Solicitor​/Associate - Corporate

Why join us?

Based in the heart of the city centre, DWF's Belfast office is a full‑service commercial practice with a history of attracting market‑leading talent and experiencing double‑digit revenue growth across all divisions of the firm.

We are looking for Associates and Solicitors at all levels to join our Corporate team in Belfast, Northern Ireland to support and be part of their recent rapid growth.

Our Belfast Corporate team can offer exposure to market‑leading corporate transactional work for a growing roster of clients based both locally in Ireland and also across the UK.

This experience would be complemented by:

• Direct one‑to‑one mentoring from our two local Partners based in the Belfast office, each with over 20 years’ experience in Corporate and Commercial law;
• Dedicated professional support lawyers to improve your technical knowledge;
• Genuine and transparent career paths for all members of the team

The team's recent growth and quality of work has been recognised externally, having been nominated for Corporate Law Firm of the Year at the Insider Northern Ireland Dealmaker Awards 2026 and Professional Services firm of the Year at the Belfast Business Eye Awards.

• Build working relationships internally and externally to develop knowledge and business networks, supporting growth.
• Display sound technical and professional judgement, including the ability to analyse risk and justify decisions to clients.
• Develop and maintain increasing levels of technical and commercial knowledge via training, supervised working practices, and awareness of external advancements in the field.
• Understand client requirements and manage cases in line with service level agreements and best practice to achieve repeat business.
• Prioritise work effectively to maximise efficiency in working practices and maintain good service delivery, adhering to all necessary timetables and deadlines.
• Achieve individual budgeted financial measures and contribute to team achievement, including, but not limited to, budgeted sales revenue, budgeted recovery rate, budgeted chargeable hours and average weekly chargeable hours metrics, and management of lock‑up (WIP and debt) and disbursements in line with targets.
• Compliance with time recording, adhering to Firm policy fully and promptly.
• Ensure all necessary Management Information is kept updated.
• Contribute to and support process improvements.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the company's Values and CSR agenda.

• Essential: Relevant legal qualification and previous experience in corporate transactions or advising on corporate law and governance matters.
• An ability to communicate technical concepts appropriately (verbal and written), modifying approach depending on audience.
• Demonstrate a solid understanding of the Business’ strategic direction (products, service lines, sectors) and our clients’ needs (markets, sectors, risks).
• Understand what service excellence looks like and how this applies to the role, having a customer‑focused approach.
• An ability to adapt to change internally and/or in response to the needs of our clients.
• Demonstrate our "Winning Behaviours" in all day‑to‑day activities and interactions.
• An ability to drive your own development and legal/technical knowledge.
• Experience of supporting the skills and knowledge progression of junior members of the team, where applicable.

We are committed to ensuring that each member of our team feels valued and duly rewarded during their time at DWF.

We are an equal‑opportunity employer that celebrates diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. We aim to create a positive experience for all candidates and offer any adjustments or additional support needed. If you’re excited about the opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all the requirements, please apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for the role or others across the wider team.

DWF is a leading global provider of integrated legal and business services. Our approach delivers efficiency, price certainty and transparency for our clients across the world without compromising on quality or service. Our purpose is to deliver positive outcomes with our colleagues, clients and communities and we foster a culture that places our colleagues at the centre of all that we do.