Employee Benefits & Compensation Associate

This international law firm stands out as the leading legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and burgeoning enterprises on a global scale.

They are currently seeking a UK-qualified Share Incentive Lawyer to join their London office, collaborating with the existing UK Share Incentive Partner.

About the Role

• The selected candidate will provide counsel to the firm's clients on share option and employee incentive arrangements, while supporting the London corporate team in various capacities such as investments, M&A, and IPOs.
• This role entails a focus on UK/US advisory work, necessitating regular collaboration with members of our broader US Employee Benefits and Compensation (EB&C) team on mutual clients.
• Additionally, the candidate will collaborate with corporate teams across the firm on advisory work and cross-border transactions, including financings, M&A deals, and other exits.

About You

• Must be UK-qualified, holding or eligible for a valid Solicitors Practicing Certificate.
• 2-5 years PQE specializing in or with a majority of time spent on employee share incentives.
• Commercially minded and solution-driven, with knowledge of market practices in the tech and VC sectors considered advantageous but not mandatory.
• Knowledge of US incentive arrangements and issues is a plus but not mandatory.
• The ideal candidate will possess technical expertise in incentive arrangements for private companies, with a particular emphasis on EMI arrangements, non-qualified plans, CSOPs, and growth shares.

The team offers invaluable international experience to support the growth trajectory of these companies, assisting them from inception through scaling, capital acquisition, and eventual exit strategies. This is including M&A, IPOs, or other avenues, with a specific emphasis on UK and European tech firms exploring opportunities in the US market.

Key Responsibilities:

• Designing, drafting, and implementing formal shares plans, including EMI, CSOP, and non-qualified plans.
• Providing advice on non-qualified arrangements, such as growth shares and flowering shares, including the financing of such arrangements through loans or deferred payment arrangements.
• Advising on tax implications for both employees and employers related to all forms of UK employee incentive arrangements.
• Collaborating with the US EB&C team on UK and European/US cross-border issues, advising on incentive arrangement issues for both UK outbound and US inbound companies.
• Advising on non-employee grants.
• Working closely with corporate teams on share incentive issues arising in financings and M&A deals, including drafting relevant aspects of investment documents/SPAs and communicating with option holders.

If you are interested in this position, and you meet the requirements of the role, please click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV. Alternatively, if you would like to discuss this opportunity further, please contact Elliott Dymond for a confidential discussion.

Our advertisements use salary and experience as a guide only. Interlink Recruitment is an equal opportunities employer.

*Please Note: Due to the high volume of applications we are currently receiving we are unable to contact applicants who have been unsuccessful.