Lawyer – Tactical Opportunities

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins is one of the world’s leading global law firms advising the businesses and institutions that drive the global economy. We are the market leaders in major financial and business centres around the world. Our investment in people, commitment to innovation, and focus on the future empower you to build an incredible career and thrive as an exceptional professional in a supportive culture. If you aspire to be the best, and work with the best, this is where you belong.

About the Role

The Lawyer - Tactical Opportunities is a new legal role within the Tactical Opportunities team, working closely with and reporting to the Head of Situational Analysis (the “HSA”). The successful candidate will provide high-quality support, helping to expand an established and increasingly important business development capability at the intersection of legal analysis, market intelligence and commercial strategy.

Working alongside Latham’s restructuring partners, the HSA identifies restructuring and/or liability management opportunities with respect to stressed and distressed European companies. The Lawyer - Tactical Opportunities will assist the HSA in all aspects, particularly in monitoring the restructuring market, assessing emerging situations and assisting in preparing detailed reviews of the debt and corporate structures of the most compelling opportunities. The scope and complexity of the work will reflect the successful candidate’s experience, with opportunities to develop sophisticated legal and commercial judgement.

This is a role for a curious, proactive and commercially-minded lawyer. The Lawyer - Tactical Opportunities will be encouraged to pursue their own research, track companies and sectors that interest them, and contribute ideas and opinions on potential opportunities. The role will involve regular interaction with partners,  clients and financial advisors, providing valuable insight into how leading credit investors assess opportunities and make investment decisions. The successful candidate will also be encouraged and supported to grow their own personal networks within the restructuring/financing/financial advisory communities.

Initially focused on supporting restructuring partners in London, the role is expected to develop across Latham’s leading European restructuring practices and adjacent financing practices.

The role offers the opportunity to apply legal training in a highly commercial, intellectually engaging and client-focused environment. Please note: this role will be positioned within our staff population and will therefore have no billable targets.

This role will be located in our London office and may be eligible for a flexible working schedule that allows for a hybrid and in-office presence.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

Other key responsibilities include:

• In coordination with the HSA and relevant partners in the Restructuring team, reviewing and analysing the terms of the capital and group structure of companies which may be in need of new capital, liability management or restructuring.
• Contributing to reports for clients and potential clients summarising the terms of financing arrangements and analysing companies’ ability to raise additional debt and other forms of capital; potential areas of value leakage away from their lenders and other stakeholders; their ability to undertake liability management transactions; potential restructuring processes and scenarios; potential defensive actions that could be taken by any of their stakeholders as well as by the company and an analysis of potential directors’ duties implications
• Presenting findings and investment opportunities with the HSA and/or applicable partners to a global range of investor and corporate clients
• Brainstorming market themes, actively contributing their own ideas and developing others
• Working with the HSA and Restructuring partners to help with identification of stressed sectors and industry shifts that lead to new business and stronger relationships, including the potential to connect clients to deal origination ideas and differentiating Latham in its offering
• Updating pipeline lists, focusing on maturity profiles, capital needs, and sector stress/shifts/impact based on current economic conditions (and liaising with the HSA and the rest of the Tactical Opportunities team in this regard)
• Contributing to pitching, competitive analysis and client profiles
• Meeting with, and building relationships with, financial advisors to gain up-to-date market information

We’d love to hear from you if you:

• Demonstrate knowledge of one or more of the following practice areas: leveraged finance, high yield bonds, and/or restructuring
• Possess finance and/or restructuring industry knowledge appropriate to the candidate’s PQE, including familiarity with the major players in the industry and some understanding of the commercial nuances around cross border transactions with loan and bond structures
• Can exhibit a working knowledge of incurrence-based covenants used in loans and high yield products; desirable, but not essential

And have:

• A Bachelor of Laws degree or equivalent
• Qualified in England and Wales, another common law jurisdiction, or a US jurisdiction
• Experience as a qualified practicing attorney in restructuring, high yield and/or leveraged finance in a leading international law firm

Benefits & Additional Information

Successful candidates will not only be provided with an outstanding career opportunity and welcoming environment, but will also be provided with a generous total compensation package with bonuses awarded in recognition of both individual and firm performance. Eligible employees can participate in Latham’s comprehensive benefit program which includes:

• Health insurance as well as group income protection and life assurance
• A pension plan
• Wellness programs
• Employee discounts
• And more!

Additionally, we have a range of programming including Global Affinity Groups, which are open to all. These groups provide a firmwide platform to share experiences and advice as well as an opportunity to participate in a supportive network with common interests to help make life at the firm even better.

Latham & Watkins is an equal opportunity employer. The Firm prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or any other characteristic or condition protected by applicable statute. #MidSenior #LI-MM1