Corporate Tax Lawyer

Corporate Tax Associate (2–3 PQE) London

We are instructed by the London office of a top-tier international law firm to hire a 2–3 PQE Corporate Tax Associate into its market-leading tax practice. This is a strategic growth hire to help rebalance a currently partner-heavy team, following sustained demand across transactional and contentious mandates.

The team is looking for one high-calibre addition and is focused firmly on quality over volume.

The Practice

This tax group is widely recognised as one of the very best in the UK and globally. The firm is uniquely ranked Band 1 by Chambers and Partners across:

• UK Tax
• UK Contentious Tax
• Europe-wide Tax
• Global Tax

It is the only firm to hold Band 1 status across both UK transactional and UK contentious tax categories simultaneously reflecting the breadth and technical depth of the practice.

The team operates across the full tax spectrum:

• Corporate & Private Capital - Advising on public and private M&A, IPOs, demergers, restructurings, returns of capital, joint ventures and complex private capital transactions.
• Finance & Restructuring - Covering tax aspects of corporate equity and debt financings, refinancing mandates and innovative restructuring solutions in stressed or volatile markets.
• Real Estate - Advising developers, institutional investors, lenders and fund managers on the tax structuring of major commercial real estate transactions.
• Tax Disputes - Acting on large-scale, multi-jurisdictional tax disputes in the UK and internationally, with a strong track record of resolving complex matters

The practice is highly international in nature, with frequent cross-border coordination across its global office network.

Team Structure & Growth

The team is partner-led and currently relatively top-heavy, creating a clear need to strengthen at the 2–3 PQE level. A March NQ is in final stages, so the preference is for someone with at least two years’ post-qualification experience.

Junior associates tend to operate as generalists across corporate, finance, real estate and disputes tax. As such, minor gaps in exposure are not a deal breaker — but strong corporate tax fundamentals are essential.

The firm is taking a targeted approach to the search. Applications have been limited given the niche nature of high-end corporate tax, and the team is focused on attracting genuine top-tier quality.

Candidate Profile

• 2–3 PQE
• Trained at a leading corporate tax practice
• Strong grounding in transactional corporate tax (more important than niche specialisms)
• Experience across international or cross-border matters preferred

The team is open to candidates from leading UK, international or select US platforms, though the emphasis is on the strength of the tax practice rather than firm brand alone. Strong applicants from Ireland or New Zealand with relevant international exposure will also be considered.

Remuneration & Hours

• Total compensation sits immediately below US law firms and exceeds most Magic Circle firms
• Bonus eligibility begins at 1,750 billable hours

The firm’s salary scale is publicly known and consistently positioned at the very top of the London market outside of US firms.