Associate: Private Equity

Firm Summary

White & Case is an elite global law firm serving leading companies, financial institutions and governments worldwide. Our long history as an international firm means we are perfectly placed to help our clients resolve their most complex legal challenges wherever they may be.

With lawyers operating from more than 40 locations, working in virtually every country of the world, we have invested heavily in building a high-quality full-service practice competing at the top of the market. We are distinguished by our on-the-ground presence in the world’s key financial markets and our strengths in handling complex cross-border work.

It’s not just about our global network of offices; it’s the global interconnectedness of the Firm that our people, and our clients, value most. We work well together across geographic and practice boundaries. It’s one of the reasons we attract and retain cross-border work. And why we attract a diverse group of people.

Our lawyers are globally minded, enterprising, collaborative and committed to excellence. Diversity is a core value of our Firm and it has been recognized with numerous awards and top rankings around the world. Our people represent 90 nationalities and speak 80 languages.

Our Practice Area

Our Private Equity practice is a highly integrated, multi-disciplinary group of lawyers who know how to get deals done. Collaborating across our global network, we provide clients with seamless service and deep industry experience, often on complex mandates involving multiple specialties and jurisdictions. Recognized as one of the foremost practices in our field, we are trusted by Private Equity leaders – established institutions and entrepreneurs, as well as emerging visionaries – to handle market-leading transactions, from strategic add-on deals to groundbreaking, monumental acquisitions.

As an associate in our practice, you will be working in an exciting working environment, handling challenging, time-sensitive deals that demand a dynamic approach and a resilience of character. From the moment you join, you can expect to be working with – and learning from – partners within our team, as well as with colleagues in groups across the firm, including Banking, Tax, Regulatory & Compliance, Antitrust & Competition, Employment, Compensation & Benefits, Intellectual Property and Real Estate. Given the strong cross-border dimension to our work, you will also be interacting regularly with lawyers across our global offices, and travelling to international destinations as required.

At a junior level, you will be expected to handle a wide range of deal-focused tasks, such as leading on diligence exercises, drafting documents, and managing outside counsel and teams of trainees and paralegals. A meritocratic practice that places a strong emphasis on professional development, we aim to provide all our associates with significant responsibility at an early stage in their careers.

The work is demanding, but also highly rewarding: supported by your colleagues at every step, you can enjoy the satisfaction of contributing to your team’s success in closing high-profile deals for some of the market’s major Private Equity players both in the UK and overseas.        

Position Summary

We are currently looking for associates to join the Private Equity team in our London office.

As well as possessing excellent academic credentials, you should be commercially-minded, with an enthusiasm for the cut-and-thrust of international deal-making. A confident team player, you should enjoy working as part of a tightly-knit group within our diverse team, and demonstrate a willingness to do whatever it takes to help your colleagues get the deal done. Whilst we as a team operate in a fast-paced deal environment, it is also one where a candidate with the requisite drive and determination will flourish. This collaborative mindset should be balanced with an independent, entrepreneurial spirit that drives you to anticipate clients’ needs and to proactively develop solutions to their problems – both legal and business focused.

Working in a client-facing practice, excellent communication and interpersonal skills will also be significant assets – enabling you to form strong professional relationships, and to explain sophisticated legal concepts in clear, precise language that can be easily understood by non-lawyers. Highly organized and deadlines-driven, you should relish the challenge of delivering outstanding work within the short timeframes our clients expect.

Ready for the challenges of joining a global law firm, you should be excited by our work, a competitive salary and benefits package, passionate about service delivery, and driven by a desire to maximize your talent.      

Qualifications

• 3-5 years’ experience within Private Equity transactions, gained wholly or in part at a large commercial law firm. 
• Strong academic record and intellectual curiosity, creative thinker
• Commercial and business awareness
• Ability to see the big picture
• Outstanding communication and negotiation skills
• Strong time management skills, ability to stay calm under pressure when juggling multiple projects
• Excellent drafting skills
• Driven by professional growth
• Strong professional presence
• Client service focus
• Team player
• Strong judgment
• Proactive, resourceful, takes initiative
• Good understanding of the key risks and issues involved in cross-border transactions.
• Fluency in English    

Location and Reporting

This is a London based role. This role reports to the London Private Equity Partners.   

Equal Opportunities

White & Case is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. It is our Firm’s policy to recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, creed, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law.

If you require assistance and/or accommodation to participate in our application and/or interview process, please email the recruiting contact listed for the relevant position. We will be happy to work with you.