The Role
Gateley Legal is looking for a high-performing, driven and ambitious Equity Capital Markets Associate or Senior Associate who thrives on transactional work and seeks to advance within a dynamic and supportive team. We are keen to find someone eager to contribute significantly to the growth and development of Gateley Legal’s Equity Capital Markets team in the Midlands and beyond. By working closely with our passionate senior leadership team and esteemed Partners, Paul Cliff and Sam Meiklejohn, you will be encouraged to make an impact in the local market and inspire our junior corporate lawyers. Alongside Paul and Sam, the wider ECM team also includes Martin Montgomery (Partner, London), Nigel Brown (Partner, Manchester) and Hannah Hogarth (Associate, London).
Further information on the equity capital markets team profiles can be found here: https://gateleyplc.com/services/equity-capital-markets/
This role will be based in our Birmingham office (offering hybrid working).
Due to our consecutive successes and increasing instructions to work on interesting, complex, and high-value equity capital markets transactions, our national corporate team is looking to expand with a view to hiring someone with the potential to become a senior member of the team in the future.
You will handle a diverse workload encompassing equity capital markets and public companies, public M&A and corporate governance across various sectors such as manufacturing, life sciences, construction, retail, technology, healthcare, financial services, real estate, recruitment, training and education. Additionally, you will gain significant cross-border transactional experience, including transatlantic, pan-European, and across the MENA region. Prior cross-border transactional experience is helpful, but not essential.
You will also advise corporates, investment banks, brokers, and major shareholders on a wide range of capital markets matters, including primary and secondary securities offerings listed on both UK and international stock exchanges.
Experience in managing transactions is essential as we encourage associates to take ownership of matters as well as work closely with a partner on more complex and / or high value work.
A keenness to network and build your own connections in the local ECM and wider corporate ecosystem would be highly encouraged and supported at all levels.
With a client-centric ethos and a 200-year history of providing commercial advice to businesses, the Gateley Legal corporate team believes in punching above its weight. Clients choose us and come back to us for our dynamism, entrepreneurial spirit and practical approach. We intend to continue to grow our practice through internal and external promotions to grow the skill set of our partner group, expand our client base and strengthen our presence in the Birmingham market and beyond.
Gateley also offer a comprehensive training programme, technical support via its corporate PSL team (including a substantial, well-maintained, precedent bank), structured career development (including a business development coaching programme for future partners) and a transparent promotion process to support you as you thrive in an ambitious and fast-growing professional services business.
The Equity Capital Markets team
As an AIM Listed business – Gateley (Holdings) Plc listed in 2015, the first commercial law firm in the UK to do so – we understand the challenges and regulatory responsibilities that listed businesses need to navigate. We have substantial experience of advising corporates and advisers on initial public offerings, entitlement offers, equity subscriptions, rights issues, private placements, block trades and buy-backs.
Clients include companies from the UK, mainland Europe, North America and Asia across a variety of industry sectors. This breadth of expertise helps us better understand and communicate the issues arising on a flotation to provide a tailored service to our clients. The team’s extensive relationships within the advisory community in the City of London assist in the smooth delivery of our service. Our clients are on both the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange and on AIM. We have more AIM experience than most national and regional law firms.
We act for many of the leading nominated advisers and brokers advising in the AIM and Main Market of the LSE, and so we are well-placed to provide balanced and experienced advice on all aspects of the IPO process.
Some of our key clients that we have recently worked with include:
- Franchise Brands Plc
- Likewise Group Plc
- Inspired Plc
- Investec
- Shore Capital
- Allenby Capital
- Dowgate Capital
Further detail on the corporate team’s deal insights can be found here: https://gateleyplc.com/insight/deal-alerts/
The national Corporate team
Our Corporate team continues to thrive and with an impressive client list it is the perfect home for ambitious corporate lawyers to develop their career.
With a team of over 90 corporate lawyers nationally, we advise clients on all types of corporate activity across the UK and regularly advice on transactions with an international angle.
Our Corporate team has been recognised nationally including:
- Changemaker – Beth Mather Gateley Corporate National Unit Head 2023 (Business Desk West Mids Rainmaker Awards 2023)
- Small Cap (up to £15m) deal of the year – Gateley Legal (Business Desk West Mids Rainmaker Awards 2023)
- Private Equity Exit deal of the year – Gateley Legal (Business Desk West Mids Rainmaker Awards 2023)
We consistently act as trusted advisers for clients in sectors as diverse as manufacturing, life sciences, construction, retail, technology, healthcare, financial services, real estate, recruitment, training and education.
Some of our key clients that we have recently worked with include:
- Gymshark LDC
- Palatine Private Equity
- Limerston Capital Connection
- Capital North Edge
- Clowes Developments (UK) LTD
- Franchise Brands PLC
- YFM Equity Partners
- BGF
Further detail on the corporate team’s deal insights can be found here: https://gateleyplc.com/insight/deal-alerts/
The structure of our highly accomplished national team enables us to offer a partner led approach on every transaction. In the Birmingham team, you will join an established team of Partners, Senior Associates, Associates, Solicitors, Trainees and Paralegals that all work collaboratively across the Corporate Unit.
The corporate team provide a nurturing and supportive environment and there is an opportunity for genuine partnership progression aspirations. Several of our successfully promoted partners either completed their training with Gateley or joined at junior levels of their career. There is a clear progression path for all levels of lawyers to succeed to reach their career goals.
The Person
- The successful candidate must be at least 4 years' PQE with experience of a broad range of equity capital markets and public M&A experience.
- As an associate or senior associate, you will be expected to take responsibility for mentoring junior members of the team.
- You must be able to demonstrate high-quality technical legal skills and the confidence to offer commercial advice in a well-reasoned and competent manner.
- You will have the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with existing clients alongside actively engaging in new business development opportunities and cross-selling services within Gateley.
- You must demonstrate an ability and willingness to learn and possess strong commercial acumen and good negotiation skills.
- We are looking for someone who is personable, enthusiastic and with a drive to succeed in a collaborative and collegiate environment.