Trade Finance Senior Lawyer

Senior lawyer
- Legal Director
- Trade Finance & Structured Finance

International Law Firm
- London

A leading international law firm is seeking an accomplished senior finance lawyer to step into a Director-level leadership role and spearhead the development of its Trade Finance and Structured Finance practice
. This is a rare opportunity to take strategic ownership of a priority growth area within a well-established global platform. The firm is investing significantly in its finance offering and is looking for a commercially driven, entrepreneurial leader with the credibility to build and scale a market‑leading practice.

The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping the direction of the firm's finance capability, working across a strong international network and leveraging deep sector expertise within the wider business. The role will suit an experienced senior lawyer (equivalent to senior Counsel/Director level) with extensive experience advising financial institutions, export credit agencies, lessors, investors, and corporates on complex cross-border transactions.

Particular interest lies in trade finance
, though candidates from structured finance
, export finance
, asset finance
, and transportation finance backgrounds are also encouraged to apply.

A key differentiator of the platform is its highly regarded maritime practice
, which is central to the firm's client base across shipping, logistics, and international trade. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to build a finance offering closely aligned with this sector strength, unlocking immediate and long‑term client demand.

This is not a cold start opportunity. The firm already benefits from a meaningful flow of finance-related work across its maritime, corporate, commercial, and international trade practices. The incoming Director will benefit from established internal referral networks and a strong culture of collaboration and cross‑selling.

• Extensive experience in financial institutions and cross‑border financing transactions
• Deep expertise in trade finance, export finance, structured finance, asset finance, or related sectors
• A strong track record of leading and delivering complex international transactions
• Established client relationships and demonstrable business development capability
• Leadership experience with the ability to build, develop, and mentor teams
• A strategic, entrepreneurial mindset with a clear vision for practice growth

This is a senior leadership opportunity at Director level, offering the chance to shape and scale a strategically important practice within a respected international firm. The role provides a strong institutional platform, established sector strengths, existing client demand, and genuine investment from leadership to support long‑term growth and success.