Mergers and Acquisitions Associate

Corporate Associate International Energy & Cross-Border Deals - London

We are working with a leading international law firm’s Corporate team in London to identify a 1–4 PQE Corporate Associate to join a high-performing, collaborative group focused on complex cross-border transactions.

This is a role that sits within a team known for its international reach, strong commercial mindset, and unusually integrated working style across partners and associates. It is not a siloed practice area; instead, work is shared fluidly across the group, creating a genuinely team-driven environment where exposure is broad and varied from an early stage.

The Opportunity

This is a newly emerging hire driven by anticipated team capacity needs due to upcoming maternity leave within the Corporate group. While not yet fully signed off as a live mandate, the team is proactively building a pipeline of candidates in anticipation of demand later in the year.

The role offers early visibility into a fast-paced flow of work spanning Africa, the Middle East, and the United States, with a strong emphasis on oil & gas transactions and broader energy-sector corporate work. Candidates can expect exposure to complex, multi-jurisdictional deals where execution challenges, regulatory considerations, and stakeholder dynamics vary significantly across regions.

You will be working on transactions that are often high pressure and commercially sensitive, requiring the ability to move quickly, coordinate across time zones, and adapt to evolving deal structures. The nature of the work is intellectually demanding but also highly practical and commercially grounded.

The Team

The Corporate team is described internally as a close-knit, energetic group operating in a “wolf pack” style environment. The emphasis is on collaboration rather than hierarchy, with partners actively involved in day-to-day deal execution alongside associates.

There is a strong sense of internal cohesion, with lawyers regularly working across different partners rather than being locked into one vertical. This creates a broad and varied workload, as well as significant exposure to different deal styles and client types.

Culturally, the team is social, outgoing, and commercially driven. While the work is demanding, the environment is not overly formal or rigid compared to many traditional top-tier City practices. Personality fit and attitude are viewed as just as important as technical ability.

Key partners within the group, including senior Corporate leadership, are closely involved in shaping the practice and will play an active role in the recruitment process as the opportunity progresses.

Work Profile

The work is heavily focused on cross-border Corporate transactions with a strong energy-sector tilt. Core areas include oil & gas deals, upstream and midstream transactions, joint ventures, and broader corporate structuring work connected to energy assets and infrastructure.

There is also increasing exposure to renewables and energy transition-related mandates, although oil & gas remains the dominant and most established area of practice.

A significant proportion of the work involves Africa-related transactions, often requiring navigation of complex legal frameworks, sovereign counterparties, and challenging execution environments. Middle Eastern mandates and U.S.-linked deals also form an important part of the team’s international footprint.

Candidate Profile

We are seeking a lawyer who is currently 1–4 years PQE in Corporate law, with a strong foundation in transactional work and demonstrable exposure to cross-border matters.

Candidates trained or currently working within U.S. law firms or leading international firms are strongly preferred, given the team’s focus on high-intensity, multi-jurisdictional deal execution and fast-paced transaction environments. This background is seen as particularly aligned with the demands of the role.

Experience in energy transactions, particularly oil & gas, is highly desirable and will be a key differentiator. Candidates with exposure to Africa or Middle East markets will also be viewed favourably, especially where they have worked on complex or less structured jurisdictions.

Beyond technical capability, the team is looking for individuals who are adaptable, commercially aware, and comfortable operating in environments where deals may be fluid, fast-moving, and occasionally ambiguous in structure.

A strong cultural fit is essential. The ideal candidate will be collaborative, proactive, and confident working closely with partners and other associates in a highly integrated team setting.

Culture & Working Style

The team operates a hybrid working model, currently around three days in the office and two days remote, with a potential shift towards increased in-office presence over time depending on firm-wide policy.

Within the Corporate group, there is a strong degree of flexibility based on trust and performance. The emphasis is on delivery rather than presenteeism, and individuals who are consistently strong performers are given latitude in managing their working patterns.

The pace of work is fast and reflects the international nature of the deals being handled. While there is no rigid billable hour culture being emphasised internally in this context, the workload is naturally demanding due to the scale and complexity of transactions.

The environment is best suited to lawyers who enjoy dynamic, deal-heavy work and who are comfortable operating across jurisdictions and time zones without heavy structural constraints.

Why This Role

This opportunity offers access to a level of cross-border Corporate work typically associated with top-tier U.S. and international firms, particularly in the energy space, but within a more collaborative and less hierarchical environment.

Compensation is expected to be benchmarked against leading U.S. firms, meaning candidates are not required to compromise on remuneration when moving into a more flexible and team-oriented culture.

The key differentiator is the working environment: rather than a highly rigid or intensely siloed structure, this team offers a more integrated, personality-driven approach where associates work closely with partners and gain broader exposure across jurisdictions and deal types.

This is particularly attractive for lawyers seeking meaningful international deal experience across Africa, the Middle East, and the U.S. While working in a culture that places strong emphasis on teamwork, development, and long-term progression.

Next Steps

This is an early-stage, confidential search, and the role is not yet formally live. However, the team is actively engaging with suitable candidates in advance of anticipated demand later in the year.

If you are a Corporate Associate looking to deepen your exposure to cross-border energy transactions within a high-performing yet collaborative international team, this represents a compelling opportunity to explore.