Baker McKenzie is seeking a London-based U.S.-qualified mid to
senior-level high yield associate to join its growing high yield team.
A successful candidate will have extensive experience in high yield
transactions and a demonstrated ability to run and lead high yield
transactions with limited supervision and support.
Our London-based high yield bond (HYB) team currently consists of 6
partners and counsel and a team of senior associates and associates.
The team works closely with our broader Corporate Finance group - a
fully integrated team of UK and US lawyers offering investment banks,
sponsors and corporates a full range of securities law services
relating to all types of capital markets and leveraged finance
transactions. This team offers a full range of services across the
leveraged finance space. We address both ongoing corporate needs and
extraordinary events, including high yield debt offerings, related
debt and equity products, syndicated credit facilities, US securities
law matters, restructuring and liability management. Our growing High
Yield team forms part of one of the world's largest corporate finance
and capital markets practices.
The HYB team also works closely with our growing banking and finance
and private equity teams in connection with our integrated leverage
finance offering in London advising leading private equity funds,
corporates and investment banks in connection with a broad range of
leveraged transactions.
The HYB team sits within our Corporate department, which provides
skilled capital markets, M&A (public and private), private equity,
projects, re-organizations, and financial services advice, alongside
traditional company law, board level compliance, and corporate
governance support, to a wide range of clients, including listed PLCs,
financial institutions, and major multinational corporates. Our
practice is broad, and a vast majority of what we do is cross-border
and of the highest complexity, and is not limited by industry or
jurisdiction. We are one of the few firms on the market able to offer
a full and high-quality set of corporate services to our clients on a
cross-border basis, in connection with the most complex transactions.
The Role
The role will involve:
Drafting offering memorandums for high yield offerings with
U.S.-style disclosure and due diligence, U.S. opinions and general
U.S. securities law advice with respect to 144A and Reg S debt offerings.
Manage and coordinate all aspects of the transaction process.
Working closely with partners to develop client relationships,
including understanding clients' businesses, economic drivers,
markets, and sectors in order to deliver relevant and commercial
advice and contribute to growing the relationship and winning
further work.
Negotiating transaction documents including Description of Notes,
Purchase Agreements, Intercreditor Agreements and other key
transactional documents in connection with a high yield offering.
Associates will also work closely with the banking and finance team
negotiating commitment papers in connection with bridge-to bond
committed financing processes and incurrence based covenants on the
syndicated loan side of financing transactions.
Engaging in business development activities, and being active in
the promotion of the firm and seeking opportunities for new work.
Working as part of a team and taking an active role in sharing
knowledge and experience.
Associates are given regular and direct contact with clients, with
a culture based on associates being given the level of
responsibility that they are ready for, rather than a PQE based
method of work allocation.
There are regular opportunities for secondment with clients and
posting to other offices under the firm's associate transfer
programme is also a possibility.
Key Skills and Experience Required:
Background in US Capital markets and specifically high yield bond
offerings required
US qualified
Excellent academics
Commerciality and demonstrable business development experience
Excellent written communication and drafting skills
Initiative and proactivity
Strong service orientation - a "client first" culture
Ability to develop strong relationships with clients and to take
responsibility for this relationship
High work standards
Flexible work practices
Outstanding communication skills and the ability to adapt style as required
Ability to work well in both a team and individually
A keenness to learn - intellectual curiosity
Respects and enjoys the diversity of cultural, social and academic
backgrounds found in the Firm
Personal qualities
These personal qualities represent the shared characteristics of high
performers across Baker McKenzie, regardless of job level and location.
Know how
Demonstrates the ability to identify the real issue, and to
anticipate requirements and potential consequences; distills a range
of possibilities by thinking in a considered, prudent manner
Has the capacity to take on new ideas and develop knowledge and
think holistically about business and address media, analyst,
employee, and client audiences
Able to move through a variety of tasks requiring different
approaches, knowledge, and expertise, with the agility of mind and
capacity for analysis and synthesis
Dedication
Driven by a strong personal sense of integrity and upholds
exemplary quality standards
Prepares thoroughly, takes responsibility, uses initiative and is
self reliant to ensure work progresses to the fullest extent possible
Hardworking and diligent with a keen understanding of client demands
Demonstrates composure when dealing with difficult situations
Personal Impact
Uses complex, coordinated influencing/negotiation strategies,
adapted to people, organizations, and/or the situation, e.g. networks
Leverages direct reports to facilitate increased collaboration
across the organization
Builds partnerships based on a common agreement that acknowledges
individual differences but creates a new commonality beyond root
belief large-scale
Creates a positive impression at all times; develops relationships
through collaboration and reciprocity
Negotiates to achieve mutually satisfactory outcomes; shows good
judgment on when to stand strong and when to compromise
Invests in, nurtures, and builds a network of productive relationships
Humanity
Respectful to others, regardless of their position, and earns the
respect of others by being transparent
Has care and concern for others and a genuine interest in others
as people
Treats delicate or confidential issues with grace and discretion.
Why Join Us?
Baker McKenzie is a truly global law firm. Founded in 1949, we advise
many of the world's most dynamic and successful business organisations
through our 13,200 people in 74 offices in 45 countries. Yet big does
not mean impersonal. We work hard to ensure that everyone knows their
role and has the support they need to perform it to the highest
standard. Our culture encourages this - how we work, think and behave
in a collaborative and fulfilling way.
In London you will be part of a 1,000 person office, which is also
our largest office globally. Originally opened in 1961, Baker McKenzie
London is well established in the UK as a leading international law
firm and is regularly involved in some of the country's most
high-profile legal matters. We can offer you the work, pride and
experience of being part of a leading law firm but in a local office
environment that is hardworking, friendly and supportive.
The strength of the firm and our culture is evidenced by a number of
recent awards, including:
Thomson Reuters (formerly Acritas' Sharplegal) Global Elite Law
Firm Brand Index, 2010- 2022 - ranked 1st
The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2021-2022: currently ranked 52nd
Thomson Reuters ranked the Firm No. 1 for cross-border deals for
the last 12 years. More than 70% of our deals are cross-border.
For the 14th consecutive year, the Firm was ranked first for deals
with emerging market involvement, by both number of announced and
completed deals.
Law360 ranked the Firm as one of the 400 Largest US Law Firms in
in its annual survey in 2020.
Identified as one of the Hall of Fame for best law firms for women
by Working Mother magazine, 2011-2021.
Received a a Gold Award in Stonewall's Global Workplace Equality
Index of Top Global Employers for LGBTQ+ Inclusion.
Ranked as one of the Top 20 Employers in the 2023 Social Mobility
Employer Index.
Received Double Certification for earning top marks in the 2022
Corporate Equality Index and Equidad MX of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
Winner of the Europe Mentorship Programme - International Firm
award in the Euromoney Women in Business Law Europe Awards 2021
Winner of the Gender Diversity International Firm, Talent
Management International Firm, and Work-Life Balance International
Firm awards in the Euromoney
Women in Business Law Asia Awards 2021
Have a look at our YouTube
channel to find out more about us!
To Apply
At Baker McKenzie we welcome direct applications.
Please click on the Apply icon to start the online application
process for this role. We will then be in touch with you once we have
reviewed your application.
For more information about this position or to discuss any
adjustments you may require during the process please contact in
confidence, David Roberts, Recruitment Manager, at david.roberts@bakermckenzie.com
Please note Baker McKenzie does not accept unsolicited CVs. Please clickhere
for details of our Agency Policy and commitment to sourcing directly.
Our Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity & Equity
As the first truly global law firm, diversity and inclusion are
foundational to our culture and strategic vision. We are a Firm of
individuals from across the globe with different backgrounds, ideas,
and points of view who collegially work together to solve complex
problems and design practical solutions for our clients. Our multiple
perspectives come from many sources, including the diverse ethnicity,
culture, gender, nationality, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity and expression, disability, parental status, education,
social background and life experience of our people.
Our global strategy is focused on our people, our culture, our
clients and the communities where we operate. In 2019 we enacted
ambitious new targets related to gender, racial and ethnic diversity
at the Firm. These targets are viewed as a floor, not a ceiling, to
advancing underrepresented groups, and they are backed by a variety of
strategic initiatives aimed at achieving our goals. Our strategic
vision is supported in London by six active employee led networks
which champion diversity, lead on a number of internal campaigns and
deliver a range of activity to celebrate differences in identity,
inclusion, and key dates throughout the year including: LGBT+ History
Month, International Women's Day, International Trans Day of
Visibility, Mental Health Awareness Week, Pride, Black History Month,
Social Mobility Week, International Day of Disabled Persons and many more!
