Capital Markets Associate

Corporate Finance & Securities Associate (2–5 PQE) US Qualified

Location: London

Practice: Corporate Finance & Securities / Capital Markets

Level: 2–5 PQE

The Opportunity

A market-leading Corporate Finance & Securities team within a top international law firm is looking to grow, adding US-qualified corporate generalists to a high-performing, partner-led practice. The team sits at the heart of a broad corporate and capital markets platform, with strong deal flow spanning equity capital markets, securities work, and general corporate transactions.

This is a growth hire into a team that is already operating at capacity, working directly with a partner who is a highly regarded, market-leading figure in this space.

What You'll Be Doing

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• Working as a true generalist across corporate finance, securities, and equity capital markets matters
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• Getting broad exposure to high-end, high-profile transactional work
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• Operating in a lean team structure where associates are given significant early responsibility often taking on matters typically reserved for more senior associates
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• Strong likelihood of secondment opportunities, including in-house placements with major financial institutions, or overseas secondments to New York, Hong Kong, Seoul, or Germany
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What They're Looking For

This is a highly selective search with limited flexibility on academic and firm pedigree. Ideal candidates will currently be at a Magic Circle or elite US firm.

Relocation support is available for the right candidate.

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• US qualified is essential
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• Graduate of an elite, T14 US law school
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• Trained and qualified at an elite US law firm
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• Strong, consistent academic record and technical excellence
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• Broad transactional experience across corporate, securities, and capital markets work — this is a generalist role, not a narrow specialism
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• Candidates below 2 PQE will only be considered if truly exceptional
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Compensation & Benefits

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• Compensation benchmarked to the Cravath scale (Elite US pay levels)
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• Salary range for 2–5 PQE: $245,000–$385,000
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• Competitive bonus structure in line with leading US firms, including summer and year-end bonuses
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• Sign-on bonuses available
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• Choice of fixed or variable FX rate for pay
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• 2,000+ billable hour target comfortably achieved by most associates in this team
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Life at the Firm

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• Personalised training and development plans tailored to each associate
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• Access to a dedicated, senior (10+ PQE) talent development manager per practice group, acting as a bridge between associates, partners, and HR
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• Dedicated knowledge lawyers supporting each team
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• One-to-one mentoring for every associate, with a strong focus on progression
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• Hybrid working: 3 days per week in the office (in practice, many associates come in more, drawn by the culture and office environment)
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• Excellent office facilities, including free breakfast and an on-site café
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• Open-door culture partners, associates, and trainees mix informally across the firm
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• A genuinely collegiate, driven team culture with a strict "no difficult people" policy
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