Corporate Senior Associate

Location: Central London, near Bank station
Salary: c.£80,000 basic salary
Commission: 15% commission on all self-generated work
Experience: Ideally 5+ years’ PQE
Working Pattern: Permanent, Full-time, Office-based
Progression: Clear route to Director

The Opportunity

A growing Central London law firm is seeking an ambitious Corporate or Corporate and Commercial Solicitor to join at Senior Associate level.

This is a commercially focused opportunity for an established lawyer who wants greater ownership of client relationships, the resources to grow a practice and a clear route towards a Director position.

The successful candidate will receive a basic salary of £80,000, together with 15% commission on all work generated personally.

The firm is ideally looking for someone who can bring an initial client following generating approximately £5,000 in monthly fees. The successful candidate will then receive additional clients, internal referrals and operational support to help develop the practice and increase revenue over time.

This position would suit someone who combines strong technical Corporate or Corporate and Commercial experience with an entrepreneurial approach, established client relationships and the ambition to build a long-term practice.

The Role

Depending on the successful candidate’s technical experience and existing client base, the work may include:

• Corporate acquisitions and disposals


• Share purchases and asset purchases


• Business sales


• Shareholders’ agreements


• Partnership and LLP agreements


• Joint ventures


• Investment and funding arrangements


• Corporate reorganisations and restructuring


• Corporate governance and company-law advice


• Commercial contracts and trading agreements


• Advising directors, shareholders, investors and business owners


• Managing transactions from initial instruction through to completion


• Maintaining and developing existing client relationships


• Generating new work and building external referral relationships


• Identifying cross-referral opportunities across the wider firm


• Contributing to the strategic development of the Corporate practice


• Supporting the future growth of the team

The successful candidate will have autonomy over client relationships and matters while benefiting from direct access to the firm’s senior leadership.

About You

To be considered for this position, you should ideally have:

• Qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales


• Approximately five years’ PQE or more


• Recent Corporate or Corporate and Commercial experience gained within a UK Legal Practice


• An existing, portable client following generating approximately £5,000 per month in fees


• Experience managing Corporate transactions and client relationships independently


• Strong drafting, negotiation and commercial advisory skills


• The confidence to develop new and existing client relationships


• A practical understanding of the commercial priorities of business owners


• The ability to generate work and develop professional-referral relationships


• Strong organisation and attention to detail


• A collaborative, proactive and entrepreneurial approach


• The ambition to progress from Senior Associate to Director


• The ability to work from the firm’s Central London office on a full-time basis

Applications may also be considered from lawyers whose PQE falls slightly outside the stated range where the required technical expertise, portable following and commercial potential can be demonstrated.

Existing Following

The firm is ideally looking for someone with a client following generating approximately £5,000 in monthly fees at the point of joining.

The following may consist of work from:

• Business owners


• Entrepreneurs


• SMEs and owner-managed businesses


• Investors and shareholders


• Professional advisers and introducers


• Accountants and tax advisers


• Existing commercial clients


• Established professional-referral relationships

Candidates should be able to explain:

• The approximate value of the existing following


• The type of work generated


• The regularity and consistency of instructions


• The likelihood that clients will move with the candidate


• Any contractual or regulatory restrictions affecting portability


• The potential to increase revenue with appropriate support

The following requirement is intended to provide an initial platform for growth. The successful candidate will not be expected to build the practice without support.

Commission and Remuneration

The remuneration package includes:

• £80,000 basic salary


• 15% commission on all self-generated work


• Additional clients and work provided by the firm


• Internal and cross-departmental referrals


• Operational and administrative support


• Access to senior decision-makers


• Resources to support practice development


• A clear route towards a Director position

The commission arrangement provides a direct financial reward for developing client relationships and generating additional work alongside the £80,000 base salary.

Candidates should confirm the detailed commission terms during the interview process, including when commission becomes payable and how self-generated work is recorded.

Career Progression

The successful candidate will join at Senior Associate level with a genuine opportunity to progress to Director.

Progression will be supported through:

• Growth of the candidate’s client portfolio


• Increased responsibility for the Corporate practice


• Revenue generation and practice development


• Expansion of internal and external referral relationships


• Contribution to the wider commercial direction of the firm


• Leadership of client relationships and transactions


• Involvement in future recruitment and team development


• Consistent delivery of high-quality legal and commercial advice

This is an opportunity for someone who wants their contribution to be visible and rewarded, rather than joining a highly layered department with limited influence over its direction.

Working Arrangements

This is an office-based position near Bank station in Central London.

The firm is seeking someone who values regular access to colleagues, clients and senior decision-makers and who wants to contribute visibly to the growth of the practice.

Candidates should be comfortable attending the Central London office on a full-time basis.

How to Apply

To discuss this Corporate Senior Associate opportunity in confidence, please contact:

David Hawthorne-Finch
Hawthorne-Finch Talent Solutions
Email: [email protected]

All applications and enquiries will be treated in confidence. No candidate CV or identifying information will be shared with the prospective employer without prior express written consent.

Hawthorne-Finch Talent Solutions is acting as an employment agency in relation to this vacancy.