M&A Associate - Corporate Transactions & Advisory

The role

Our M&A practice is among a small group of elite firms at the top of the market. What makes us one of the most respected international practices is our client base, the mandates we win, our industry expertise, as well as our reputation for creating value for clients and investing in relationships.

We advise our clients, who are among the world's leading companies, on the full range of public and private transactions from complex multi-billion-pound cross-border deals, strategic joint ventures, major divestments and demergers, through to unsolicited takeover approaches, defence strategies and governance issues.

Our clients come to us for complex, multi-jurisdictional and strategic advice. They also come to us because we are solutions-oriented and our service is consistent all around the world.

We have a strong sector focus that allows us to provide clients with a coherent offering that addresses all of their legal requirements, combined with deep regulatory and market understanding.

Our UK Corporate practice provides our clients with a single law firm that combines a market leading global practice with specialist, UK local expertise.

Below is a sample list of our notable Deals:  

• Aviva on its proposed £3.7 billion acquisition of Direct Line
• Mondelēz International on the €2.2 billion sale of its stake in JDE Peet's to JAB
• Virgin Money on its £2.9 billion acquisition by Nationwide Building Society
• Informa on its £1.2 billion acquisition of Ascential
• Harbour Energy on its $11.2 billion acquisition of Wintershall Dea assets
• ED&F Man on the sale of ED&F Man Commodities' three business units
• Unilever on the sale of its Pureit and Elida Beauty businesses

Who you will work with

Our clients include many of the world's leading public and private corporations, investment banks and financial institutions, governments and international bodies.

Our unique service offering to clients is our top tier strength across M&A, private equity, antitrust, IP and funds alongside the deep corporate client base, combined with unrivalled strength and depth of expertise across practice areas and around our network.

We advise our clients on strategic corporate and M&A work, both domestic and international, with a particular focus on large, complex, cross-border transactions. Our work spans Europe, the US, the Middle East and APAC.

This award-winning team comprises of 15 partners and 48 associates (who sit within a wider corporate team which includes private equity, FIG, Tech Digital, Antitrust and other specialisms).

Clients cite that they are “probably the most innovative corporate team we deal with across all firms with a high degree of client attention and responsiveness and a solutions driven mentality." Legal 500 UK 2025: Corporate/M&A.

You will be working with a broad range of clients and the firm's other teams and practice areas, not only in London, but across the globe.  You will also get the opportunity.

What you will be responsible for

As an Associate in our M&A team, you will be working on some of the world's largest and most complex M&A transactions. Our lawyers provide a seamless integrated service across our network of offices and across different areas of expertise including public takeovers, private M&A, joint ventures, restructurings, secondary issues and advisory work.

You will provide legal and commercial expertise predominantly on complex M&A transactions, large scale re-organisations and joint venture arrangements as well as corporate advisory work; across a wide range of sectors including financial services, energy and resources, consumer goods and retail, healthcare, industrials, real estate, aviation and technology.

You will be working as part of cross-border and interdisciplinary teams to advise on corporate finance activities, ensuring compliance with local laws and business requirements.

You will be developing relationships with clients and actively engaging in business development and thought leadership initiatives and seeking out opportunities for new work.

You will be drafting legal documents clearly and concisely, creating solutions using legal knowledge and commercial judgement to advise and support leading multi-national corporates.

Your experience

You will have a solid background in corporate work, gained at a City firm, or at an overseas common law practice with a highly regarded profile.   We are looking for proactive Associates who are able to think outside the box to create bespoke solutions for our clients' objectives.

You will:

• have experience of advising on complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions.
• have an outstanding academic history and proven first rate legal skills, combined with a strong reputation amongst existing clients for providing commercial solutions, excellent transactional and management skills, and be recognised as a lawyer that is sought out by existing clients.
• be able to demonstrate excellent document drafting skills, strong communication and analytical skills along with a high level of commercial awareness.
• need to demonstrate that you can thrive in a team with high professional standards and a client-focused commercial approach. You will have had strong exposure of collaborating with multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary teams.
• It is also crucial that you can demonstrate an appetite for business development, client relationship management and thought leadership.

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

• You will be working for a firm which is Band 1 ranked in Chambers and Legal 500 for Corporate M&A (UK, International & Cross-Border).
• Clients note that “as well as being unquestionably knowledgeable, experienced, technically capable and well-staffed to serve clients, the corporate team are a pleasure to deal with, demonstrating pragmatism and engaging with the in-house team and internal clients at a level which engenders a “one team” feeling like no other magic circle firm manages to do.” Legal500 UK 2024: Corporate M&A.
• You will be exposed to work which often involves complex, high-profile matters that frequently headline in the financial and business press.
• We empower our Associates and support their ambition and entrepreneurship to instigate and lead on business development initiatives providing for significant client contact.
• We will provide the opportunity for you to develop as a recognised practitioner in the field. Associates work with partners across their teams and more widely, but each associate has a Career Development Partner who provides support and focus for his/her career development: handling regular appraisals, setting objectives and a development plan and identifying suitable secondment opportunities.
• Our Innovation and tech strategy is a key focus for us and at the forefront of everything we do. We have invested heavily in process improvement, legal project management, lower cost delivery centres (in Delhi and Newcastle) and technology solutions to increase efficiencies on corporate transactions and help control the cost of our services to our clients. 
• We offer unrivalled training through our Academy and operate a collaborative and supportive working environment where Associates are able to thrive in a team-based culture. 

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Hybrid Working

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.

What we offer including our broad range of benefits and working environment

When you join Clifford Chance, you will have access to a broad range of benefits to support you across many aspects of your personal and professional life including financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and family friendly benefits. For more information on what we offer specifically in the UK, please visit our What We Offer page on our career site.

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society. 

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.

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