Senior M&A Associate

BCL Legal Limited; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Job summary

BCL Legal Limited's corporate M&A team in New York seeks a Senior Associate to contribute to the growth of its newly established office. The role invites leadership on middle-market deals and close collaboration with partners across sectors, with a focus on sophisticated transactions and long-term career development.

The successful candidate will handle drafting, due diligence, and client management, while enjoying a hybrid model and significant responsibility from early in the engagement.

Qualifications

• 6-8 years of corporate M&A experience at a recognised law firm.
• Experience on private M&A transactions and general corporate matters.
• Strong drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills.
• Excellent academic credentials.
• A commercial mindset and the ability to manage multiple workstreams effectively.
• A collaborative approach and desire to develop within a growing practice.

Responsibilities

• Drafting and negotiating acquisition agreements and ancillary transaction documents.
• Conducting and managing due diligence exercises.
• Coordinating transaction processes and working closely with specialist teams across the firm.
• Advising clients on strategic acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, and investments.
• Supporting transaction execution from initial structuring through to closing.
• Building direct relationships with clients and gaining meaningful responsibility from an early stage.

Skills

Drafting agreements

Due diligence

Client relationships

Strategic advising

Team coordination

Job description

The firm

A highly regarded, Chambers-ranked Corporate M&A practice is seeking a Senior Associate to play a key role in the continued growth of its newly established New York office. This is a rare opportunity to join a high-performing team at an inflection point in its expansion. Despite its lean size, the group is comprised of lawyers from leading firms including Davis Polk and Milbank and is consistently entrusted with sophisticated middle-market and upper middle-market transactions across sectors such as technology, real estate, construction, and business services. The team regularly advises on transactions ranging from tens of million to around $400 million, with Senior Associates expected to take a leading role on deals, manage client relationships, supervise junior lawyers, and work directly alongside partners on strategic matters. Associates are trusted with significant responsibility and enjoy a level of visibility and autonomy rarely found within larger platforms. Equally compelling is the firm's commitment to long-term career sustainability. Offering a 1,650-hour billable target, full discretionary bonus eligibility at 1,750 hours, hybrid flexibility, and a genuinely entrepreneurial culture, the platform combines sophisticated deal work with a lifestyle rarely associated with high-end M&A practices. For ambitious Senior Associates seeking a realistic path to Partnership, this represents a compelling alternative to the traditional BigLaw model.

What the role looks like day-to-day

• Drafting and negotiating acquisition agreements and ancillary transaction documents


• Conducting and managing due diligence exercises


• Coordinating transaction processes and working closely with specialist teams across the firm


• Advising clients on strategic acquisitions, divestitures, mergers, and investments


• Supporting transaction execution from initial structuring through to closing


• Building direct relationships with clients and gaining meaningful responsibility from an early stage

What you will have

• 6 - 8 years of corporate M&A experience gained at a recognised law firm


• Experience working on private M&A transactions and general corporate matters


• Strong drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills


• Excellent academic credentials


• A commercial mindset and the ability to manage multiple workstreams effectively


• A collaborative approach and desire to develop within a growing practice

Why Join?

• Chambers-ranked M&A team with an ambitious growth strategy


• Opportunity to help build the firm's expanding New York platform


• Exposure to high-value transactions across a broad range of industries


• Significant client contact and responsibility beyond your class year


• 1,650 billable hour target, with full discretionary bonus eligibility at 1,750 hours


• Hybrid working model


• Transparent and achievable path to Partnership


• A culture that genuinely respects life outside of work and promotes long-term career sustainability

This is an opportunity to join a growing Chambers-ranked practice at a pivotal stage in its expansion, working on sophisticated transactions while helping shape the future of a developing New York platform. If you are interested in learning more, please get in touch for a confidential discussion.