M&A Partner

BCL Legal; New York (NY); On-site; USD 500,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity partnership

Autonomy in NYC office build-out

Senior leadership role

Job summary

BCL Legal seeks a Junior Partner to lead the expansion of its New York City M&A practice. The candidate will originate and manage deals, own key client relationships from day one, and help shape the office's strategy and culture as it scales.

This is a ground-floor growth opportunity with equity partnership, autonomy, and collaboration with the broader firm’s Corporate/M&A team across sectors.

Qualifications

• JD required and admitted to the bar in NY (or eligible)
• Proven track record in mergers & acquisitions with private equity/startups
• Portable book of client relationships and deal origination

Responsibilities

• Lead NYC-based M&A practice growth.
• Originate and run deals for PE, startup, and buyers/sellers.
• Own client relationships from day one.
• Shape strategy, hiring, and culture for the NYC office.
• Collaborate with other practice groups to cross-sell services.

Skills

M&A

Business development

Client relations

Leadership

Negotiation

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

The Firm

A well-established, full-service regional firm with roughly 30–35 attorneys, headquartered in the Northeast with existing offices across multiple states. The firm has built a strong reputation over several decades for high-quality, cost-effective legal service to a mix of public and private sector clients, and has been recognized for multiple consecutive years in Chambers USA across a handful of core practice areas — including its Corporate/M&A group. It’s a firm known internally for a genuinely collegial, non-bureaucratic culture, and has been separately recognized as a strong place to work.

The Existing M&A Team

The firm’s Corporate and Commercial Transactions team is Chambers-accredited and has an established, well-regarded practice advising private equity funds, high-growth start-ups, and buyers and sellers across a range of transaction types — including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, portfolio company investments, and equity financings (convertible notes, SAFEs, and similar structures). Clients and peers have specifically praised the team’s attention to detail and collaborative, solutions-oriented approach to deal work. The practice currently operates primarily out of the firm’s upstate New York offices, with an existing but modest presence in New York City.

The Opportunity

The firm is undertaking a deliberate, planned expansion of its New York City office and is looking to bring on a Junior Partner to help lead that build-out on the M&A side. This is a rare opportunity to join at the ground floor of an office launch — with the backing, infrastructure, and Chambers-ranked practice credibility of an established firm, but the autonomy and upside typically associated with starting something new.

The firm is looking for a candidate who can bring a portable book of business of $300,000 to start, with a clear runway to build significantly beyond that as the NYC platform grows.

What the Role Will Look Like

• Lead and help build out the firm’s NYC-based M&A practice, working alongside the existing Chambers-ranked Corporate/M&A team
• Originate and run deals for private equity, start-up, and strategic buyer/seller clients — with direct ownership of client relationships from day one
• Play a meaningful role in shaping the strategy, hiring, and culture of the New York City office as it scales
• Collaborate with the firm’s other practice groups (energy, real estate, litigation, trusts & estates) to cross-sell and support a broader platform for NYC clients
• Operate with significant autonomy as a senior, book-carrying partner, rather than being one of many partners in a large, established NYC office

Benefits to the Individual

• Genuine equity partnership and a real seat at the table in building a new office — not a lateral hire into an existing, fully-formed structure
• Materially lower overhead and cost base than an Am Law NYC platform, translating into stronger economics on a portable book
• The infrastructure, brand credibility, and Chambers-ranked practice support of an established, 35 year old firm — reducing the risk typically associated with building from scratch
• Significant upside and visibility: as a founding partner of the NYC office, this individual would be central to its growth story and long-term profile within the firm
• A collegial, entrepreneurial culture with direct access to firm leadership, rather than the layered bureaucracy of a larger platform