Leveraged Finance Associate (3-5 PQE) in City of Westminster

We are seeking an Associate (3-5 PQE) to join our busy, dynamic and growing Leveraged & Acquisition Finance practice. This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious finance lawyer to play a leading role in supporting and delivering sophisticated leveraged and acquisition finance transactions for premium clients across the mid-market. Supporting and working directly with Partners from our Finance group, the Associate we are looking for will play a key role in supporting the structuring, negotiation, and documentation of transactions. This position requires a combination of technical legal ability, transaction management and relationship-building skills. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in at least some of the work set out above at other City law firms.

Responsibilities

• Act as lead associate: Manage transactions from inception to close, reporting to, and working closely with, Partners.
• Draft, review, and negotiate core facilities agreements, intercreditor agreements, security documents, and other finance documents, acting for both borrowers and lenders.
• Client management: Build and maintain close working relationships with clients, acting as a trusted advisor and main day-to-day contact; confidently lead negotiations with counterparties and legal counsel.
• Deal execution: Oversee all aspects of deal execution, including project managing due diligence, CP satisfaction and closing mechanics, working with and supervising trainees and junior lawyers as appropriate.
• Cross-department coordination: Collaborate with other specialist teams to deliver joined-up advice on complex transactions.

Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor in a Common Law jurisdiction.
• At least 3-5 years' post-qualification experience in leveraged finance law, ideally gained at a leading City or international firm.
• Extensive experience of managing leveraged and acquisition finance transactions, including private equity-backed buyouts and private credit financings.
• Detailed knowledge of LMA documentation and market practice for senior, unitranche, super senior RCF, and intercreditor structures.
• Competent in drafting and commercially astute.
• A desire to invest in the training and development of juniors.
• Evidence of strong verbal and written communication skills.
• An inquisitive personality with a keen attention to detail.
• A willingness to show commitment to, and engagement with, the firm's culture.

Department and Practice Context

Our Finance team includes six sub-practices: Leveraged & Acquisition Finance, Infrastructure Finance, Restructuring and Insolvency, Real Estate Finance, Structured and Specialty Finance and Fund Finance. We are looking to recruit a 3-5 PQE Associate into our market-leading Leveraged & Acquisition Finance practice which is ranked Band 1 by Chambers & Partners. The Leveraged & Acquisition Finance team at Travers Smith is recognised for advising on some of the most significant and high-profile transactions in the mid-market. We act for a broad range of clients across both UK and cross-border transactions, including leading private equity sponsors, alternative credit providers, direct lenders, corporates, and banks. Working closely with corporate, tax, funds, and other specialist groups, we deliver a seamless and holistic service across the full spectrum of leveraged finance transactions.

Clients

Clients include Inflexion, Macquarie, ICG, EMK Capital, Equistone Partners Europe, CGE Partners Graphite, IK Partners, major corporate borrowers including UK-listed PLC's, HSBC (including Asset Management, UK Bank and Innovation Banking), Investec, Pemberton, and Shawbrook.

What makes working in this sub-practice at Travers Smith different to other firms?

We have a loyal client base who come back to us again and again for a wide range of work and advice. Associates are key to this and are encouraged to build their own relationships with individuals at our key clients and to entrench themselves in the firm relationship. Clients see that we have well-resourced and highly trained teams that are genuinely partner-led, with work spread out and done at the right levels. We take a proactive approach at developing and upskilling team members, with a dedicated Finance knowledge lawyer and an established training programme. We are entrepreneurial, and the candidate will be core to the continued growth of the practice.