Senior Associate

Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters. From offices across the UK and Brussels, we support some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious businesses; amazing clients making an impact. We empower our people to be their authentic selves and deliver together in supportive teams committed to excellence and innovation. The first top 50 law firm to achieve ‘Platinum Standard’ Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm.

We have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits.

To discover more about our benefits, please visit: Benefits Package

We have a thriving, dynamic six-partner tax and employee incentives team based in London, Reading and Solent.  The work of our team can broadly be divided into four categories:

Employee incentives: we design and implement a broad range of employee incentivisation schemes including EMI and unapproved options, growth shares, cash-based schemes and employee benefit trusts for a range of private and public company clients. Our clients consist of both UK companies and overseas companies looking to set up employee incentive arrangements for their UK employees.  We also advise on the exercise and restructuring of those schemes in the context of venture capital, M&A and private equity deal structuring.

Corporate: we support our national team of over 100 corporate lawyers. We commonly advise on the tax implications of private equity transactions and transaction structuring, M&A, tax planning for management teams, reorganisations and restructuring including debt restructuring and demergers and advice on joint venture projects.

Venture capital: we have one of the UK’s leading VCT/EIS tax practices and, as such, a significant proportion of our time is dedicated to advising investors and, in some cases, individual shareholders on their qualifying investments.  We structure and restructure investments to ensure compliance and frequently engage with HMRC to seek advance assurances and to pre-empt the impact of the continuously evolving legislative framework in this area.

Real estate: as a firm we employ over 200 real estate practitioners.  We support those practitioners by advising on Stamp Taxes, VAT, capital allowances, the CIS and direct taxes.  We have a large number of developer clients for whom we structure large scale projects, giving rise to complex real estate tax issues.

We are looking to grow the employee incentives practice and recruit a Solicitor to join the team in our London office where our employee incentives practice is based. We have a thriving practice, and you will have the opportunity to work on a full spectrum of employee incentives work. You will assist on transactions in all the areas set out within the employee incentives section above and get the opportunity to forge relationships with clients, both internal and external.

The role is open to 3+ pqe Solicitors who wish to specialise in employee incentives. You will ideally have experience advising on a range of employee incentive arrangements and in particular experience advising private companies on EMI options, unapproved options and growth shares and also in the context of corporate transactions (M&A and investments).

Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues.

This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

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