Senior Corporate Associate

Association of Corporate Counsel; Raleigh (NC); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement plan

Paid time off and holidays

Flexible work from home

Job summary

Morningstar Law Group in Raleigh, NC seeks a Senior Corporate Associate with 5–7 years of experience in sophisticated M&A and private equity transactions. You’ll work directly with partners on middle‑market deals, including platform acquisitions, add‑ons, and leveraged buyouts, with client contact and leadership from the start.

Some work‑from‑home flexibility is available. You will draft and negotiate complex agreements, coordinate due diligence, and guide transactions through closing, while

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school with a strong academic record.
• 5–7 years of experience handling sophisticated M&A and/or private equity transactions.
• Licensed to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction; willing to become NC-licensed within a year.
• Strong drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multiple transactions and work independently and as part of a deal team.
• Capacity to lead transactions and serve as primary day-to-day contact on deals.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate purchase agreements, merger agreements, and LOIs for asset and equity transactions.
• Manage transactions day to day from signing through closing.
• Represent sponsors and portfolio companies in platform acquisitions, add-ons, and buyouts.
• Support acquisition financings and related private capital transactions with securities and financing attorneys.
• Advise on ownership succession and founder transitions, including ESOP-related matters.
• Conduct and supervise due diligence and communicate issues clearly to clients and deal teams.
• Coordinate with tax, employment, IP, real estate, and regulatory specialists to keep deals moving.
• Counsel clients in regulated industries, including architecture and engineering, across multiple states.
• Draft governance and corporate-structuring documents, including operating agreements.
• Communicate with clients, opposing counsel, lenders, and deal professionals throughout the lifecycle.

Skills

Drafting

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Transaction management

Independent work

Leadership of deals

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Corporate Associate with 5 to 7 years of experience to join our Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity teams in Raleigh, NC. You’ll work on sophisticated transactions for buyers, sellers, private equity sponsors, independent sponsors, and management teams — the same caliber of deals you’d see at a much larger firm, but with a seat at the table rather than a spot in the back of the data room.

This is a role for an associate who wants to run deals, not just support them. You’ll work directly with partners on middle-market M&A, platform and add-on acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and acquisition financings across industries including architecture and engineering, technology, professional services, and manufacturing — with real client contact and the opportunity to lead transactions from the outset. A portable book of business is not required, and the position offers some work-from-home flexibility.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate purchase agreements, merger agreements, and letters of intent for asset and equity transactions on both the buy side and sell side
• Manage transactions day to day — coordinating due diligence, disclosure schedules, closing checklists, and ancillary documents from signing through closing
• Represent private equity sponsors, independent sponsors, and portfolio companies in platform acquisitions, add-on acquisitions, and leveraged buyouts
• Support acquisition financings, recapitalizations, and related private capital transactions alongside the firm’s securities and financing attorneys
• Advise on ownership succession and transition planning, including ESOP-related and founder-transition transactions
• Conduct and supervise legal due diligence, identifying and clearly communicating material issues to clients and deal teams
• Coordinate with specialists in tax, employment, intellectual property, real estate, and regulatory matters to keep transactions moving
• Counsel clients in regulated and licensed industries, including architecture and engineering firms navigating multistate licensing requirements in transactions
• Draft governance, equity, and corporate structuring documents, including operating agreements, sha
• Communicate directly with clients, opposing counsel, lenders, and other deal professionals throughout the transaction lifecycle

Required Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school with a strong academic record
• 5 to 7 years of experience working on sophisticated M&A and/or private equity transactions for buyers, sellers, and/or private equity sponsors
• Licensed to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction; must be willing and able to become licensed in North Carolina within one year of joining the firm
• Strong drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills
• Ability to manage multiple transactions at once and to work effectively both independently and as part of a deal team
• The capability to lead transactions and serve as the primary day‑to‑day contact on deals

Preferred Qualifications

• Large law firm training and deal experience
• Experience supervising junior associates or paralegals on deal teams
• Exposure to private credit, acquisition financing, or other debt transactions
• Experience with clients in architecture/engineering, technology, professional services, or manufacturing

Why Join Morningstar Law Group

• Real Deal Responsibility: Substantive ownership of transactions and direct client relationships — not years of diligence review before you touch a purchase agreement.
• Direct Partner Access: Work side by side with experienced M&A and private equity partners, many of whom bring in‑house, operational, accounting, and finance backgrounds to their practice.
• Sophisticated Work, Leaner Platform: A substantial national M&A and private equity practice handled by a collegial, low‑bureaucracy team of 50+ professionals.
• Entrepreneurial Culture: A young, vibrant firm governed by consensus, with a flexible environment that lets attorneys work with clients in the way that’s most productive for them.
• Growth Path: A clear runway from leading deals to owning client relationships as the firm grows — and no portable book of business required.
• Compensation: Commensurate with experience and in line with other successful business law firms.
• Flexibility: Some work‑from‑home flexibility, with a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance; retirement plan; and paid time off and holidays.