Associate – Corporate Law (Shanghai)

Practice Group / Department:

Norton Rose Fulbright is a global law firm with more than 3,000 lawyers advising clients across locations in the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. We provide a full scope of legal services to the world’s preeminent corporations and financial institutions.

Our vision is to be a world class business, profitable, ambitious, cooperative and considerate, supporting our clients and people through our global business principles of Quality, Unity and Integrity.

With over 7,000 employees worldwide, our culture is the thread that connects us. Our strategy and culture are closed connected – defined by shared ambition, global collaboration and a one-team mindset. We believe pioneering work happens when people are empowered to think beyond boundaries, explore new opportunities and grow through diverse experiences. Alongside the right skills and experience, we are looking for people who are innovative, commercially minded, and motivated by the impact of the work they do – ready to share in our ambition and help shape what comes next.

Because while individuals can do well, together we achieve something extraordinary.

The Team

We are Norton Rose Fulbright, a global legal practice with offices in more than 50 locations worldwide. Our China practice operates from Beijing and Shanghai and brings together multilingual lawyers qualified in the PRC and other leading jurisdictions. The Shanghai office advises Chinese and international businesses and financial institutions on complex domestic and cross-border matters, working closely with colleagues across our global network. Our culture is built on the business principles of quality, unity and integrity, and we believe our success depends on attracting and retaining exceptional talent.

The Role

We are seeking an Associate to join our Corporate practice in Shanghai. The successful candidate will advise multinational companies, Chinese businesses, financial institutions and investors on a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, foreign direct investment, corporate reorganisations, private equity transactions, governance and regulatory compliance. The role will involve working on sophisticated cross-border transactions across a variety of sectors and collaborating closely with colleagues in China and across our international network.

Key Responsibilities

• Advising on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, strategic investments and corporate reorganisations.
• Supporting foreign direct investment into China and outbound investments by Chinese clients, including transaction structuring, due diligence, regulatory analysis and implementation.
• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating transaction documents, including share and asset purchase agreements, joint venture agreements, shareholders’ agreements, corporate approvals and ancillary documentation.
• Advising clients on general corporate and commercial matters, corporate governance, business operations and commercial agreements.
• Conducting and coordinating legal due diligence, managing transaction processes and working with local counsel, regulators and other professional advisers.
• Working closely with colleagues in Shanghai, Beijing and across the firm’s international network to deliver seamless advice on multi-jurisdictional matters.
• Supporting business development initiatives, contributing to legal updates and client presentations, and helping to strengthen the firm’s corporate practice in China.

Key Skills and Experience

• Qualified as a lawyer in the PRC or another recognised jurisdiction, with appropriate experience relevant to an international corporate practice in Shanghai.
• Approximately 1-2 years’ post-qualification experience, or equivalent, gained within a leading international or Chinese law firm, with a strong focus on corporate transactions.
• Demonstrable experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, foreign direct investment, corporate reorganisations and general corporate matters.
• Experience advising multinational companies, Chinese businesses, financial institutions or investors on complex domestic and cross-border transactions.
• Strong drafting, analytical, project-management and negotiation skills, with excellent attention to detail and commercial judgement.
• Excellent written and spoken English and Mandarin Chinese; the ability to work confidently with bilingual transaction documents and stakeholders is essential.
• A collaborative, proactive and client-focused approach, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively across cultures and time zones.

To attract the best people, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work, have a sense of belonging, and realize their full career potential. 
Our new enabled work model allows our people to have more flexibility in the way they choose to work from both the office and a remote location, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of service. We offer a range of family friendly and inclusive employment policies and provide access to programmes and services aimed at nurturing our people’s health and overall wellbeing. Find more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion here.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams. We strive to create an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all candidates. If you require any tailored adjustments or accommodations, please let us know here.