Associate – Capital Markets

Job Description

You will advise corporate, financial institution, and sovereign issuers, underwriters, and financial investors across the full range of capital markets products, including:

• Standalone securities and debt issuance programmes
• Convertible and exchangeable bonds
• Regulatory capital and hybrid securities transactions
• ESG-related financings, including social, green, blue, sustainable, and sustainability-linked securities
• Liability management
• Equity offerings
• Repackagings
• Asset-backed structured notes
• Financial markets transactions, including derivatives, stock lending, and repos

The Capital Markets team in Tokyo consists of 3 partners, 11 associates, and 3 paralegals. You will be part of a dynamic team comprising England and Wales qualified and Japanese qualified lawyers, providing a one-stop service to our clients. The team is part of the broader APAC Capital Markets group, offering opportunities to work on a wider range of capital markets transactions in the region.

You will advise clients on all aspects of the matters outlined above, both in Japan and internationally. You will regularly work as part of cross-border and interdisciplinary teams essential to the complex and high-value transactions we support for our clients.

As a lawyer, your responsibilities will include:

• Drafting legal documents clearly and concisely
• Drafting and reviewing risk and general disclosure sections of offering documents and participating in due diligence processes
• Creating solutions using your legal knowledge and applying effective research techniques
• Challenging and testing advice against legal compliance and risks
• Proactively pursuing and expanding legal knowledge
• Utilising client focus initiatives to continually improve service levels and respond to individual client needs
• Engaging with knowledge resources effectively and collaborating in knowledge initiatives for the firm
• Managing matters within a disciplined practice, including good time management and adhering to best practice financial discipline and risk management processes
• Adopting best delivery tools, including utilising our Delhi-based team dedicated to supporting the APAC Capital Markets group

Qualifications

Your experience

• We are seeking an exceptional Commonwealth-qualified lawyer with experience in debt capital markets. Experience in other capital markets products, such as equity, securitisation, and other structured debt, will be advantageous.
• We are also open to considering more junior candidates with a general finance background. In all cases, you should possess first-class legal ability, a practical commercial approach, excellent drafting and communication skills, and the ability to work to tight deadlines while enjoying being part of a diverse and outgoing team.
• Your experience is likely to have been gained at a leading practice with a strong reputation in finance and capital markets.
• Language: Japanese language skills are not essential but would be advantageous.

Additional Information

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here