Solicitor, Corporate M&A na Herbert Smith Freehills

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Solicitor to join our premier Band 1 Corporate team in Melbourne.

In this role you will have exposure to some of the best and highest profile deals in Australia and work closely with Partners Rodd Levy, Baden Furphy, Raji Azzam, Jason Jordan and Claire Thompson, as well as other leading Partners across our Melbourne and interstate corporate group.

Your day could typically involve:

• Being involved in all aspects of corporate transactions including public and private M&A deals and takeovers for listed companies, disposals, private equity transactions, venture capital, joint ventures and shareholder arrangements.

• Drafting and negotiating key transactions documents, providing advice on areas of legal risk for clients and managing external client relationships.

• Ensuring key deadlines are met, including working closely with other legal teams across the firm to deliver an integrated service to our clients as well as working closely with other advisers on transactions.

• Developing relationships with key internal stakeholders and your counterparts within our clients, showing an interest in supporting business development activities for key existing clients and new clients.

• Mentoring more junior team members and assisting with providing training both in the team and across the firm.

To be successful in this role, you will:

• Be an admitted Lawyer in Australia or New Zealand.

• Possess 3-5 years’ experience in a leading corporate M&A practice or equivalent.

• An excellent academic record, and a high level of attention to detail.

• A proactive approach and desire to be an integral member of, and contributor to, our leading and supportive team.

• An ability to work to tight timeframes, collaboratively and at times autonomously.

• A curiosity about our clients, and an eagerness to create an exceptional experience for them.

• A genuine passion for M&A and corporate transactions, with a natural desire for continuous learning.

The team:

Our market-leading M&A practice has a long-standing reputation for advising corporate and private equity clients across multiple jurisdictions on their most-significant, complex and innovative M&A, joint venture, takeover, demerger, venture capital and corporate restructuring transactions. We are consistently ranked as a leading firm in this area when measured against international benchmarks.

We take pride in consistently achieving top rankings in the realm of Corporate M&A work, as recognised by the leading industry intelligence platforms. In 2024, our team advised on more M&A deals than any other firm in Australia, advising on over 230 announced and completed deals with a total value of over A$80 billion. We received the following number 1 rankings:

• 1st by deal count in AU/NZ announced deals (LSEG)

• 1st by deal count in AU/NZ completed deals (LSEG)

Our extensive involvement in transactions guarantees our clients unparalleled access to profound insights into market trends and the latest developments. This is recognised by continuously securing top rankings from industry bodies such as the Chambers Global Guide and Asia Pacific Legal500 and highlights our commitment to excellence.

What we offer:

• We’re a world leading international law firm with a global team of over 6,000 professionals across 26 offices. As the market leader in Australia, we are committed to high performance, collaboration, diversity and digital innovation. We are client-centred, commercially driven, and renowned for our solution-focused expertise. We will align your growth with our ambitions.

• We make your personal and professional growth our business. And as part of the team, our ambition is yours too. Wherever you are in your career: grow and help the firm grow with you.

• We will provide opportunities to learn on the job as well as a mix of learning opportunities tailored to you. Daily experiences, supportive challenges, team collaboration, mentors, and structured learning opportunities help you to expand your knowledge and reach your goals.

• We value your wellbeing, both at home and work and we place a strong emphasis on mental health. If you need support, you’ll have it and we’ll empower you to harness your personal strengths, navigate uncertainty, embrace opportunities, and effectively manage things within your control.

• For more benefits on offer such as our 26 weeks paid parental leave, our holistic wellbeing fund or home office allowance please click here.

• Join us to be part of a human, bold and outstanding team at Australia’s market leading law firm.

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.

For more information, contact Carissa Bartels, Recruitment Manager on [email protected].

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Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.