Closing Date: 16th November, 2026

Description:

Our Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Practice is globally recognized as a top-tier leader in both public and private M&A transactions. We deliver unparalleled legal services for complex corporate deals, offering strategic planning, due diligence, negotiation, and execution of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and other business combinations. Serving a diverse clientele, including multinational corporations, private equity firms and banks, our team ensures regulatory compliance, manages risk, and structures transactions for optimal outcomes. By combining extensive legal expertise with deep market insight, we help clients navigate high-stakes transactions, fostering growth and creating value, solidifying our reputation as one of the premier M&A practices worldwide.

Position Summary:
We are currently looking for both a junior associate and a midlevel associate with M&A experience to join the M&A/Corporate practice in our NY office and focus on Shareholder Activism-related matters. This role will advise public companies, hedge funds, private equity firms and investment banks, in connection with mergers and acquisitions, takeover preparedness and defense, shareholder activism and defense, general corporate advisory work and securities offerings.

As well as possessing excellent academic credentials and legal knowledge, you should also be commercially minded, with a solid grasp of the market and an enthusiasm for the cut-and-thrust of sophisticated public transactional work. Ideal candidates should have excellent drafting, writing and analytical skills, strong attention to detail, organizational, verbal, interpersonal and project management skills and an interest in activism and activism defense. Basic knowledge of the United States securities laws (including the proxy rules) is expected. Experience in drafting and negotiating SPAs. APAs and/or merger agreements and LLC and/or partnership agreements and other ancillary transaction documents is also highly desirable but is not specifically required.

Highly focused, you should display the organizational skills and composure needed to thrive in a demanding, fast-paced practice, working to tight deadlines and managing multiple workstreams and communication channels. Given the fluidity of the deal-making process, you should also be mentally agile—adept at thinking on your feet, and quickly adapting to changing circumstances.

Excellent oral and written communication skills will be major assets—enabling you to negotiate effectively, and to seamlessly manage the flow of information between practice groups, clients and stakeholders. You should also demonstrate a collaborative approach and an ease interacting with a wide range of legal and business professionals. Proactive and self-motivated, you should be eager to take ownership of your work product and demonstrate the skill, talent and commitment to deliver outstanding results.

Duties and Accountabilities:

Assisting with the preparation of nomination notices and proxy statements
Advising and leading drafting efforts for all aspects of shareholder cooperation agreements, share purchase/merger agreements, joint ventures and investments for sophisticated clients investing in the public markets.
Conducting and overseeing legal research and diligence
Ensuring clients' interests are properly represented and protected at all times

Qualifications:

2+ years (for the junior associate) and 4+ years (for the mid-level associate) of substantive M&A experience at a leading law firm, with a strong foundation in public company transactions
Direct experience with shareholder activism focused on defense and/or activism preferred for midlevel candidates
Ability to run discrete aspects of transactions independently, with appropriate supervision depending on class year
Exercises sound legal and commercial judgment; identifies issues early and proposes practical, business-oriented solutions
Demonstrates intellectual curiosity and creative thinking when addressing complex legal and structural issues
Anticipates client needs and maintains a service-oriented mindset consistent with our client expectations
Communicates clearly and professionally with clients, opposing counsel, and internal stakeholders
Strong time management skills, ability to stay calm under pressure when juggling multiple projects
Proactive, resourceful, takes initiative and a self-starter
Strong academic record and excellent legal drafting and analytical skills
Contributes to a collaborative, high-performing deal team culture
A Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school
Admitted to the New York bar (or the ability to become admitted) and in good standing
Fluency in English

Locations and Compensation