Baker & McKenzie

Think Opportunity, Think Baker McKenzie

We are excited to be growing our Corporate M&A practice! We have two senior lawyer opportunities for lawyers who have 4 - 6 years' PQE.

About Baker McKenzie

At Baker McKenzie, we are different in the way we think, work and behave. The first local, truly global law firm in Australia, we commenced operations in Sydney in 1964, in Melbourne in 1982 and in Brisbane in 2014. With our breadth of experience in the local market and global connectivity, we are the firm of choice for Australian and multinational companies. We have 6,500 lawyers globally who work seamlessly together – across practice groups, sectors and markets – to provide our clients with the connected perspectives, integrated solutions and seamless guidance they need to succeed in an increasingly interconnected global market.

Baker McKenzie Australia can offer you access to complex, market-leading matters working with some of the world's best legal minds – people who know the law and who understand business. We have an unrivalled ability to provide training and secondment opportunities across our global network. Locally, we have an inclusive culture of learning, coaching and opportunity where you will work in small teams on matters that often cross borders. We value people who think ahead and get noticed.

The opportunities

We have two fantastic opportunities to join our Transactional Practice Group in Melbourne – a Senior Associate (5+ years’ PQE) and an experienced Associate (4+ years’ PQE). You will be working with leading Partners across our Transactional Practice Group, which is led by Simon De Young and Lance Sacks.

The first role will have a focus on M&A work. The second role will have a focus on M&A and private capital work including the opportunity to undertake work in the investment funds and venture capital sectors (for managers and investors).

The team

Baker McKenzie's Transactional Practice Group is at the forefront of providing commercially astute advice to major Australian and global companies, investors (including sovereign and pension funds) and investment managers. We are particularly well known for our high-end mergers and acquisitions, private capital and funds practices. With offices across the globe, we provide our clients with something that no other Australian law firm can offer – a leading full service Australian practice with access to an integrated global platform.

Our areas of experience span the full breadth of corporate transactions, including private M&A, public M&A, private equity and private capital transactions, complex joint venture and consortium transactions, capital markets activities, cross-border reorganisations, venture capital and foreign investment. We also have a market-leading investment funds practice, advising sponsors, managers and investors on all aspects of fund formation, fund investments and related regulatory aspects.

At Baker McKenzie, our flat structure means you will have direct exposure to our Partners and clients, responsibility for meaningful involvement across a broad range of matters, and opportunities for progression. You will also regularly work with our extensive network of global colleagues and clients.

A sample of recent deals undertaken by our Melbourne office, demonstrating the breadth and quality of our practice, include:

• acting for sellers, Macquarie Asset Management and PSP Investments, on the biggest deal in Australia (and one of the largest deals globally) in 2024 – the sale of AirTrunk for an implied enterprise value of over A$24 billion. We also advised on the original acquisition of AirTrunk in 2020, including advising the consortium on their upstream fund co-investment arrangements;
• acting for Orora (ASX: ORA) on the $2.2 billion acquisition of French bottle manufacturer, Saverglass (and associated capital raising to fund the acquisition), and the sale of Orora Packaging Solutions for A$1.8 billion to a US private equity firm, both leading cross-border transactions;
• advising Thule Group, the global market leader in performance phone mount solutions, on its acquisition of Melbourne-based Quad Lock from Quadrant Private Equity for approximately A$500 million;
• advising Generation Development Group (ASX: GDG) on a range of corporate acquisitions;
• advising Hysata on its landmark A$172 million Series B venture capital raising, one of the largest venture capital fundraisings in Australia in 2024 and the largest clean tech fundraising in Australian history;
• advising PSG, a US private equity fund, on the acquisition of Protecht, an Australian software business with global operations, for A$445 million;
• advising HMC Capital (ASX: HMC) on the establishment of various listed and unlisted funds and various corporate acquisitions;
• advising global pension funds on a range of complex transactions in Australia in infrastructure, natural capital and agribusiness, private equity and venture capital; and
• advising large Australian institutional investors, including Australian superannuation funds, on a range of investments locally and globally, including a range of investments and co-investments in offshore funds.

About you

You will have:

• a minimum of 4 - 6 years' PQE in M&A transaction work;
• relevant experience in a leading top tier or international firm (preferred);
• strong client service orientation;
• strong technical, drafting and commercial skills;
• business development aptitude, interest, and experience;
• excellent analytical, communication and research skills;
• a commitment to high work standards and strong attention to detail;
• an ability to develop strong relationships with clients and take responsibility for these relationships;
• an ability to demonstrate initiative and proactivity;
• an ability to work well in a team environment (including across Australian offices and internationally);
• a willingness to learn;
• a willingness to develop others through mentoring and sharing experiences;
• relevant legal qualifications; and
• a strong academic background.

Our benefits

• Financial: competitive remuneration package, generous bonus scheme, salary continuance insurance, life insurance, salary sacrifice options, employee discounts, referral rewards, and travel insurance for you and your immediate family.
• Learning & development opportunities: client and international office secondments and regional and global development programs.
• Flexibility: hybrid and flexible working arrangements to balance your work and lifestyle.
• Leave: 26 weeks' paid parental leave for parents/carers (with no minimum service) with access to an external coaching service, ability to purchase additional annual leave, volunteer leave and flexible public holidays.
• Health & wellbeing programs: Employee Assistance Program including confidential counselling and wellbeing and financial coaching for you and your immediate family, flu vaccinations and discounted health insurance.

For more information on our benefits, click here.

Inclusion, Diversity & Equity

Baker McKenzie is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive culture for all its employees, with equal opportunity for all to progress and have a meaningful career with our Firm. Our mission is to foster an environment where individuals of every ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, age, disability, carer status and working style may succeed professionally and fully contribute to the goals of the Firm. Our bAgile program also encourages a range of flexible work opportunities for all.

We want all applicants to be given the best possible opportunity to succeed in our recruitment processes and beyond – so we invite you to let us know of any reasonable adjustments you require to participate in our recruitment processes or to perform the requirements of our roles. We also appreciate that everyone's needs are different, so we are keen to work with you personally, to set you up for success. We are also happy to share accommodations we've made in the past. Please feel free to contact us on the details below.

Apply today!

If you are interested in one of the above roles, we would be delighted to hear from you! Please click "apply now".

If you would like to find out more or have a confidential conversation, please contact me by email on natalie.mascarenhas@bakermckenzie.com or by phone on +61 401 685 956.

As part of our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, we encourage applications from all genders, abilities and cultural backgrounds including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We have established relationships with preferred agencies, and are not accepting candidates outside of these arrangements for this position.