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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Join our team to identify and analyse restructuring opportunities for distressed companies.
- Company: Be part of a world-class restructuring and insolvency team with over 200 lawyers globally.
- Benefits: Enjoy a dynamic work environment with opportunities for professional growth and collaboration.
- Why this job: This role offers a chance to make a real impact in complex financial situations while developing your legal expertise.
- Qualifications: Qualified lawyer with 4+ years PQE and experience in restructuring or leveraged finance required.
- Other info: Ideal for self-starters with strong client relationship skills and a passion for business development.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
We are recruiting for a newly created Opportunities Lawyer within our restructuring & insolvency team.
Department purpose
Our unrivalled restructuring and insolvency team, with more than 200 lawyers specialising in restructuring across 33 offices globally, is truly world class. With such an extensive and dedicated team, we advise on the largest and most complex restructurings, and pride ourselves on providing pioneering solutions as well as delivering real commercial results. We specialise in cross-border restructurings and insolvencies and special situations, utilising the full range of international options including U.S. Chapter 11 reorganisations, UK schemes of arrangement, pre-packaged sales and debt for equity swaps. Our expertise covers advice on contingency planning, debt restructuring, special situation credit solutions (including drop down financing transactions), reschedulings, distressed acquisitions/sales, credit bidding, formal insolvency proceedings, out-of-court refinancings, liability management exercises and distressed debt trading. We advise creditors and investors at all levels of the capital structure as well as corporates/directors, central banks, insolvency officeholders/trustees and government institutions. We work closely with specialists in related practice areas including finance, corporate, real estate, employment, pensions, tax, environment, regulatory, capital markets and litigation to provide our clients with a seamless and integrated service.
Role Summary
The Market Opportunities Lawyer is a newly created non-fee earner role within the A&O Shearman restructuring & insolvency team. The role has a primary focus on assisting in business generation for the team by identifying companies that are likely to become subject to a financial restructuring and producing legal and commercial analysis on such companies to assist fee earners in successfully winning roles (debtor and creditor) on any subsequent restructuring or special situations opportunity. This role will require a client-focused skillset, as well as strong legal expertise to analyse the relevant capital structure and legal documentation in order to successfully identify restructuring opportunities.
Role and responsibilities
- Assist Partners and Senior Associates in the identification and winning of (creditor and debtor) restructuring and special situation mandates for the A&O Shearman restructuring group, including through:
- the creation and management of a ‘market watchlist’ of financially distressed companies
- researching, preparing and pitching client information
- ‘deep dive’ analysis in relation to identified target opportunities
- analysing financial instruments (including high-yield bonds & leveraged loans) to produce covenant analysis, including identifying scope for LME transactions
- attending client meetings, calls and marketing events to discuss market opportunities
- assisting in the preparation for client pitches
- working closely with existing knowledge lawyers to produce client facing materials on restructuring ‘market themes’ and similar material of interest to clients
- identifying other market events that may give rise to restructuring and/or special situation opportunities or present opportunities for our clients
- legal research
Key requirements
- Qualified lawyer 4 years and above PQE
- Will have worked successfully as a transactional lawyer in a leading law firm with experience in restructuring and/or leverage finance/direct lending, or as an in-house lawyer at a distressed investment fund
- Self-starter with an entrepreneurial business development outlook and approach and excellent client relationship skills
- Strong technical knowledge of the legal framework surrounding restructuring and distressed transactions, including experience with key restructuring procedures, such as schemes of arrangement & restructuring plans
- Familiarity with leverage finance structures, including having the ability to analyse HYB and TLB covenants and ideally have experience in liability management exercises
- A person of sound judgment, able to establish a high level of credibility in the organisation and act as a trusted advisor to fee-earners
- Enjoys both the operational and strategic sides of this role and shows great flexibility
- Intellectual curiosity and versatility
- Detail-focused and self-motivated approach
- Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines
- Strong commercial/business acumen with the ability to deliver creative and pragmatic solutions and advice
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interface at all levels and particularly to win the respect of the partner and fee-earner community, building strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders
- Collaborative team player with the ability to develop and work in a fast paced, intellectually rigorous environment
Restructuring Opportunities Lawyer employer: Allen & Overy LLP
Contact Detail:
Allen & Overy LLP Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Restructuring Opportunities Lawyer
✨Tip Number 1
Network with professionals in the restructuring and insolvency field. Attend industry events, webinars, and conferences to meet potential colleagues and clients. Building relationships can help you gain insights into upcoming opportunities and trends.
✨Tip Number 2
Stay updated on market trends and financial news related to distressed companies. This knowledge will not only enhance your understanding but also allow you to identify potential restructuring opportunities before they become widely known.
✨Tip Number 3
Develop a strong understanding of financial instruments and legal frameworks surrounding restructuring. Familiarity with high-yield bonds, leveraged loans, and key restructuring procedures will position you as a valuable asset to the team.
✨Tip Number 4
Demonstrate your entrepreneurial spirit by proposing innovative ideas for business development. Show how you can contribute to the team's growth by identifying new markets or strategies that align with the firm's goals.
We think you need these skills to ace Restructuring Opportunities Lawyer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in restructuring and insolvency. Focus on your transactional work, particularly any roles that involved distressed investment or leverage finance.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, emphasise your entrepreneurial mindset and client relationship skills. Discuss specific examples of how you've identified restructuring opportunities in the past and how you can contribute to the team.
Showcase Legal Expertise: Demonstrate your strong technical knowledge of restructuring procedures and financial instruments. Include any relevant qualifications or experiences that showcase your ability to analyse legal documentation and capital structures.
Highlight Soft Skills: Since this role requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills, make sure to mention instances where you've successfully collaborated with teams or built relationships with clients. This will show your fit for the client-focused aspect of the role.
How to prepare for a job interview at Allen & Overy LLP
✨Showcase Your Legal Expertise
Make sure to highlight your strong technical knowledge of restructuring and distressed transactions. Be prepared to discuss specific cases or experiences where you successfully navigated complex legal frameworks, such as schemes of arrangement or restructuring plans.
✨Demonstrate Business Development Skills
Since this role focuses on business generation, be ready to share examples of how you've identified opportunities in the past. Discuss your entrepreneurial mindset and how you've built client relationships that led to successful mandates.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect questions related to financial instruments and covenant analysis. Brush up on your knowledge of high-yield bonds and leveraged loans, and be ready to explain how you would approach analysing these in a restructuring context.
✨Exhibit Strong Communication Skills
This role requires excellent interpersonal skills. Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and confidently, especially when discussing complex topics. Show that you can engage with both clients and colleagues effectively, building rapport quickly.
