Associate - PQE

Incentives Associate (4-6 PQE) | Magic Circle law firm | London | £180,000 - £200,000

An outstanding opportunity has arisen to join a Magic Circle and Legal 500-ranked international law firm within its London-based People & Reward practice.

The People & Reward (P&R) team advises on the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious employment, pensions and incentives matters across multiple jurisdictions. Globally, the practice includes over 20 Partners and approximately 100 lawyers. The London team comprises six partners and around 25 associates, regularly advising on high-profile, strategically significant and reputationally sensitive matters in collaboration with corporate, tax, regulatory and disputes colleagues.

This position sits within the London Incentives team, which specialises in executive remuneration, share schemes and incentive structures, alongside related tax, governance, securities and regulatory considerations.

The firm is seeking a technically strong and commercially astute 4-6 PQE Associate with significant experience in incentives and executive compensation work.

The role will focus on advising listed companies, financial institutions, multinational groups, private equity sponsors and portfolio companies on the structuring, implementation and ongoing operation of complex incentive arrangements. There will also be scope to engage in broader executive advisory matters within the wider P&R practice.

• Leading on the structuring and implementation of long-term incentive plans, share schemes and cash-based reward arrangements.
• Advising clients on executive remuneration frameworks, including governance requirements and shareholder considerations.
• Supporting transactional work streams on public and private M&A, capital markets matters and corporate restructurings from an incentives perspective.
• Drafting and refining plan rules, award documentation and employee communications with clarity and technical precision.
• Advising private equity sponsors and management teams on equity participation and management incentive arrangements.
• Providing guidance on tax-advantaged share plans and their ongoing compliance requirements.
• Advising regulated businesses on remuneration structures, including application of PRA and FCA rules.
• Reviewing and implementing malus and clawback provisions within incentive frameworks.
• Managing client relationships and acting as a key day-to-day contact on matters.
• Supervising and mentoring junior lawyers, contributing to knowledge development and internal training.
• Participating in client seminars, briefings and broader business development initiatives.
• Maintaining effective financial management, including budgeting, billing oversight and deadline control.

• Qualified lawyer with 4-6 years' PQE specialising in incentives, executive compensation or employee share plans.
• Background gained within a leading global or top-tier incentives practice.
• Experience advising on the incentive components of complex corporate transactions.

• Strong grounding in the tax, corporate, securities and employment law aspects of incentive arrangements.
• Detailed understanding of executive pay structures, governance standards and regulatory frameworks.
• Familiarity advising financial institutions subject to remuneration regulation.

• Commercially focused with sound judgement and a pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
• Confident communicator, capable of engaging with senior stakeholders.
• Collaborative mindset with a genuine interest in mentoring and team development.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for thought leadership and client development.

• Exposure to high-value, international and strategically significant work.
• Collaboration with leading practitioners across a fully integrated global platform.
• Clear progression prospects within an elite practice.

Highly competitive remuneration package (£180,000 - £200,000).

This role presents an excellent opportunity for an ambitious Incentives lawyer seeking sophisticated work, international exposure and long-term career progression within a market-leading environment.

For more information, or a confidential chat, please reach out to