Associate/Senior Associate (5 PQE+)

Department: Tax

The firm

Bristows is a market leading law firm with a global client base across the life sciences and technology sectors. The firm has maintained its high standing in the market with the strength of our legal expertise and our unique firm culture driven by our core values.

The Tax team at Bristows forms part of the Corporate Tax and Employment (CTE) team. We sit amongst our corporate and employment colleagues and are valued for the expertise and the practical, user-friendly advice that is integrated into the work the whole team undertakes.

We also form part of a wider ‘transactional’ team which encompasses the Commercial IT and IP team and the Real Estate team.

We are seeking to recruit an experienced tax associate to support the team and wider department’s strategic goals: in particular, focusing on acting for companies with significant interests in IP and technology, especially but not exclusively in the Life Sciences and Technology sectors, and capitalising on the firm's market-leading strengths in these areas. The corporate work for these types of clients falls predominantly into the categories of "mid-market" M&A and venture capital financings, some listed public company financing work, joint ventures and reorganisations. Areas of work for the tax team include:

• M&A
• Share Incentives
• Spin-out and Investment
• IT and IP contract/
• General tax (including
• Financings &
• Employment tax

Key responsibilities

• Advise on a broad range of tax matters, with a strong focus on corporate tax, taking responsibility for matters with a high degree of autonomy.
• Analyse complex factual and legal tax issues and provide clear, practical advice to clients and colleagues.
• Support and help develop the firm’s generalist tax practice, demonstrating flexibility and confidence in embracing new and emerging areas of tax law.
• Deliver consistently high-quality client service in line with the firm’s standards and values.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships, with encouraged direct client contact and increasing responsibility for developing their own client connections over time.
• Actively contribute to business development initiatives, particularly within the sectors in which Bristows specialises.
• Play a full part in the wider role of a senior associate, including knowledge management activities.
• Delegate work effectively to trainees and junior team members, providing supervision, mentoring and support as required.
• Collaborate closely with colleagues across the firm, fostering strong working relationships and contributing positively to the firm’s friendly and inclusive culture.

Skills & experience

• Solid experience in corporate tax and related tax matters
• Comfortable working with a high degree of autonomy.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Clear and confident communicator with clients and colleagues.
• Experience building and maintaining client relationships.
• Interest in business development and sector-focused work.
• Ability to supervise and support trainees and junior lawyers.
• Collaborative, approachable and aligned with Bristows’ values.

Our values & culture

With around 320 staff and partners in total and one UK location, we are able to maintain a friendly atmosphere where everyone is able to get to know each other and many policies and practices can operate on a trust basis.

We are based in modern offices at Blackfriars and very much value face to face collaboration and the social element of working relationships. We have introduced a Remote Working Policy which enables staff to work in an agile way – we do not monitor attendance but ask that everyone spends more time in the office than out of it, typically three days a week for full time staff.

Our firm values, which we very much “live”, are Ambition, Bravery, Curiosity and Friendliness. These underpin all that we do across both our client work and our internal strategic decision making. None of our lawyers have billing targets which means we can focus on doing the best for our clients while also having the time and capacity to assist each other in a genuinely collaborative working culture.

Training & career progression

We aim to have a coaching culture with regular informal feedback to supplement the formal appraisal process. Mentoring schemes are available for fee earners while members of the HR team can provide personal coaching and guidance in non-legal and personal management skills.

Personal and professional development is much valued at all levels so we have a generous budget which enables us to meet most ad hoc requests for additional training.

Reward & benefits

Our salary and bonus structure reflects our absence of billing targets and collaborative culture and any bonus is paid as a simple percentage bonus across the whole firm. We have a flexible benefits package that is kept under regular review and is designed with the wellbeing of our staff and their families.

Diversity & inclusion

At Bristows we are committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion for all, and we are a proud signatory of the Law Society’s Diversity and Inclusion Charter. As a firm, and as individuals, we do all we can to treat people fairly and with mutual respect. This commitment enriches our work and our working lives and has played a key part in our success over the years.

We have an active, partner-led Diversity & Inclusion group which runs awareness raising and educational initiatives in addition to ensuring that our policies and procedures remain inclusive.

It is our policy to provide equal opportunities for all employees and job applicants in relation to recruitment, selection, pay, training, working conditions and promotion opportunities regardless of age, disability, gender, gender affirmation, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. For more information about EDI policies and practices at the firm, please see here.

For more information on our firm values, see here.