Associate – Restructuring & Special Situations

Practice Group:Restructuring / Special Situations

Reporting to:Managing Partner, London; European Head of Finance

Level:Associate (2–6 PQE)

Type:Permanent, Full-Time

ABOUT THE JOB

Our client is a leading global law firm whose London Finance, Restructuring & Special Situations Group sits within a broader Transactions Practice Group of more than 560 lawyers across 20+ offices globally. The London group is one of the most actively growing finance and restructuring practices in the market, having expanded significantly over the past three years with a series of high-profile senior hires and a deliberate strategy to build a full-service, partner-led offering to sophisticated financial institution and sponsor clients.

The group is led by an award-winning partner who is one of the most widely recognised practitioners in leveraged finance and restructuring – consistently ranked by Legal 500, Chambers UK, Financial News and others. The group advises an elite and loyal client base that includes some of the world's leading direct lenders, private equity sponsors, hedge funds, family offices and alternative capital providers.

This is a genuine opportunity to join a high-performing, deal-active team at an inflection point in its growth.

Associates here are trusted with substantive responsibility quickly. You will work directly alongside the partners, develop deep relationships with a sophisticated client base, and benefit from the firm's transatlantic platform – including strong connectivity to the global restructuring and finance practices – to handle genuinely complex, multi-jurisdictional mandates.

JOB DESCRIPTION

As an Associate in the this group, you will play a hands-on role across the group's full transaction mix. The group operates with a lean, high-calibre team structure, which means associates take on meaningful workstreams from the outset and are expected to exercise commercial judgment, not just technical skill.

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JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor admitted to practise in England & Wales (or eligible to be so admitted); approximately 2–6 years' post-qualification experience.
• Prior experience in a restructuring/special situations team at a leading international law firm, with demonstrable exposure to the restructuring and/or special situations markets relevant to this group's client base.

Commercial & Personal Attributes

• Commercially astute and creative: the group's reputation is built on delivering 'uniquely commercial and creative' advice, and associates are expected to bring genuine judgment to transactions – not just technical execution.
• Highly organised, with the project management skills to handle multiple live matters simultaneously and keep transactions moving efficiently across competing priorities.
• Strong interpersonal skills and confidence engaging directly with sophisticated institutional clients – including major direct lenders, private equity sponsors and hedge funds – from an early stage in your career here.
• Culturally collaborative by instinct, comfortable working in a lean team structure where every member's contribution matters, and willing to support colleagues across the broader Transactions Practice Group.
• Resilient and adaptable in a deal-driven, fast-moving environment where matters often span multiple jurisdictions and stakeholder groups simultaneously.