Senior/Director – Tax Associate

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

Our one firm global strategy is focused on targeted growth led by the needs of our core clients, those who we can best support with the breadth and depth of Clifford Chance expertise, across the sectors and geographies, which matter most to them.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

The role

We advise clients through our four integrated sub-groups – Tax, Employment, Incentives and Pensions – delivering coordinated, cross‑border support on transactional, advisory and contentious matters. Our lawyers combine deep technical expertise with strong commercial and sector insight, embedding tax, workforce, remuneration and pensions considerations within the wider legal and regulatory framework. Working closely with corporate, finance, restructuring and disputes teams across jurisdictions, we provide pragmatic, solution‑focused advice on complex, multi‑jurisdictional and high‑risk issues. We act for a diverse international client base, including private capital sponsors, asset managers, multinational groups, financial institutions, trustees and insurers.

We provide advice across the full range of international and domestic tax issues. The team supports colleagues and clients on Funds, M&A, finance, real estate and tax contentious matters, ensuring solution-oriented tax analysis is embedded within the broader legal, regulatory and commercial framework of each transaction or project. We combine deep technical expertise with strong market and sector knowledge. We work closely with clients and non‑tax colleagues across the firm and across jurisdictions to deliver joined‑up, cross‑border solutions, particularly on complex, multi‑jurisdictional matters. In relation to funds, we advise across the full lifecycle including carried interest and co‑investment structures. Our client base includes private capital sponsors, asset and investment managers, multinational groups, financial institutions and sovereign investors.

Who you will work with

As a Senior Associate/Director, you would be working as part of a highly regarded and ambitious team which advises many of the world's leading financial institutions,  corporates, PE houses, financial investors, as well as central banks and governments/SWFs. 

What you will be responsible for

• As a Senior Associate/Director the scope of work that you could be involved in would be across a diverse range of tax work including:
• Advising on international and domestic tax, covering a wide range of M&A and corporate structuring, bank and bond financing, structured debt, leasing, real estate investment and development, funds and other forms of non-bank investment.
• Bespoke tax advice, usually on highly complex points of law.
• Tax policy advice to industry bodies and governments.
• The nature of Clifford Chance means that the work has a strong international flavour; it is rare for the UK to be the only jurisdiction relevant to a matter.

What you will do

Key tasks and responsibilities:

• You will be working with a broad range of clients and the Firm's other teams and practice areas, not only in London, but across the globe.
• You will have exposure to work which often involves complex, high value matters that frequently headline in the financial and business press.
• As you grow in experience, you will have extensive client contact both as part of your daily working routine but will also have the opportunity to develop new client contacts.
• You will develop an unbeatable multi-disciplinary skill set as well as client facing skills whilst working with some of the best-known market leaders in their respective practice areas

Your experience 

You will have strong relevant Tax experience as a lawyer with an established UK tax practice, probably gained at a firm in the City of London .  Whilst we advise on a wide range of taxes and transactions, we do not expect candidates' experience to cover this full range (and would not expect anyone in our team to work across the full spectrum of matters that we advise on).

We are currently seeking to expand the team across the spectrum of transactions that we work on – so there is an opportunity within the team whatever your current focus of expertise.

In all cases you will have an outstanding academic history and proven first rate legal skills, combined with a strong reputation amongst existing clients for providing commercial solutions and excellent transactional and management skills.

You should demonstrate strong communication and analytical skills along with a high level of commercial awareness.

You will need to demonstrate that you can thrive in a team with high professional standards and a flexible client-friendly commercial approach. You will have had strong exposure of collaborating with multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary teams.

It is crucial that you can demonstrate an appetite for business development, client relationship management and thought leadership.

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and develop your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Hybrid Working

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.

What we offer including our broad range of benefits and working environment

When you join Clifford Chance, you will have access to a broad range of benefits to support you across many aspects of your personal and professional life including financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and family friendly benefits. For more information on what we offer specifically in the UK, please visit our What We Offer page on our career site. 

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.