Private Equity Lawyer

A mid-market private equity fund with over $30bn in assets under management is seeking a high-calibre corporate lawyer to join its in-house legal team in London. This is a genuinely deal-focused, transactional role sitting at the heart of the fund’s investment activity — providing sophisticated legal support across the full deal lifecycle from origination through to exit.

You will work directly alongside investment professionals and senior stakeholders, playing a central role in executing complex private equity transactions across a range of sectors and geographies, most notably EMEA & US.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and manage the legal aspects of private equity acquisitions, disposals, and bolt-on transactions, including buy-side and sell-side M&A
• Negotiate and draft complex transaction documentation including SPAs, investment agreements, shareholder agreements, and management incentive plans (MIPs/MEPs)
• Advise on fund-level investments and co-investment structures, working closely with the investment team from initial due diligence through signing and completion
• Manage external counsel across multiple jurisdictions, providing clear and commercially focused legal direction
• Oversee and coordinate legal due diligence processes, identifying key legal risks and negotiating appropriate protections
• Support portfolio company activity including refinancings, add-on acquisitions, joint ventures, and eventual exit processes
• Provide day-to-day legal support to portfolio companies on governance, commercial contracts, and regulatory matters

Candidate profile

• 6–10 years PQE with a strong foundation in corporate M&A and/or private equity, gained at a leading City or international law firm
• In-house experience is preferred
• Demonstrable experience working on complex, high-value transactions in a deal-heavy environment
• Strong technical skills across core corporate disciplines including M&A, equity structuring, and finance
• Commercial acumen and the ability to provide pragmatic, solution-focused legal advice under deal pressure

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