Investment Funds Associate

ASHURST'S CORPORATE TEAM

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 1,700 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.

Overview:

Ashurst's funds group is an award-winning top-tier rated international funds practice. It operates from the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Australia, supported by a global network of tax and regulatory specialists and Ashurst's London Luxembourg Desk.

The group advises some of the world's most ambitious fund managers, and leading international investors, on a wide range of private investment funds. Its work includes the structuring and formation of private equity, debt, infrastructure and real estate funds as well as carried interest and co-investment arrangements.

The Ashurst investment funds group is consistently recognised as a thought leader and innovator within investment funds. That is demonstrated by, for example, our widely respected " Funds Insight" magazine and the numerous awards the group has won over the past few years (including "Law Firm of The Year – Fund Structuring 2015" at the unquote British Private Equity Awards).

The group delivers bespoke advice covering all aspects of funds: from cutting edge tax structuring to innovative commercial terms, from advising on leverage facilities to secondary transactions and management spin-outs.

The group has developed organically since the 1980s, and has a supportive and collegiate approach with a strong track record for associate career development.

Ashurst LLP's 'standout' funds practice……..The well balanced team is praised for its 'sound, commercial legal advice, swift response, good strength in depth, and fair fees'

Legal 500

Recent work:

Examples of the group's recent work from London includes advising:

• Agilitas Partners LLP on Agilitas 2013 and 2015 Private Equity funds
• Altor Equity Partners in relation to the €2 billion Altor Fund III.
• Aviva Investors in relation to the establishment of their flagship alternative income solutions credit fund
• CapMan Plc in relation to the CapMan Nordic Real Estate Fund.
• Equitix in relation to the establishment of Equitix Fund IV
• Hermes GPE LLP on a direct co-investment fund and on a global secondaries fund.
• Inflexion Private Equity Partners LLP on all of their buyout and co-investment fund including the Inflexion Enterprise Fund IV and Inflexion Supplemental Fund IV.
• Intermediate Capital Group PLC on the €2.5 billion ICG European Fund V
• Intermediate Capital Group PLC on the establishment of ICG Asia Pacific Fund III.
• NM Rothschild on Oberon Credit Investment Fund I.
• Partners Group on its investments in various global real estate funds

Representative clients:

Agilitas, AIMCo, Altor, AnaCap, Aviva, CapMan, Equitix, Hermes GPE, Inflexion, Intermediate Capital Group Plc, Ipex and NM Rothschild

Job overview:

Ashurst combines the benefits of a leading funds practice with a supportive and collegiate environment. The firm is looking to make a long term investment in a strong lawyer who is similarly looking to make a long term career commitment to investment funds.

The candidate should be an ambitious lawyer, ideally with demonstrable experience in a funds-related role at another major law firm. Ashurst has a proven track record in developing funds associates, and the vacancy represents an outstanding opportunity for a team-player with strong technical skills and a commercial approach to progress.

Main tasks

• Take day to day responsibility for client matters and actively progress complex matters with close partner support. You will be able to demonstrate well developed drafting skills, preparing legal documentation, including private placement memoranda and fund agreements.
• Demonstrable confident and effective negotiator with counterparts, able to conduct commercial negotiations with investors, fund managers and other parties.
• Close client contact, including assisting with commercial advice on market practice and fund terms and with project management.
• Effective communication with clients in order to understand their needs and how best to meet them. You will also have the ability to assist clients in arriving at practical and cost effective solutions.
• Demonstrable self-awareness and ability to identify when a team member needs support and will be approachable for advice, giving constructive feedback.
• Demonstrable commercial acumen - Able to understand the way our business, competitors and clients are developing and work with the business development team to use this information to develop business opportunities. Able to build and maintain a network of business contacts.
• Able to proactively identify opportunities to introduce your clients to other offices and practice areas, working intelligently with partners, other lawyers and the business development team to exploit opportunities.
• An excellent attention to detail is essential, able to identify inconsistencies that indicate problems with the quality of work or a misunderstanding of clients' needs.
• An ability to reflect on your own strengths and weaknesses and work not only your own development, but you will mentor and develop junior associates.

Essential skills and experience: 

• Qualified mid-level lawyer with post-qualification experience at a major law firm
• Experience at a law firm recognised for its investment funds practice in some or all of the above areas of work.
• 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 dealing with 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:

Ashurst has an established Associate Expectations Framework in place clearly defining competencies and outlining the path for promotion. The corporate department has promoted six people to partner in the past three years, including three who had joined from other firms in London in the two years before making partner.

Secondment opportunities:

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

Opening Date Monday 23rd October 2017

Closing Date Monday 20th November 2017