Associate - Project Development & Finance

The Energy, Transport and Infrastructure team focuses on advising on large energy and infrastructure projects across EMEA and globally with a focus on energy transition (nuclear, CCUS, hydrogen, EV and decarbonisation), project development, financing and refinancing of infrastructure assets and also support on M&A, and advisory ESG and project regulation. The main clients of the team are major energy companies, and the firm's core financial sponsor clients. The majority of deals are international and involve large client and internal teams. The successful candidate will be expected to take on leadership roles on transactions, working closely with partners, liaising with other teams and departments and managing associates/trainees. The firm offers comprehensive training and career development., The successful candidate will work closely with partners to help deliver the team's business plan within the firm's wider priorities of energy transition, financial sponsors and ESG. This is an exciting opportunity to step up to the next level and to help develop a practice at the core of the firm's strategic priorities.

The person appointed will have the opportunity to play a key role within the team, undertaking leading edge work, including:

• Leading on all aspects of global project development and financing transactions, working collaboratively with colleagues across other teams in the firm, including on deal strategy, due diligence, negotiation and drafting


• Developing a good understanding of the firm's client strategy, with a focus on energy transition, playing a lead role in specific client teams, and contributing to business development initiatives that help strengthen client relationships


• Playing a key role in rolling out new business development initiatives, particularly in the energy transition space
  
  Qualified lawyer, England & Wales or common law


• Intellectual acumen, with top class academics


• Strong project development (and some finance experience), ideally with experience across energy transition and new energy technologies (nuclear, renewables, CCUS, hydrogen)


• Strong client relationship skills with energy and infrastructure companies, financial sponsors


• A positive role model, who will actively share knowledge and contribute to the development of less experienced lawyers in the team, and work collaboratively with lawyers across multiple skillsets and geographies


• Adaptability and an ability to build skills in new areas and juggle multiple demands is important


Competencies

• Technical skills: excellent technical skills, recognised for own expertise, and has the ability to draft complex legal documents clearly and in plain English.


• Client relationships: able to anticipate and respond to the needs of the client to deliver exceptional service whilst looking for opportunities to nurture and deepen relationships.


• Business advisor: able to identify, analyse and prioritise increasingly complex issues, and able to understand the impact of legal, business and market issues and analysis on technical documentation and the project.


• People and team: able to work effectively as part of a team (including coaching and mentoring more junior lawyers) as well as building relationships across the firm.


• Project management: able to juggle a variety of demands, and to manage time, client expectations in order to meet deadlines.


• Business development: able to contribute to pitches and activities to win new work, and to develop internal and external networks, as well as building own knowledge/expertise in at least one sector.


• Personal skills: credible, professional, able to work with a wide range of clients and people, willing to embrace change and take accountability for achieving results.
  
  Freshfields' Global Transactions practice brings together lawyers specialising in corporate, finance and real estate. Working collaboratively to provide the best transactional advice to clients, we act for private and public companies, banks, governments and states, amongst others. We are consistently ranked at the top of the league tables in Europe, Asia and globally. Most of our work has a cross-border element, requiring us to draw on the expertise of our global transactions' lawyers in other offices across the network., Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer is a leading international law firm, providing business law advice of the highest quality. We want to be the law firm that clients turn to for legal advice where it matters most, wherever in the world that may be. The Firm has over 2,400 lawyers in 28 offices around the world, providing a comprehensive service to national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments.


Our people make our firm - we are a people business and want to create a welcoming and supportive environment where all can flourish. We see diversity as a strength which creates fresh perspectives and generates new ideas. We enjoy our work and are determined to do an outstanding job. We deliver best when working in teams. Our culture can best be described through the Being Freshfields principles, outlined below:


• we show respect to everyone


• we are there for one another


• we are open with each other


• we are positive role models


We think and work globally. We don't just say we are one firm; we act as one firm right across the world and our systems and structures support that one-firm approach. We work wherever our clients need us. This is how we define ourselves, not by reference to where we have offices. Cross-border work isn't just what we do, it is what we excel at. We understand what it really takes to work across different legal systems and commercial environments and to bridge gaps in language, culture and market practice.