Senior Associate (Beijing)

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

Our Beijing corporate team advises multinational corporations, Chinese companies, financial institutions, private equity investors and other strategic clients on a broad range of domestic and cross-border corporate transactions. The team works closely with colleagues across our global network and has particular experience in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, foreign direct investment, disposals, reorganisations, regulatory matters and general corporate advisory work.

Our China practice supports clients across key industry sectors including financial institutions, energy, infrastructure and resources, technology, transport, life sciences and healthcare, and consumer markets. The team is known for providing practical, commercial and business-oriented advice on complex transactions involving multiple jurisdictions, stakeholders and regulatory considerations.

The Role

We are seeking a Senior Associate to join our Corporate M&A team in Beijing. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting partners and senior lawyers on high-quality transactional and advisory work, with a focus on cross-border M&A, private equity investments, joint ventures, foreign direct investment and general corporate matters.

This is an opportunity for an experienced corporate lawyer to take on meaningful responsibility, work directly with clients, manage workstreams and contribute to the continued growth of our Beijing corporate practice. The role will suit a technically strong, commercially minded lawyer who is confident managing transactions, drafting and negotiating documents, and working collaboratively across offices and jurisdictions.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise on domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, private equity investments, joint ventures, foreign direct investment, disposals, corporate reorganisations and general corporate advisory matters.
• Manage and coordinate transaction workstreams, including legal due diligence, transaction structuring, document preparation, signing, closing and post-closing matters.
• Draft, review and negotiate transaction documents, including share purchase agreements, shareholders’ agreements, joint venture agreements, disclosure materials, ancillary documents and corporate approvals.
• Provide clear, practical and commercially focused advice to clients on corporate, regulatory and transactional issues arising in China-related matters.
• Coordinate with colleagues across Norton Rose Fulbright’s international network, local counsel, client teams and other advisers to deliver seamless multi-jurisdictional support.
• Support partners and senior lawyers with client relationship management, business development initiatives, pitches, know-how and market-facing materials.
• Supervise, support and mentor junior lawyers and trainees, including reviewing work product and helping develop technical and transaction management skills.

Key Skills and Experience

• Strong experience in corporate M&A, private equity, joint ventures, foreign direct investment and/or general corporate advisory work, gained at an international law firm or leading PRC law firm.
• Experience managing transaction workstreams independently, including due diligence, drafting, negotiation, signing and closing processes.
• Excellent drafting, analytical and communication skills in both English and Mandarin, with the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly and commercially.
• PRC legal qualification is preferred; an additional qualification in England and Wales, Hong Kong, New York or another common law jurisdiction would be advantageous.
• Strong commercial judgement, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced transactional environment.
• A collaborative approach, with confidence working across teams, offices, practice areas and cultures.
• A proactive and client-focused mindset, with an interest in business development and contributing to the continued success of the Beijing corporate practice.

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.