Gowling WLG
Senior / Principal Associate – Banking & Finance (London / Birmingham)
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
About The Team
Our Banking & Finance team advises on a wide range of UK and international mid-market financing deals. We work across sectors including renewable energy, infrastructure, mining, housing, financial services, private equity, tech, healthcare, retail, and aerospace—handling acquisition finance, corporate lending, asset / receivables finance, project finance, derivatives, and debt capital markets.
As part of a global, sector-focused law firm, we offer a fully integrated advisory service, collaborating closely with colleagues across practice areas and jurisdictions to deliver seamless, commercial solutions. Our team also works hand-in-hand with our top-tier restructuring and insolvency and pensions practices, offering exposure to both performing and distressed lending.
With 18 lawyers across Birmingham and London, we’re known for our pragmatic, partner-led approach and “magic circle quality with a personal touch.” Clients value our market insight, responsiveness, and commitment to excellence.
We invest in our people—offering early client exposure, strong business development support, and a robust training programme led by two senior professional support lawyers.
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
This is a non-contentious general Banking role covering one or ideally more of the above areas. Reporting directly to the Banking & Finance Partners you will be a key member within this close-knit team.
You will have a broad diet of work crossing the above areas, including:
- Acting for banks, borrowers and private equity houses on banking matters, both mid market and investment grade, syndicated and bilateral.
- Drafting and negotiating loan facility (senior and mezzanine), security, intercreditor and ancillary documents.
- Preparing facility documentation, negotiating and advising on leveraged acquisition finance transactions.
- Advising on corporate lending transactions (acting for both lenders & borrowers).
- Drafting and advising on asset-backed/receivables finance transactions.
- Drafting and negotiating project finance documentation.
- Advising on cross-border transactions including managing overseas legal counsel and negotiating legal opinions.
- Advising on ISDA and other hedging and credit support documentation.
- Drafting and negotiating documents and advising in connection with structuring matters.
- Advising on general banking matters and working closely with other parts of the firm, such as corporate, real estate, pensions and construction.
Reasons to use Rodeo
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.
It 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.
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.
About you
- We are looking for a qualified Lawyer to join the team at 3 - 10 PQE level.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills as you will be a key ambassador for Gowling WLG.
- Clear understanding of the commercial issues involved in finance transactions, experience of running high value transactions with minimal partner supervision and negotiating key documents on behalf of clients.
- An individual who is self-motivated, proactive, and collaborative individual that strives to deliver solutions to the highest quality and exhibits an exceptional attention to detail.
- Your actions should inspire confidence in clients, partners and peers alike.
- Business development is a key part of the role, therefore establishing, developing and maintaining client relationships with and obtaining instructions from identified target and existing clients will be expected.
What We Can Offer You:
Gowling WLG has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the UK and has been ranked by Great Place to Work® for 26 consecutive years.
Excellent benefits, including:
- A hybrid approach to office and remote working.
- Generous annual leave, with the option to buy up to a week's extra annual leave
- Free private medical insurance, and the option to add family members
- A generous pension allowance
- Life assurance covering four times your annual salary
- Maternity, paternity and adoption leave schemes
- A range of health and wellbeing programmes
- State of the art offices, in the heart of Birmingham City Centre and London overlooking Tower Bridge both with onsite restaurants.
- Opportunities to flourish in your role through training and personal development.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Many of our people work flexibly in some way. If you would like to explore your own flexible working arrangements with us, we are happy to discuss this during the recruitment process.
Equal Opportunities:
Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment. The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.
At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our aim is to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.
Any offers we make will be conditional subject to clearance by the SRA, evidence of eligibility to work in the UK and DBS clearance
If you have any queries in relation to this position or would like to see a full job description please contact Nana Panti-Amoa
#LI-NP1 #LI-HYBRID
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location