Mid to Senior Associate – Restructuring (Riyadh) NEW

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with 48 offices in 28 countries worldwide. Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world’s most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world’s leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work,  helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you’re helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to  an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimise your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.

Department Purpose

Our market leading restructuring and capital solutions team has played a leading role in most of the Middle-East’s largest and most complex restructuring matters, as well as being at the vanguard of the burgeoning private credit offering in the region. The team has a wealth of experience advising a wide range of stakeholders on complex distressed, stressed and opportunistic situations, including acting extensively for creditors, creditor committees, debtors/issuers and sponsors.

As regional markets continue to mature, clients are requiring specialist legal input to navigate complex distressed situations and to protect themselves in downside scenarios when structuring front-end investments. Our Middle-East based restructuring and capital solutions team is uniquely placed to support such clients across the full credit spectrum combining extensive experience of international best practice with a deep understanding of local laws and practices.
 
This role will work within our dedicated Middle East restructuring and capital solutions team and will be based in Riyadh.

Role purpose
A&O Shearman seeks an associate to join our Riyadh office with 4+ years post qualification experience advising on structured financings and / or financial restructuring matters. The successful candidate will form part of our fully integrated Middle-East team and will be expected to work on matters in KSA, UAE and the wider region.

Whilst the role will require agility across the full credit spectrum, the expectation is that the chosen candidate will spend a majority of their time advising on structured private credit financings. A solid grounding in LMA-based financing terms is therefore essential, along with the ability to assess and advise on downside risk and enforcement strategies.

The ideal candidate will have the ability to think critically from a first principles perspective and will be experienced managing transactions involving multiple stakeholders. Experience of legal frameworks within UAE and KSA as well as Islamic finance would be helpful but not essential.

Role and responsibilities
Advise clients, including corporations, private credit funds, financial institutions, and other stakeholders on private credit financings and restructuring situations
Assess and advise on downside risk and structuring options to mitigate such risk, including usage of contractual protections, security enforcement, insolvency processes and similar
Preparation and presentation of enforcement memos to clients
Prepare and negotiate a wide range of finance documentation based on LMA terms including credit agreements, intercreditor agreements, security documents and other ancillary documentation
Strategically advise clients in meetings, on the phone and in writing
Manage client expectations and project delivery appropriately
Business development – support the wider team in marketing efforts aligned to the core strategy of the team
Legal research
Supervision of junior team members
Key requirements
Qualified lawyer 4+ PQE
Strong technical knowledge with regards to structured financings including a strong understanding of creditor protections and enforcement options
Notable experience having acted on complex structured financings including experience acting for (or opposite) private credit funds (not essential provided that transaction experience is otherwise in line with expectations)
Ability to manage an entire financing transaction with partner oversight and support
Strong grasp of commercial dynamics underpinning financing and restructuring situations and an ability to consider issues from a ‘first principles’ perspective
Outstanding academic credentials
Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines
Excellent client relationship skills
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interface at all levels and particularly to win the respect of the partner and fee-earner community, building strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders
Collaborative team player with the ability to develop and work in a fast paced, intellectually rigorous environment
A person of sound judgment who is able to establish a high level of credibility