M&A Partner

BCL Legal Limited; New York (NY); On-site; USD 350,000 - 600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity partnership

Low overhead economics

Brand credibility

Founding partner visibility

Direct leadership access

Job summary

BCL Legal Limited seeks a Junior Partner to help launch and lead its New York City M&A practice, backed by an established regional firm and Chambers-ranked credibility.

The role focuses on building the NYC platform, originating and managing deals for private equity, startups, and strategic buyers, with ownership of client relationships from day one. Equity partnership and strategic growth are central to the opportunity.

Responsibilities

• Lead and build out the NYC-based M&A practice.
• Originate and run deals for private equity funds and strategic buyers.
• Own client relationships from day one.
• Contribute to strategy, hiring, and culture of the NYC office.
• Collaborate with cross-practice teams to grow the platform.

Job description

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