We are seeking a technically strong and commercially minded Associate to join our corporate team. You’ll work on a broad range of matters including mid-market M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions, restructurings, and general corporate advisory work, supporting a diverse client base from FTSE 100 companies to high-growth businesses. This is a great opportunity to take on high-quality work in a collaborative, well-supported environment, with clear scope for career development and responsibility.
The role is a full time, permanent role. As a firm we work flexibly and remote/hybrid working is available, with employees strongly encouraged to be in the office at least 2 days per week.
The Team
Our award-winning corporate team offers quality and strength in depth unusual outside the City. The leading independent directories consistently rank us in the top tier. We are committed to an active intelligent growth strategy, for the team and the whole firm, and it is with this in mind that we welcome applications for technically strong, commercially minded and ambitious lawyers.
The corporate team is one of the top corporate practices in the South East and consists of eleven partners with a team of 40 in total supported by at least two dedicated knowledge lawyers. The work of the team is high-quality and diverse and covers a broad range of corporate transactional and advisory matters, including:
- Private M&A (both buy side and sell side)
- Private equity (principally management advisory and portfolio work)
- Venture capital and other equity fundraisings
- Shareholders’ agreements and corporate joint ventures
- Corporate rationalisations / reorganisations
- General corporate advisory / partnership law
- Inward investment and cross border
- Share incentives (working closely with our excellent employment law and tax teams)
The team is supported by the full range of specialists required to deliver high quality, fast -paced corporate transactional work - including tax, employment, immigration and pensions, real estate, banking and finance, regulatory and anti-trust, intellectual property and commercial. A large proportion of our clients are multinational, based overseas or have international business interests, and we frequently work with overseas law firms, including the major jurisdictions in Europe and the US.
Our clients include household name FTSE 100 PLCs and other major national and international groups, mid-tier businesses (quoted, private equity and privately owned), management teams in private equity backed businesses, high-net-worth private clients and high growth companies.
In the run-in to the first Labour government budget in November 2024, the corporate team closed 30 deals in 30 days with a total aggregate transaction value of just under £1 billion, demonstrating the team’s exceptional transactional capability.
:
Diploma plc, Bunzl, Philips, The Ardonagh Group, Specialist Risk Group, Davies Group, Bright Stars Nursery Group, Rock Rail, Optio Group, Nord-Lock International AB, Corus Dental, Vestey Holdings, BMT, Clinigen, Bright Path Sports Partners (investor in Ipswich Town Football Club), Wates Group, OCL Vision Group.
Stevens & Bolton – making a positive difference to your career
You’ll work with people who listen, and who actively and willingly support one another within a collaborative and engaging environment. We genuinely care about our people and strive to build and maintain a diverse, inclusive and happy workforce.
We are recognised as a top firm in The Times Best Law Firms 2025, shortlisted for “Law Firm of the Year: The Independents” at The Lawyer Awards 2025 and shortlisted for “Regional/Offshore Team of the Year” at the Legal Business Awards 2025. The Firm was recently named “Law firm of the year” at the 2025 Legal Cheek Awards, was shortlisted for “ESG Initiative of the Year” at the Women, Influence & Power in Law UK 2024 Awards and shortlisted for “UK Law Firm of the Year - Small/Mid-Sized Firm” at the British Legal Awards 2023. Our refurbished office has been awarded a RICS SKA silver certificate and a 2-star Fitwel accreditation.
We’ve made excellence the hallmark of our firm: in the clear advice we give, in the enduring client relationships we build and in our proactive and highly responsive service. We seek to recruit people who will help us maintain and build on this, and in return we offer excellent long-term career and development opportunities.
Diversity & Inclusion
We have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I). This drives a strategy which focuses on constant promotion of an inclusive culture that encourages everyone to realise their full potential and be themselves at work. In 2020 we were shortlisted for “Best D&I Initiative” at The HR Awards and for “Best Talent and Inclusion Initiative” at The Lawyer Awards.
