Associate / Senior Associate - Banking in Leeds

Hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 17:30 (37.5 hours per week)

Hill Dickinson are proud to be named as a Top Ten Employer for Working Families 2025 for the second year running and so, we are happy to consider flexible working opportunities to help you balance your work and home life.

Location: Leeds

Benefits: At Hill Dickinson we understand that incentives go far beyond a good salary, so we have created a comprehensive benefits package tailored around our people. Here are some examples of what we offer:

• Annual leave starting at 25 days
• Annual bonus scheme
• Birthday privilege day and Christmas shutdown
• Holiday buy, sell and carryover scheme
• 2 charity volunteering or pro bono days
• Optional private medical insurance via BUPA
• Annual fitness allowance
• Flexible pension scheme
• ISA saving scheme and independent financial advice
• Electric or hybrid vehicle lease scheme
• Medicash EAP with access to counselling
• Enhanced family leave policies
• Access to confidential, expert support via Fertifa in relation to reproductive health and wellbeing
• Access to 10 days fully subsidised emergency or back-up care per year via Bright Horizons
• Life assurance
• Group income protection
• Annual travel season ticket loan
• Hybrid working and dress for your day policy
• Bespoke training and development opportunities

Role overview:

We are looking for an Associate / Senior Associate to join our established and very highly regarded Banking Team. The national team engages in work with a strong client base including a wide range of lending institutions and Borrowers. These range from clearing banks to niche finance houses and specialist lenders.

We are an ambitious, dynamic and growing Banking team experienced in advising a range of clients, from large listed companies and private equity funds to smaller start-up and owner managed businesses and management teams on the full range of banking matters including acquisition finance, general corporate lending and real estate finance. The national team sits within the Corporate, Commercial and Banking Department and is headed by Richard Capper (Partner) and consists of 3 other partners, 3 Legal Directors, 2 Senior Associates and 5 Associates as well as 7 other team members. The banking team regularly works alongside other HD teams including corporate and real estate.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead and manage transactions
• Advising financial institutions and investors on banking law matters
• Managing a wide range of banking transactions
• Draft and negotiate all finance document (LMA and non-LMA)
• Prepare, review and negotiate security documentation
• Collaborate with litigation, real estate, restructuring and corporate (as required) to deliver client solutions
• Work alongside senior colleagues and clients on high profile transactions involving private equity sponsors, banks and funds
• Participate in business development activities to retain existing relationships and develop new clients

What are we looking for:

• Qualified solicitor or equivalent (3 years PQE+)
• Proven experience in advising financial institutions
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
• Some experience in supporting and developing client relationships
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise
• Proficient in use of document management systems
• Strong technical skills and a willingness to learn
• Ability to work as part of a team
• The ability and experience of independently managing multiple transactions providing sound commercial advice and an excellent client experience
• Adheres to guidelines and procedures
• An understanding of clients’ needs and expectations
• Flexibility in approach and a willingness to work outside normal office hours, if required

If you don't meet all of the criteria above but feel that you could add real value to Hill Dickinson, we encourage you to submit an application and if successful, we can help you develop along the way.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Hill Dickinson is committed to providing fairness and equal opportunity for all regardless of age, gender, gender identity, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital or transgender status, nationality, religion or belief. We understand that our power as a firm comes from empowering our people and that it is only by encouraging and enabling individuals to be themselves at work that we can truly benefit from their rich and varied strengths. Hill Dickinson is an equal opportunities employer. All applications received by the firm will be considered based on their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background and from all routes to qualification, with both the SRA and CILEx.

Disability Support: We are a Disability Confident employer, which means if there is anything that we can do to make your visit easier, so you are able to perform at your best, please let us know. You can contact the HR team at hrteam@hilldickinson.com should you require any adjustments to the application or interview process. At Hill Dickinson, we welcome applications from individuals that are looking to return to the law as well as all routes to qualification, with both the SRA and CILEx. All successful candidates will be subject to our standard pre-employment screening, including a basic criminal record check via Disclosure and Barring Service. Any offer of employment made is conditional upon completion of all checks. Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.