Bird & Bird
Associate – Banking and Finance (Mid / Senior)

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We are looking for an Associate, with 5-years' or more of post qualification experience, to join our Finance & Financial Regulation team in London to work on a wide range of finance transactions, including renewable energy financing and sports finance.
Working as part of a small team will mean significant amounts of responsibility and client contact. We believe the role represents an outstanding opportunity for a bright, entrepreneurial and ambitious lawyer.
Key Responsibilities
Your work will include advising financial institutions (banks, development banks, funds and alternative lenders) and borrowers on a wide range of lending work, including bilateral bank lending work, sports finance (mainly football transfer receivables and media rights receivables), acquisition finance, real estate finance, project finance (with an emphasis on renewable energy projects), cross border financings, bank lending work in emerging markets (Africa, Asia and CEE/SEE), venture debt and asset finance.
What You'll Bring
We are looking for a banking lawyer who is technically excellent and with the ability to apply their legal skills in a practical way. Candidates should have solid post qualification experience gained in the banking/finance practice of a leading Firm.
The Successful Candidate Will Have
- Excellent academic achievement.
- Experience of handling transactions gained within a comparable environment and at an appropriate level.
- A desire to work for a truly international Firm.
In Addition, We Expect Our Associates To Demonstrate
- Flexibility, supporting a broad range of debt transactions.
- The ability to manage aspects of complex matters/transactions and clients.
- Knowledge of key areas of the law to provide clear, precise, practical advice.
- The ability to liaise effectively with lawyers from within the Group and also to liaise and co-ordinate with lawyers from other disciplines and jurisdictions as required.
- Delegation and supervisory skills where appropriate.
- Interest in working in a challenging, team-based environment.
- The willingness and ability to support business development activity, creating and maintaining strong client relationships and identifying new business opportunities.
- A commitment to update their own technical expertise and to achieve continuous improvement and development.
- The ability to contribute to the Group (either by training, precedents or know-how generally).
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
What's In It For You
Our agile approach to office and remote working enables you to find the right balance to deliver at your best. Supporting you, our business and our clients in a flexible way.
- Progress your career and personal development with our award-winning development programmes, from our global mentoring scheme to our bespoke coaching opportunities.
- Equip yourself with a broad range of technical and business skills as well as a deep understanding of business issues through our skills-based curriculum.
- Competitive, market-led salary and bonus structure.
- Family friendly policies as well as health schemes and wellbeing support.
- A flexible benefits package which allows you to tailor your benefits to your current needs and lifestyle.
In addition to a competitive salary and benefits package, Bird & Bird operates two discretionary bonus schemes.
- We offer a performance related bonus that reflects the contributions you make to the firm. We know an inclusive culture, alongside a diverse workforce, makes us more innovative and agile, so whilst some of the criteria for being awarded a bonus is based on chargeable hours, we also include an allowance for hours spent contributing to Diversity & Inclusion, ESG, and Pro Bono work.
- We see 'winning work' as significantly different to the day-to-day business development activities you carry out as part of your role as an Associate, so in addition to the Performance Bonus, Bird & Bird are keen to reward Associates for winning work. Winning Work Bonuses are paid in addition to the Performance Bonus and are intended to be a thank you for your contribution to introducing a client or generating additional work from an existing client.


Get help with your application
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If you require any assistance, please email us at talentacquisitionlondon@twobirds.com
To apply, click on the 'apply' button to submit your details.
Bird & Bird opens up a world of possible for lawyers everywhere. Here you can advise major enterprises and high-growth businesses on matters that are often transformative in nature, and alongside people who are truly collegiate in the way they work with everyone at Bird & Bird. We are one international firm, where over 70% of our work involves teams from across our firm. And that is only going to increase. It is this common purpose and shared approach that makes for a more productive, and collaborative place to work.
If you want to find out more, visit www.twobirds.com
As a disability and neurodiversity inclusive employer we want to ensure that you have a barrier-free recruitment experience at Bird & Bird. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please provide details to your recruitment contact who will be in touch to discuss any details provided and understand more about your individual adjustment needs.
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