Job vacancy | Project and Infrastructure Finance Senior Associate – Gowling WLG

The Project and Infrastructure Financing Team is experiencing rapid growth in all of its key markets and is recruiting a Senior Associate to be a key member of the Team. Led by Chris Brierley and Nath Curtis, the team forms part of the highly successful wider Banking and Finance team.

The Team focuses its work in three core areas: (a) the low-carbon economy, (b) core / core+ infrastructure and (c) digital infrastructure. Acting both lender and borrower side, there is significant diversity within the client base across Investment Banks, Infrastructure Debt funds, Pension and Insurance funds and a wide range of Sponsor-side stakeholders. The philosophy of the Partners is to further grow the practice around the growth areas of the market where the Team can add value in structuring complex and/or innovative financing solutions. There is significant opportunity for the right candidate to be involved in our International Project Finance practice, as well as working on a wide range of UK domestic transactions.

Golwing WLG’s work in the low-carbon economy builds on renewable energy experience (which continues to represent a core market) into demand-side solutions and sustainability financing. They are working on a number of demonstrator plants for new technology as well as first-of-a-kind sustainability credit schemes. In core and core+ infrastructure, they are acting on a private-sector led mainline railway station financing, a number of projects in the defence, aviation and shipping sectors and have a well-established social-housing, co-living and student accommodation business. They have had considerable recent success in growing our digital infrastructure practice, where the debt markets are buoyant.

The ideal candidate will have the aptitude to lead on complicated transactions with confidence, the drive to assist the Partners to further grow the business and an interest in training and developing the talented and dedicated junior lawyers in the team.

The Banking and Finance team is a single team comprising banking, restructuring and insolvency working as a single team across the London and Birmingham offices. The team covers all aspects of finance work including acquisition finance, asset finance, general corporate and syndicated lending, securitisation and debt capital markets, project finance and distressed advisory work, restructuring and corporate recovery. The team acts for UK clearing banks, U.S. and European banks, financial institutions, debt funds and alternative lenders, as well as for borrowers, investors, corporates, funds and private equity houses, pension trustees, receivers and insolvency practitioners.

They provide a partner led service to clients, in a close-knit team in which every member plays a key part in client delivery and marketing initiatives.

This role offers an excellent opportunity for a senior associate to join a successful and collegiate team that is in expansion mode with further opportunities to grow.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

This is a senior role requiring an ability to draft and negotiate the raft of financing documents involved in a limited recourse financing and an understanding of and ability to review the underlying project documents from a risk-allocation and bankability perspective. An inquisitive and flexible approach and willingness to operate at times outside of your comfort zone is essential. You would work with a partner and a more junior lawyers to day day to day conduct of a range of transactions.

Key Skills and Experience:

• Commercial and clear-thinking approach to problem solving, providing advice in a straightforward and practical manner.
• A clear understanding of the importance of team work to deliver the best client service and the ability to provide evidence of this.
• Taking primary responsibility for leading financing transactions, whether borrower or lender side
• Drafting both LMA and bespoke-form financing documentation
• Co-ordinating with and managing our Due Diligence specialists
• Ability and desire to engage in business development and build long term relationships.
• Ability to work in time pressured circumstances and able to provide evidence of this.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Flexible and adaptable approach.
• Commercial awareness.

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, they seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Their aim is to fulfil everyone’s potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.

Standard hours of work are 9.30 am to 5.30 pm Monday to Friday with 1 hour for lunch (35 hours per week).  They will consider requests for flexible working, please indicate on your application if you wish to work different hours.