Leveraged Finance Associate - Banking

About Ashurst:

Ashurst is a leading global law firm with a history spanning almost 200 years, and clear strategy for our future growth. Our in-depth understanding of our clients and commitment to providing exceptional standards of service have seen us become a trusted adviser to local and global corporates, financial institutions and governments in all areas of commercial law.

Our people are our greatest asset. We bring together lawyers of the highest calibre with the technical knowledge, industry experience and regional know-how to provide the incisive advice our clients need.  How we share our knowledge across our business, and with our clients, is critical in delivering value to our clients.

We currently have 25 offices in 15 countries and a number of referral relationships that enable us to offer the reach and insight of a global network, combined with the knowledge and understanding of local markets. With 420 partners and a further 1,450 lawyers working across 10 different time zones, we are able to respond to our clients wherever and whenever they need us.

Our clients value us for being approachable, astute and commercially minded. As a global team we have a reputation for successfully managing large and complex multi-jurisdictional transactions, disputes and projects, and delivering outstanding outcomes for clients in innovative ways.

Ashurst regards an inclusive and diverse environment as critical to its business success.  Accordingly, the firm encourages applications from candidates representative of all talent pools.  Find out more about our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy on the "About Us" section of our website.     

In order to comply with regulatory and client requirements, Ashurst will undertake appropriate vetting of staff. When applicants accept a job offer, Ashurst, alongside a specialist provider, will undertake professional verification and background checks.  These checks are only undertaken with consent, and in accordance with our legal and regulatory obligations

Overview:

Ashurst's banking practice is recognised by its clients to be one of the most innovative and solution orientated legal practices in the City today.

As the challenges to our clients have increased over the last few years we have stayed true to our core offering of legal technical excellence wrapped in commercial awareness. This has enabled Ashurst to continue to fulfil the role of being a Trusted Advisor to our clients and strengthened our close relationships. The practice continues to go from strength to strength and currently has 17 partners and 48 other fee earners.

Recent work:

• PRET A MANGER - advised a syndicate of senior lenders, including Rabobank, Goldman PIA, Bank of Ireland, BNP Paribas, HSBC, ING, RBS and Societe Generale, on the increase of senior debt facilities made available to the Pret a Manger group to circa £570 million
• VERWATER - advised CVC Credit Partners in relation to the acquisition by Bregal Freshstream of Verwater, a global industrial and petrochemical contractor
• THE FOUNDRY - acted for Crescent Capital as exclusive lender of subordinated debt facilities supporting the acquisition by HgCapital of The Foundry, an Oscar-winning provider of creative software for the visual special effects industry.
• DAVIES INSURANCE - advising ICG as arranger on the provision of a unitranche facility to HGGC to refinance its acquisition of Davies Insurance
• FORMULA ONE - acting for Bank of America Merrill Lynch as sole arranger and coordinator of the $4bn recapitalisation of Formula One
• RPC GROUP - acted for RPC Group plc in connection with its £770m revolving credit facility which was used to part-finance the consideration for the UK public takeover of British Polythene Industries plc

Representative clients:

Financial institutions:

Barclays, BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, SMBC, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JP Morgan, Lloyds Banking Group, Mizuho, Nomura, Rabobank, RBS, Santander, Société Générale, Wells Fargo

Credit Funds:

Bluebay Asset Management, Crescent Capital, Haymarket Financial, ICG, Proventus, Sankaty

Private Equity houses:

Apollo, Blackstone, Charterhouse, Cinven, LGV, Bregal, Oakley Capital, Stirling Square and Oaktree

Corporates:

Berkeley Homes, Ladbrokes Coral, Johnston Press, Markit, McLaren Automotive, Persimmon, RPC Group, Shanks Group

Job overview:

We are currently looking for a mid-level qualified Banking lawyer with significant experience in leveraged/acquisition finance to join our team in the London office. Ashurst's Banking practice offers specialist advice on:

• buy-outs and other acquisition finance transactions;
• real estate finance;
• infrastructure financings;
• investment fund and warehousing financings;
• restructuring and refinancings;
• asset backed lending;
• strategic and impaired value debt purchases, including loan portfolio sales;
• secured and unsecured lending transactions; and
• treasury products generally.

You can expect to have exposure to a wide range of high quality transactions.

Main tasks and qualities

You would typically act on all elements of a financing from term sheet stage, through to closing and post-closing.  Your specific areas of responsibility will be to draft and negotiate term sheets, intercreditor agreements and facilities agreements, supervising and leading a team of junior lawyers and ensuring a smooth process to transaction close. Ultimately you will progress to running transactions and managing junior associates with limited partner supervision.

You will be expected to have client relationships and a desire to build on these and develop your own client network with support and guidance from the partners and wider team.

You would also be expected to manage projects that have been assigned to you, and liaise closely with colleagues, clients, counterparties and other advisers.  You would be working as part of a committed and inspired friendly team that enjoys its work and considers itself a leader in its field of practice.  All members of the team have frequent client contact and must be willing to travel.

Typical responsibilities include:

• Drafting of legal documents and agreements;
• Reviewing acquisition and equity documents;
• Contributing to department know-how and developing precedent documents;
• Advising clients;
• Negotiating with counterparts and leading calls; and
• Providing structured supervision and on-the-job training to juniors.

In addition to strong technical skills, you should be able to demonstrate an enthusiasm for business development and strong interpersonal skills as there will be significant client contact, in both the work and business development context.

Essential skills and experience:

• Qualified mid-level Banking lawyer with experience from a major law firm
• Strong general banking experience and in particular leveraged acquisition finance
• Experience of drafting, reviewing and negotiating legal documents and agreements in a private practice environment
• An adaptable person who is a fast learner, with experience practising in multiple jurisdictions.
• A team-player who can work effectively with colleagues at all levels
• Client facing experience and the ability to understand and respond effectively to client needs
• Experience of negotiating with counterparts.
• A commercial approach

Career advancement:

An established Associate Career Path Framework is in place clearly defining expectations and outlining opportunities for promotion.

Secondment opportunities:

Opportunities often arise for associates to spend time on secondment in house with a key client of the firm. From time to time, secondment opportunities also come up within other Ashurst offices in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.

Opening Date Thursday 14th September 2017

Closing Date Thursday 12th October 2017