Corporate Senior Associate

Summary about this job

Detail information about job Corporate Senior Associate. Terms and conditions vacancy

• 5-8 years' experience
• Growing Corporate Practice
• Global Elite Law Firm

About Ashurst:

Ashurst is a leading global law firm with a history spanning almost 200 years, and clear strategy for our future growth. Our in-depth understanding of our clients and commitment to providing exceptional standards of service have seen us become a trusted adviser to local and global corporates, financial institutions and governments in all areas of commercial law. To find out more please visit here.

In order to comply with regulatory and client requirements, Ashurst will undertake appropriate vetting of staff. When applicants accept a job offer, Ashurst, alongside a specialist provider, will undertake professional verification and background checks.  These checks are only undertaken with consent, and in accordance with our legal and regulatory obligations.

Job Overview: 

As a result of a growing pipeline of work our Corporate Transactions team is looking to hire an experienced Senior Associate in our Perth office.

The corporate work is for a client base that spans mid-cap entities through to blue chips, and includes mainstream corporate transactions such as takeovers, business and asset acquisitions and disposals, equity capital markets work, restructuring and recapitalisation transactions, joint venture arrangements, ASX listing rule work and corporate governance.

Ashurst combines the benefits of a leading corporate practice with a supportive and collegiate environment.  The firm is looking to make a long term investment in a strong senior lawyer who is similarly looking to make a long term career commitment to our corporate practice.  This vacancy represents an outstanding opportunity for a team-player with strong technical skills and an impressive commercial approach.

Main tasks

• Advising clients on the Australian regulatory requirements and applying those requirements to provide clients with cogent, commercial and strategic structuring advice.
• Drafting and reviewing of legal documents and agreements, including (by way of example) scheme and bid implementation agreements, pre-bid agreements, sale and purchase agreements, subscription agreements and underwriting agreements, as well as disclosure documents such as bidder's and target's statements, scheme booklets and prospectuses.
• Leading negotiations with counterparties and liaising with corporate and accounting advisers in the course of large and often complex corporate transactions, undertaken in the context of tight timeframes.
• Preparing formal legal opinions.
• Matter completion and post-closing work.
• Business development and networking activities.
• Contributing to department know-how.
• Nurturing and mentoring junior lawyers, and providing leadership in conjunction with partners.

Description of Senior Associate Role

• You will act with integrity to provide incisive advice to clients, and to work collaboratively with your colleagues in doing so.
• You will already have acquired corporate transactional experience and will be able to contribute to professional development and know-how and participate in training where appropriate.
• You will take day to day responsibility for matters, with suitable direct client contact, and will proactively progress complex matters with appropriate partner support.
• You will have excellent attention to detail and a thorough and disciplined approach to identifying, resolving and otherwise managing legal issues.
• You will be able to demonstrate well developed verbal and written communication skills, and innovative drafting skills.
• You will be confident and effective in negotiations with clients and counterparties.
• You will be effective in communicating with clients in order to understand their needs and how best to meet them. You will also have the ability to assist clients in arriving at practical and cost effective solutions.
• You will be effective in forming relationships with clients and you will impress them with the depth of your legal knowledge and commercial awareness.
• You will understand the way our business, competitors and clients are developing and work with the business development team to use this information to develop business opportunities.
• You will build and maintain a network of business contacts. In addition you will proactively identify opportunities to introduce your clients to other offices and practice areas, working intelligently with partners, other lawyers and the business development team to exploit opportunities.
• You will have excellent attention to detail, identifying inconsistencies that indicate problems with quality of work or a misunderstanding of clients' needs.
• You will gather information from a variety of sources to identify your own strengths and weaknesses.
• You will be able to identify when a team member needs support and will be approachable for advice, giving constructive feedback.
• You will help build team morale and motivate team members contributing to the creation of a positive work environment and assist with training and development.
• You will undertake pro bono work.

Essential Skills and Experience: 

• 5-8 years' corporate experience gained within a top-tier firm or by a combination of top-tier and in-house 
• Regulated M&A experience 
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal 
• Superior drafting ability 
• A commercial approach and an ability to articulate and negotiate effectively 
• Strong attention to detail with well-developed analytical skills 
• The ability to be team-focused and also work independently 
• A proactive, positive and energetic approach with a commitment to providing excellent service and, a desire to interact with the market and build client relationships

Career Advancement: 

An established Associate Career Path Framework is in place clearly defining expectations and outlinng opportunities for promotion 

Secondment: 

Opportunities often arise for associates to spend time on secondment in house with a key client of the firm. From time to time, secondment opportunities also come up within other Ashurst offices in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.