Careers
Senior Associate/ Special Counsel - Corporate & Commercial - Sydney
- 492663
- Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Permanent Full time
- A true meritocracy model - be promoted by your contribution and not held back by outdated structures
- Flexible 3:2 work arrangements
- Generous leave policies including purchased, parental and performance reward leave
About us
HWLE is not your typical law firm. Our rapid rise to become the largest legal partnership in Australia shows that in our case, the differences are real. We deliver first class legal advice to our government and commercial clients in every state and territory across Australia. Firm wide, we have over 270 Partners and 1700 people
The opportunity
In this role as a Senior Lawyer, you will take ownership of significant matters, manage key client relationships, and provide mentoring and leadership to junior lawyers. You will have the opportunity to work directly with Paul Brown and Natalya Hards on complex commercial projects, gaining exposure to high‑profile clients and strategic transactional work.
- Mergers & Acquisitions advising on end‑to‑end transactions including sale and purchase agreements, due diligence, structuring issues, shareholder arrangements and regulatory considerations across a broad range of industries
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Funds Management / Investment Funds assisting with the establishment, restructuring and ongoing operation of managed investment schemes, trusts and stapled structures, and advising on governance, compliance and disclosure obligations -
General Corporate Advice & Transactions providing strategic corporate advisory services including corporate governance, capital raisings, corporate structuring, securities regulation (Corporations Act and ASX Listing Rules), and day‑to‑day advice to boards, executives and major stakeholders -
General Commercial Work drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex commercial contracts, service agreements, supply agreements, and other commercial documentation that supports clients’ operational and transactional needs -
Joint Venture Arrangements – preparing and negotiating joint venture agreements, advising on structuring options, ownership and governance frameworks, and resolving commercial and operational issues that arise throughout the lifecycle of major JV projects
To succeed in this role, ideally you'll have
- minimum 5 Years PQE
- ability to work in a team
- ability to juggle competing priorities and meet deadlines
- ability to interact directly with clients
- excellent drafting skills
- ability to delegate to junior lawyers to prepare template documentation
- Unrivalled career pathways: Our unique meritocracy model proudly offers our staff career development, promoting talent based solely on merit. Our size, range of experience and competitive pricing model will provide you with everything you need to succeed. Unlike our competitors, our Solicitor to Partner ratio enables greater mentoring and client engagement compared to our competitors. Our 180 day career forecasting sessions provide the platform to fast-track your progression.
- Location: Our cutting-edge office is conveniently located in the heart of the Sydney CBD amidst a fast-pace, high-networking legal community. Enjoy working in a state-of-the-art office environment with access to modern end of trip facilities.
- Great culture and a huge networking platform: Be part of a firm renowned for its friendly and down-to-earth culture. We also have sports clubs, social club and monthly firmwide drinks.
- Impact: Join a firm consistently ranked at the forefront of the Australian legal market, where your work is recognised nationally.
To apply, please submit your CV via the 'Apply' function. Applicants must have full working rights in Australia and a valid practising certificate to apply. HWLE also strongly encourages applications from the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.
HWLE strives to create an inclusive environment where our people want and feel comfortable to bring their entire selves to work. Varied perspectives contribute to our collective success so whatever your background, we'd love to hear from you and encourage you to apply. If you have reasonable accessibility requirements that will enable you to participate equitably in our recruitment process, please reach out to Laura Harrison for a confidential discussion.