C

Clifford Chance

Global law firm delivering cross-border counsel

Project Finance Associate

Full-Time
No salary listed
Junior, Mid
Tokyo, Japan
Hybrid
LegalLegal Counsel & Legal Support

About the job

Requirements
  • The candidate must have 0–6 years of post-qualification experience.
  • The candidate must have prior experience in project development, project finance, or general finance.
  • The candidate must have strong technical legal skills.
  • The candidate must demonstrate analytical and critical-thinking skills, sound judgment, and good instincts.
  • The candidate must be self-motivated, driven, and able to take initiative.
  • The candidate must be able to work independently and know when to seek guidance.
  • The candidate must enjoy solving problems rather than merely identifying them.
  • The candidate must work well in a team.
  • The candidate must be dedicated to client service and client care.
  • The candidate must demonstrate resilience.
Responsibilities
  • Carry out due diligence on greenfield and brownfield projects.
  • Review, comment on, draft, and negotiate project and finance documentation.
  • Attend client conference calls and meetings and maintain a high degree of client contact.
  • Work in cross-office and cross-departmental teams, gaining exposure to partners and lawyers across the firm.
  • Support the development of know-how, client briefings, and business development activities.
  • Take responsibility for and lead workstreams in collaboration with junior and senior colleagues across departments.
Desired Qualifications
  • Japanese language skills are a bonus but are not required.

About the company

C

Clifford Chance

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Website

Clifford Chance offers legal services worldwide. The firm combines law with commercial intelligence to help clients grow, transform, protect and defend their business. It operates as one fully integrated global partnership, collaborating across offices to deliver forward-looking insights and tech-enabled solutions in key sectors and markets. What sets it apart is its seamless global integration, cross-border collaboration, and focus on ethical, high-quality service backed by rigorous standards. Its goal is to create advantage for clients by delivering practical legal guidance and innovative tools that address real business needs.

Company Size

5,001-10,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

Founded

1987

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Northland Power tapped Clifford Chance for Poland BESS financing on October 1, 2026.
  • Houston added five senior lawyers since May 2026, deepening energy and infrastructure financing.
  • Clifford Chance welcomed nine global private capital lateral partners during 2026, expanding market reach.

What critics are saying

  • Sidley hired five Clifford Chance finance partners in July 2026, weakening U.S. funds coverage.
  • Former partners Clifford Cone and Michael Sabin sued over $5.8 million clawbacks, June 30, 2026.
  • Geneva arbitration over clawbacks signals retention friction that can trigger further partner departures.

What makes Clifford Chance unique

  • Clifford Chance’s single-partnership model speeds cross-border advice across 30 offices, October 2026.
  • Private capital depth stands out: nine lateral partners joined in 2026 across key markets.
  • Asia-Pacific IP leadership strengthened with Jonathan Chu in Hong Kong, September 28, 2026.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
  • Unlimited Paid Time Off
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Remote Work Options
  • Paid Vacation
  • Paid Holidays
  • Hybrid Work Options

Company News

Legalease Ltd
Oct 22nd, 2026
Global elite firms advise on €10.8bn EQT-QIAGEN deal.

Global elite firms advise on €10.8bn EQT-QIAGEN deal. You're reading your free article. Your next one is available in 30 days. Log in or subscribe for full access. Seven global elite firms have been called in to advise as EQT takes German-founded molecular testing company QIAGEN private in a deal that values the company at €10.8bn. The bidder is a holding company indirectly owned by the EQT XI fund, with institutional investors the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP) also behind the transaction. Milbank, Clifford Chance, Davis Polk, and De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek all had roles on the deal, while Legal Business understands that Paul Weiss, Linklaters, and Freshfields, also advised. Milbank took the lead on the buy-side, advising the bidder with a team led by corporate finance partner Phillip Klockner in Frankfurt, alongside Germany corporate head Steffen Oppenländer and corporate partner Christoph Rothenfusser in Munich. The wider team included tax partner Thomas Kleinheisterkamp, regulatory partner Alexander Rinne and finance Barbara Mayer-Trautmann, also in Munich. In the US, advisors included corporate partners Iliana Ogun and Brett Nadrtich and litigation partner Nathaniel Browand in New York, and national security partner Bijan Ganji in Washington DC. Milbank has a long-standing relationship with the Swedish PE house, and is on its gold panel. An all-London team from fellow gold panel firm Paul Weiss advised the bidder on financing aspects of the deal. This comprised European leveraged finance head Taner Hassan and finance partner Silvia Menendez, alongside European capital markets head Matthew Markle and capital markets partner Deirdre Jones. Hassan and Menendez are set to move back to Clifford Chance in the coming weeks, after both joined Paul Weiss from CC in 2024. Clifford Chance is also on the deal, advising co-investor Luxinva - a wholly owned subsidiary of ADIA. The firm's team included corporate partners Thomas Krecek in Frankfurt, Christian Vogel and Dominik Heß in Düsseldorf, Samuel Frommelt in Munich, and Lynn Ammar in Abu Dhabi, as well as City PE partner Bruce Embley. Corporate partner Jan-Hendrik Horsmeier and PE partner Ernst van der Touw in Amsterdam advised on Dutch law aspects of the deal, while Dimitri Slobodenjuk in Düsseldorf and Philipp Girardet in London advised on antitrust. Also involved were tax partners Richard Kalaher in London, Dominik Engl in Frankfurt, and Michiel Sunderman in Amsterdam, while Frankfurt partner Axel Wittman and Luxembourg partner Stephanie Ferring provided additional support. LB understands that Freshfields was also called in for the deal, advising CPP Investment Board Europe, a wholly owned subsidiary of CPP Investments. Davis Polk advised QIAGEN, with a team that included M&A head H. Oliver Smith and corporate partner Michael Gilson in New York, with additional advice from executive compensation head Jennifer Conway, tax partner William Curran, and IP partner David Bauer in New York, and capital markets partner Connie Milonakis in London. Dutch firm De Brauw also advised QIAGEN, fielding a team led by corporate M&A head Arne Grimme and M&A partner Frank Hamming, both based in Amsterdam. LB understands that Linklaters Germany senior partner Staffan Illert was also instructed as local counsel, based in Düsseldorf. Founded in Germany and officially headquartered in the Netherlands, QIAGEN is listed on both the NYSE and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and provides technologies for genetic material analysis, life-sciences tools and bioinformatics. In a statement, QIAGEN emphasised greater strategic flexibility, faster innovation and additional growth as reasons for the deal. 'Under private ownership, we can move faster and have greater freedom to put resources behind the most attractive opportunities that align best with our long-term strategy,' said CEO Jonathan M. Pratt. EQT has €354 billion AUM and roughly €30bn invested in healthcare companies globally. Global co-head of healthcare Michael Bauer said in a statement: 'This is a landmark transaction for EQT and a powerful reflection of the deep sector understanding, investment experience and network of expertise Legal Business has built over the last three decades. 'QIAGEN sits at the heart of modern life sciences and diagnostics, and we are thrilled to partner with it.' The transaction is expected to close in mid-2027, subject to shareholder approval and customary regulatory clearances.

Clifford Chance
Oct 21st, 2026
Clifford Chance advises Vattenfall on battery storage tolling agreement with Royal Vopak.

Clifford Chance advises Vattenfall on battery storage tolling agreement with Royal Vopak. 21 october 2026. Global law firm Clifford Chance has advised Vattenfall on a tolling agreement with Royal Vopak (Vopak) for a portion of a planned battery energy storage system near Meeden in the province of Groningen, the Netherlands. Under the agreement, Vattenfall will have access to 100 MW / 400 MWh of battery storage capacity, helping to balance fluctuations in electricity supply and demand. Vopak will develop and operate the battery energy storage system, which will have a total capacity of 150 MW and a storage duration of four hours. Commercial operations are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2028. The agreement supports Vattenfall's goal of contracting at least 1.5 GW of battery capacity across its core markets and Vopak's expansion into electrical energy storage infrastructure. Read more about the transaction here. The Clifford Chance team consisted of associate Niels Kuil, partner Liesbeth Buiter and senior associate Johanneke Butijn.

Clifford Chance
Oct 16th, 2026
Clifford Chance advises Banco de Occidente on US$150 million subordinated facility to strengthen its Tier 2 capital.

Clifford Chance advises Banco de Occidente on US$150 million subordinated facility to strengthen its Tier 2 capital. October 16, 2026. Global law firm Clifford Chance advised Banco de Occidente S. A. in connection with its US$150 million subordinated facility provided by Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG). The facility will strengthen Banco de Occidente's Tier 2 capital and support its on-lending of green loans to eligible sub-borrowers. The team advising on the transaction included counsel Alberto Haito and foreign law clerk Daniela Hernandez in Washington, DC.

Clifford Chance
Oct 8th, 2026
Clifford Chance advises Swiss Re on landmark facility backed by issuance of Pre-Capitalized Trust Securities.

Clifford Chance advises Swiss Re on landmark facility backed by issuance of Pre-Capitalized Trust Securities. 8 october 2026. Global law firm Clifford Chance has advised Swiss Re on the issuance of US$1 billion Pre Capitalized Trust Securities or "P-Caps" by Three Pillars Funding Trust No.1, a Delaware statutory trust. The proceeds from the issuance were invested in US Treasury strips and will fund the Trust's obligations to Swiss Re under a facility agreement with the Trust whereby Swiss Re has the right and, in certain trigger events, the obligation to issue subordinated notes to the Trust in exchange for those Treasuries. The issuance marks a significant milestone as the first P-Caps transaction by a European reinsurance and IFRS reporting company and the first to provide for the issuance of subordinated debt intended to qualify as Tier 2 capital. Michael Dakin, Partner at Clifford Chance, commented: "We are delighted to have advised Swiss Re on this innovative transaction. Its successful execution demonstrates the continued development of capital solutions that provide financial flexibility and certainty of funding and marks an important milestone in the evolution of the P-Caps market including its relevance to non-US insurance companies." The mandate leveraged Clifford Chance's global platform, bringing together lawyers across multiple jurisdictions to advise on a sophisticated offering involving English, Delaware and New York law documentation and a novel structure specifically tailored for an IFRS reporting company. The cross-border Clifford Chance team was led by partners Michael Dakin and Simon Sinclair, working closely with counsel Sannu Shrestha, director Maria de Elizalde, associates Aritra Saha and Hannah McLellan. The wider team included UK tax partner Cameron Dwyer, the US tax team, partner Avrohom Gelber and associate Taylor O'Brien, and support on US regulatory and financing matters from counsel Young Kim, professional support lawyer Rebecca Hoskins, Abigail Simon and Jill Ruderfer.

Clifford Chance
Oct 6th, 2026
Clifford Chance expands US antitrust practice with partner Vittorio Cottafavi.

Clifford Chance expands US antitrust practice with partner Vittorio Cottafavi. October 6, 2026. Global law firm Clifford Chance adds partner Vittorio Cottafavi in Washington, DC, further strengthening its Antitrust practice. Joining from the U.S. Department of Justice, Cottafavi advises clients on complex antitrust and competition matters, including mergers, investigations, and litigation. With more than 20 years of experience spanning government and private practice, he has advised clients across the technology, media, telecommunications and financial services sectors on high-stakes antitrust matters in the US and internationally. Marc Besen, Chair of the firm's Global Antitrust & Trade Group, said, "We are delighted to welcome Vittorio to the firm. His experience in senior antitrust roles at both the US Department of Justice, and his secondment to the European Commission, combined with his deep understanding of technology sector competition issues, further strengthens our ability to advise clients on complex matters that increasingly demand coordinated cross-border solutions." Cottafavi said, "Clifford Chance has built an impressive global antitrust practice and a truly collaborative culture. I'm excited to join my new colleagues across the US, Europe and around the globe and help clients navigate the dynamic competition landscape." Clifford Chance has continued to strengthen its US platform in 2026, with Cottafavi becoming the firm's 11th lateral partner hire this year. With more than 450 attorneys across New York, Washington, DC, Houston and São Paulo, the firm combines deep market knowledge with the reach of a fully integrated global partnership. The Americas team advises clients on complex US, Latin America and cross-border transactional, regulatory and disputes matters across key sectors including private capital and financial services, healthcare and life science, technology, infrastructure, and energy.