and SEC reporting as part of corporate governance.
• Collaborate across teams to support high-profile corporate engagements.

Skills

Corporate/M&A experience

SEC reporting

Capital markets

Governance

Education

Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited law school

Job description

Public and private companies of all sizes across a variety of industries turn to Bass, Berry & Sims for counsel on a wide range of corporate matters, including private equity transactions, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, capital markets transactions, executive compensation issues, corporate governance and shareholder activism. We serve as primary corporate and securities counsel to public companies in a variety of industries and have assisted many hundreds of other public and private companies in high‑profile, high‑stakes engagements. Our attorneys are leaders in industry organizations and have been recognized for their significant contributions to clients and for their accomplishments. Named Law Firm of the Year by M&A Advisor (2021), our work has been highlighted with various awards, including 12 transactions recognized as “Deal of the Year,” ranging from $10MM to $5B and spanning industries such as healthcare, industrial, consumer, retail, life sciences, and more. Ranked by Chambers USA as the #1 Corporate and M&A practice in Tennessee for the past 22 years, researchers have concluded that our corporate team is a “Preeminent group highly recommended for its expertise on big-ticket M&A transactions, including an increasing volume of cross-border matters. Also has a wealth of experience advising on private offerings and shareholder activism issues. Additionally, the firm has extensive expertise in advising public companies on sophisticated corporate and securities matters. Clients say: ‘The firm is one of the best I have worked with in my entire career.’” (from Chambers USA) “Their commitment is second to none.” and “They go toe to toe on expertise with New York firms…they represent a wealth of private equity firms and their portfolio companies…I’d put them up there with the big firms globally – some of the finest attorneys I’ve seen.” (from Chambers USA). By the numbers, we have served as lead counsel in more than 400 transactions ranging in size from $20 million to more than $15 billion in the last four years. We maintain top rankings in industry leading M&A league tables, including #5 most active in healthcare private equity, #18 most active in U.S. private equity, and #12 most active representing investors in M&A (Pitchbook, Q2 2025).

We are seeking highly qualified candidates with 2 or more years of sophisticated corporate experience (3rd year attorney and above) for our Corporate and Securities practice group in our Chicago or Nashville office location. Experience in representing private equity firms and/or other private companies, as well as public companies in connection with sophisticated merger and acquisition transactions is required. Experience with SEC reporting matters, capital markets and/or corporate governance matters, is a plus. Candidates must have excellent analytical, written, verbal and interpersonal skills as well as excellent academic credentials. Salary for this position, if located in our Chicago office, will be in the range of $260,000-$435,000. This is a salary range and actual salary will be determined based on the experience of the candidate.

• Healthcare benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, are available to benefits-eligible employees and their benefits-eligible dependents.

Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited law school and active law license in a U.S. jurisdiction in good standing required.