Mergers and Acquisitions Associate

Our growing national law firm client is seeking a midlevel to senior Corporate Associate with strong experience in M&A, private equity, and corporate finance to join its growing transactional practice in Chicago.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced corporate attorney ready to take greater ownership of complex transactions, work directly with clients, and play a meaningful role in managing deal teams and junior associates.

The practice advises private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, strategic buyers and sellers, public and private companies, and other sophisticated market participants across a broad range of industries.

Role Overview

The associate will work on a variety of sophisticated corporate transactions, including:

• Mergers and acquisitions
• Private equity-sponsored transactions
• Buy-side and sell-side transactions
• Acquisitions and divestitures
• Equity structuring and recapitalizations
• Debt and corporate finance matters
• Joint ventures and strategic investments
• Entity formation and corporate structuring
• Corporate governance and ongoing operational matters

Responsibilities may include:

• Managing transactions from inception through closing
• Leading and overseeing due diligence processes
• Drafting and negotiating purchase agreements, merger agreements, governance documents, financing agreements, and related transaction documents
• Advising private equity sponsors and portfolio companies throughout the investment lifecycle
• Coordinating with clients, opposing counsel, investment bankers, accountants, and other third-party advisors
• Managing multiple active transactions simultaneously
• Supervising and mentoring junior associates
• Supporting and developing client relationships
• Participating in business development efforts

Candidate Profile

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• 4+ years of sophisticated corporate transactional experience
• Significant experience with M&A and/or private equity transactions
• Experience managing complex buy-side and sell-side deals
• Strong due diligence and transaction-management experience
• Experience drafting and negotiating sophisticated corporate and finance documents
• Ability to work independently and manage matters with limited supervision
• Strong client-facing and interpersonal skills
• Experience supervising junior attorneys is a plus
• Interest in growing client relationships and developing business
• Active Illinois or Missouri Bar membership in good standing

Experience involving commercial contracts, technology transactions, lending, real estate, transactional tax, international clients, or cross-border transactions is a plus.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Work on sophisticated M&A, private equity, and corporate finance transactions
• Represent private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, strategic buyers and sellers
• Take meaningful ownership of transactions from start to finish
• Significant direct client interaction
• Opportunity to supervise and mentor junior associates
• Broad transactional exposure across multiple industries
• Collaborative and team-oriented corporate practice
• Strong platform to continue building client relationships and your own practice
• Excellent opportunity for an associate looking to progress into a more senior transactional role