Private Equity Associate Attorney (3rd–6th Year)

About the Role

Our client is seeking a Private Equity Associate Attorney (3rd–6th year) to join its sophisticated private equity and M&A practice.

This role is ideal for an attorney with substantial experience representing private equity sponsors and portfolio companies in complex transactional matters. Associates in this practice work on a broad range of private equity transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, financings, and general corporate matters for sponsor-backed businesses.

The ideal candidate combines strong transactional execution skills with excellent business judgment and the ability to function as a strategic partner to sophisticated clients in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Represent private equity sponsors and portfolio companies in:

  • Mergers & acquisitions

  • Platform and add-on acquisitions

  • Corporate transactions

  • Strategic investments

• Draft, review, and negotiate:

  • Purchase agreements

  • Merger agreements

  • LLC agreements

  • LP agreements

  • Ancillary transaction documents

• Support clients through all stages of transaction execution, including:

  • Due diligence

  • Negotiations

  • Closing processes

  • Post-closing matters

• Manage day-to-day client relationships and transaction workflows

• Coordinate with internal specialists and external advisors on complex transactions

• Handle multiple sophisticated transactions simultaneously while maintaining exceptional work quality

Required Qualifications

• 3–6 years of private equity and M&A transactional experience

• Significant experience representing:

  • Private equity sponsors

  • Portfolio companies

• Strong experience drafting and negotiating:

  • Purchase and merger agreements

  • LLC agreements

  • LP agreements

  • Ancillary transaction documents

• Excellent drafting, analytical, and communication skills

• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and project management abilities

• Strong business judgment and strategic thinking skills

• Prior large law firm experience required

• Strong academic credentials from a nationally recognized law school

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Sophisticated private equity associate with strong deal execution experience

• Comfortable managing active transaction workstreams and client demands

• Detail-oriented with strong client communication skills

• Team-oriented and capable of functioning as an extension of client business teams

• Thrives in fast-paced, dynamic transactional environments

Preferred Background

Best-fit candidates likely come from:

• Am Law 100 private equity practices

• Chambers-ranked PE/M&A groups

• Sponsor-side transactional practices

Strong target firms may include:

• Kirkland & Ellis

• Simpson Thacher

• Latham

• Davis Polk

• Skadden

• Weil

• Goodwin

• Ropes & Gray

• Paul Weiss

• Sidley