Senior Associate

Boodle Hatfield has been providing practical advice to businesses and individuals for over 300 years. Our clients come from a wide range of sectors both in the UK and internationally and include some of the most well-established owner-managed businesses and property companies as well as fast-growing entrepreneurial enterprises and ultra-high net worth families. Our chief priority is helping our clients achieve their commercial objectives whatever form their business takes.

Our approach is to become the long-term trusted adviser to leading wealth creators and owners as well as their commercial and investment enterprises. Our holistic understanding of our clients structures and affairs enables us to provide the most appropriate and commercial advice to them. This approach has enabled us throughout our 300 plus year history to help our clients successfully navigate the continually changing and sometimes challenging markets in which they operate.

The Team

The Firms Real Estate Finance offering forms part of our Corporate team and we are seeking a talented Senior Associate to join our team.

We advise a diverse client base including family offices private investors developers sponsors investment and asset managers and specialist lenders. We act on a wide range of financing transactions involving commercial residential and mixed-use real estate assets across the UK and internationally.

Work spans acquisition finance investment finance development finance and refinancing transactions together with more complex funding structures including syndicated loans senior and mezzanine facilities back-leverage arrangements and loan-on-loan financings.

The team is regularly involved in high-value and strategically important projects advising on financings relating to offices residential developments student accommodation care homes hospitality assets and other specialist real estate investments.

Working closely with colleagues across the Firms market-leading Real Estate Private Wealth and Corporate practices we provide commercially focused advice tailored to the needs of entrepreneurs family offices investors and lenders. Our collaborative approach enables us to support clients throughout the entire transaction lifecycle delivering pragmatic solutions to complex financing and structuring matters.

Role

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious lawyer to join a growing Real Estate Finance practice and play a key role in advising on a broad range of complex and high-value financing transactions.

The successful candidate will work closely with Partners and clients on all aspects of real estate finance matters advising both lenders and borrowers across the capital stack. The role offers a high degree of responsibility exposure to sophisticated transactions and direct client contact from an early stage making it an ideal opportunity for a lawyer looking to further develop their technical expertise and commercial judgement in a collaborative and entrepreneurial environment.

Working as part of our wider Corporate Real Estate and Private Wealth teams the successful candidate will have the opportunity to advise a diverse client base on bespoke and often market-leading transactions whilst contributing to the continued growth and success of the practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Advising borrowers and lenders on a wide range of real estate finance transactions including acquisition investment development and refinancing matters.
• Drafting and negotiating facility agreements security documents intercreditor arrangements and ancillary transaction documents.
• Managing transactions from inception through to completion including coordinating conditions precedent signing and completion processes.
• Working closely with colleagues across the Real Estate Corporate and Private Wealth teams to deliver seamless client service.
• Keeping up to date with legal and market developments affecting real estate finance and lending transactions.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients referrers and other professional advisers.
• Contributing to business development initiatives including; assisting with pitches client events articles and thought leadership activities and wider BD activities.
• Supporting the continued growth and profile of the Real Estate Finance practice.

Key Competencies

• Be confident in giving advice listening to and having commercial conversations with highly valued (and sometimes very high-profile) clients.

• Have the ability to work independently but know when to seek additional support.
• Experience managing multiple files whilst pro-actively driving matters in order to meet deadlines.
• Experience of drafting (from precedents) and negotiating facility agreements and security documents.
• Experience of negotiating finance and security documentation including intercreditor arrangements where appropriate.
• An understanding of the LMA standard real estate finance documents.
• Experience of working alongside offshore counsel and other advisers as part of multi-jurisdictional transactions.
• A good understanding of key real estate and finance concepts and an appreciation and commercial awareness of the real estate finance market.
• Experience of leading on projects being the main point of contact for clients.

Experience and Skills Required

• At least 5 years PQE as a Banking and Finance lawyer gained in a reputable firm.
• Excellent academics.
• A good team player with a willingness to pick up work and support colleagues during busy periods as well as mentoring junior members of the team.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills with both team members and clients.
• Analytical mind with a commercial approach and a willingness to learn.
• Enthusiastic proactive and collaborative in approach.
• A genuine interest in developing client relationships and contributing to business development initiatives.

Boodle Hatfield is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment through its inclusive and supportive environment. This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the Firm is treated equally whatever their gender age ethnic origin nationality marital status disability sexual orientation or religious beliefs. We are fully committed to a working environment in which all people can excel.

If you would like further details about this role please contact Derri Nelson HR Business Partner ().