Mid Level Real Estate Finance – Associate

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

Our one firm global strategy is focused on targeted growth led by the needs of our core clients, those who we can best support with the breadth and depth of Clifford Chance expertise, across the sectors and geographies, which matter most to them.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

 

The role

Our Real Estate Finance team is consistently ranked as Tier 1 in both Chambers and Legal 500. The team covers transactions in the UK and Europe, often pan-Euro or cross-border.  

The team provides clients with a single source of multi-disciplinary advice that covers all aspects of the transactions which we are engaged on (finance, real estate, tax, corporate, capital markets and restructuring advice). We have continued to invest in those teams throughout most of the major economies in Europe so that we can provide a "one stop shop" service for cross-border deals, distinguishing us from competitors who lack that network.

Our combined expertise spans the complete spectrum of asset classes involving real estate finance products and sectors including the following types of deals:

• investment finance, including top tier sponsor transactions
• development finance
• loan-on-loan and other back leverage structures (teaming up with our New York office on repo financing where relevant)
• Senior/mezz finance
• CMBS
• crossover real estate infrastructure finance (including data centres)
• restructurings and work-outs
• performing and non-performing loan portfolio sales, purchases and financings
• CRE CLOs and other structured deals financing commercial real estate assets

We advise the full range of market participants including investment banks, credit funds, asset managers, private capital sponsors and arrangers covering a range of real estate assets including logistics, industrial, office, retail, hospitality, digital infrastructure (including data centres) and housing.

Real Estate Finance sits within the Debt Finance Global Product Group.  The Debt Finance team of which advises on the full range of debt finance matters, including leveraged finance, asset finance, real estate and infrastructure finance, fund finance, corporate lending, syndicated facilities and private credit.

 

What you will be responsible for

You will be regularly working as part of cross-border and interdisciplinary teams essential to the delivery of the transactions we cover for our clients.

As a lawyer, your remit will be to:

• Draft core legal documents or (on top tier sponsor deals) advise on the key deal points and mark-up the main documents.
• Apply your legal expertise to help structure the deals.
• Lead (alongside the file partners) the transaction management of the above deals, which will often entail leading a team of colleagues drawn from across various practice areas and offices.
• Deliver clear, commercial and market-informed, concise and tailored legal advice to clients.
• Drive the execution process.
• Manage and supervise other transaction parties including the wider CC team, external local counsel, junior lawyers and trainees and delegate appropriately.
• Help to develop client relationships, including through management of fee budgets and reporting of the same to clients, client training and networking. Sharing market intelligence from the same in discussions with the partners and other mid level or senior associates.
• Drive the efficient delivery of our transactions by using our multiple best delivery tools: e.g. templates, paralegal teams, , Legal Project Managers, legal tech tools including AI. 

 

Who we are looking for

A Mid level Lawyer who can demonstrate experience and developing expertise in Real Estate Finance.  Your knowledge and experience will probably have been gained at a leading practice with a reputation for work in this market.

An outstanding academic history and proven first rate legal skills, combined with a strong reputation amongst existing clients for providing commercial solutions to complex problems and demonstrating excellent transaction management skills.

You will be able to demonstrate excellent document drafting skills with strong communication and analytical skills with a high level of commercial awareness and interpersonal skills.

You will have a strong track record of working collaboratively with multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary teams. You should be resilient, self-motivated, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, while operating within a supportive framework provided by partners.

It is crucial that you can demonstrate an appetite for self-driven technical development, business development and client relationship management.

 

How we will support

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and develop your skills and knowledge. We offer a mentorship culture e.g. you will have a career development partner assigned to you with whom you can discuss all aspects of your career development in a confidential setting, with a second partner named should you ever want another view or a different listening post. You will receive formal training on all aspects of our practice both on technical skills and soft skills, legal updates from our knowledge team together with informal coaching and mentoring. You will be actively supervised and mentored by partners on matters and so benefit from on the job training. The partners will always take the time to provide guidance whenever it is sought – we proactively ask that team members say when they would like some help. Our group has a resource manager to assist with the staffing of transactions to ensure a fair allocation of matters, as well as dedicated HR support. 

 

Hybrid working

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.

 

What we offer including our broad range of benefits and working environment

When you join Clifford Chance, you will have access to a broad range of benefits to support you across many aspects of your personal and professional life including financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and family friendly benefits. For more information on what we offer specifically in the UK, please visit our What We Offer page on our career site. 

 

Equal opportunities

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.