Baker McKenzie

We are seeking an ambitious, bright and talented junior to mid-level fund formation associate to join our team and advise managers and investors on international fund formation and investment mandates.

You will work closely with Nick Benson, who leads the Funds team in London, as well as other partners and associates across our global investment funds practice on exciting and challenging mandates for leading name fund managers and institutional investors.

Associates are given regular and direct contact with clients, with a culture based on associates being given the level of responsibility for which they are capable, rather than a PQE-based method of work allocation.  The role offers significant opportunities for progression in a growing practice area.

As a member of our Global Funds Group, you will be part of a dynamic and diverse team of lawyers who work closely together as a team and rely on each other for support on executing funds mandates, developing new clients, knowledge sharing and training. The Global Funds Group has a full time Knowledge Lawyer and dedicated business development support.  The team also works closely with our financial regulatory and tax specialists, including a London-based US funds tax partner. 

The Role

The London Funds team sits within the Private Equity & Funds Group in the Transactional Department. The Private Equity & Funds Group comprises 13 partners and 20 associates in London covering fund formation, private equity M&A and investor work. The Funds team advises private equity, infrastructure, real estate, venture capital, private credit and digital assets fund managers on secondaries transactions and fund formations and also has a stable of high-profile institutional investor clients including sovereign wealth funds, private investment companies, private and government-linked pension funds, investment companies, endowments and insurance companies.

The Team

The London Funds team is an integral and leading part of our Global Funds Group which numbers nearly 100 lawyers in our offices around the world, including in the US, Canada, Latin America, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Spain, Middle East, Singapore, Hong Kong/China, Japan and Australia. 

There are five other practice groups within the Transactional Department covering general M&A (public and private), capital markets, energy and infrastructure projects, real estate and reorganisations, and six industry groups: Consumer Goods and Retail; Energy and Infrastructure; Financial Institutions; Healthcare and Life Sciences; Industrials, Manufacturing and Transportation; and Technology.

Key Skills and Experience Required

• Experience in advising managers and/or investors in private fund formation, private fund investments and/or private fund secondaries
• Good knowledge and awareness of technical issues, structures and commercial market terms for private funds
• Commerciality and an interest in business development experience
• Excellent written communication and drafting skills
• Initiative and proactivity
• Strong service orientation - a "client first" culture
• Ability to develop strong relationships with clients and to take responsibility for these relationships
• Outstanding communication skills and the ability to adapt style as required
• Ability to work well in both a team and individually
• Respects and enjoys the diversity of cultural, social and academic backgrounds found in the Firm

At Baker McKenzie we are different in the way we think, work and behave. With our team of 13,000 people, including over 6,500 locally admitted lawyers, in over 70 offices worldwide, we have a passionately collaborative community of 60 nationalities and are committed to world-class career development to everyone in every job at every level. Baker McKenzie can offer you both the uncompromising commitment to excellence expected of a top firm paired with a passionately global and genuinely collaborative working environment.

Why join us?

Baker McKenzie is a truly global law firm. Founded in 1949, we advise many of the world’s most dynamic and successful business organisations through our 13,200 people in 74 offices in 45 countries. Yet big does not mean impersonal. We work hard to ensure that everyone knows their role and has the support they need to perform it to the highest standard. Our culture encourages this - how we work, think and behave in a collaborative and fulfilling way.

In London you will be part of a 950 person office, which is also our largest office globally. Originally opened in 1961, Baker McKenzie London is well established in the UK as a leading international law firm and is regularly involved in some of the country's most high-profile legal matters. We can offer you the work, pride and experience of being part of a leading law firm but in a local office environment that is hardworking, yet friendly and supportive.

The strength of the firm and our culture is evidenced by a number of recent awards, including:

• Ranked in Law.com’s 2024 UK A-List of best firms to work at
• Included in The Times 2024 list of Best Law Firms
• Ranked in the Financial Times Most Innovative Law Firms in Europe 2024 list
• Listed in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2024-2025
• International Employment Lawyer - Elite Firm 2025
• Winner: Client Management Innovation Award, Law.com Legal Innovation & Technology Awards, 2024
• Winner: Employment & Labour Law Firm of the Year, Lexology European Awards 2025
• Winner: Pro Bono Initiative of the Year – The Lawyer Awards 2024
• Winner: Finance Team of the Year – Legal Business Awards 2024
• Ranked as one of the top 5 largest US law firms in London in The Lawyer’s 2024 US 50

To Apply:

At Baker McKenzie we welcome direct applications.

Please click on the Apply icon to start the online application process for this role. We will then be in touch with you once we have reviewed your application. If you are unable to apply online, please contact the Recruitment Team on either 020 7919 1000 or Recruitment.London@bakermckenzie.com

For more information about this position or to discuss any adjustments you may require during the process please contact in confidence, Vanessa Renforth, Recruitment Manager, at Vanessa.Renforth@bakermckenzie.com

Please review our Applicant Privacy Notice here.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Please note Baker McKenzie does not accept unsolicited CVs. Please click here for details of our Agency Policy and commitment to sourcing directly.

Baker McKenzie is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion for all. Our unique international culture is reflected in the drawing together of a worldwide family of individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds in all of our offices. We encourage the best people - regardless of race, religion or belief if any, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or age - to fulfill their professional aspirations with us. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible experience for all candidates.