Job Description

Corporate Solicitor

Salary: £75,000 – £95,000 + Excellent Benefits

Location: Tonbridge Area

High-Value M&A & Strategic Corporate Work with Clear Progression

Are you a Corporate Solicitor looking to step into a role where you will work on high-profile, complex transactions while playing a key part in a dynamic, award-winning team? This is an outstanding opportunity to join a highly respected Corporate practice advising a diverse client base on sophisticated, strategically significant matters.

Our client is known for its strong reputation in the South East corporate market, acting for entrepreneurs, SMEs, large corporates, and high-net-worth individuals on complex and often high-value transactions across multiple sectors.

The Role: High-Value, High-Impact Corporate Work

As a Corporate Solicitor, you will manage a varied and engaging caseload, working across a broad range of transactional and advisory matters.

Key responsibilities include:

• Advising on M&A transactions (buy-side and sell-side)
• Drafting and negotiating shareholder agreements and corporate structures
• Working on private equity, investment, and management buyouts
• Advising on EMI share schemes and management incentive plans
• Supporting clients with restructuring and insolvency-related matters
• Structuring Family Investment Companies for tax and succession planning
• Acting for clients across sectors including:
  • Healthcare
  • IT and technology
  • Security
  • Property
  • Retail and leisure
• Managing your own caseload with client-facing responsibility from day one
• Supporting and driving business development initiatives

Recent transactional highlights include:

• £12m veterinary practice sale
• Acquisition of a trampoline park by a leading leisure group
• Structuring of national veterinary partnership programmes
• Complex equity and incentive scheme design for tech and healthcare clients

Team & Environment

You will join an award-winning Corporate team with a strong reputation for delivering commercially focused, practical advice.

The team is:

• Commercially driven and transactionally active across multiple sectors
• Highly collaborative, with strong partner-level support
• Focused on client relationships and long-term advisory work
• Committed to professional development and internal progression

What We’re Looking For

Essential:

• Qualified Solicitor (England & Wales)
• Minimum 5 years’ PQE in Corporate / Company Commercial Law
• Strong experience in M&A and general corporate transactions
• Excellent technical ability in:
  • Shareholder agreements
  • Corporate structuring
  • Investment transactions
  • Corporate governance
• Strong drafting, negotiation, and communication skills
• Ability to manage a busy transactional workload independently
• Commercial mindset with a client-focused approach

Desirable:

• Experience with private equity or management incentive schemes
• Exposure to sector-specific advisory work (healthcare, tech, etc.)
• Interest in business development and networking

Career Progression

• Clear pathway to Senior Associate and Partner level
• Exposure to high-value, complex transactional work from day one
• Strong emphasis on client relationship development and sector specialism
• Ongoing mentorship and technical development support

Salary & Benefits

• £75,000 – £95,000 base salary (dependent on experience)
• Performance-related bonus
• Hybrid working arrangements
• Private healthcare
• Enhanced pension contributions
• Generous holiday allowance
• Structured training and career development programme
• Strong, supportive and collaborative team culture

Location & Working Arrangements

• Tonbridge area office
• Hybrid working model with flexibility
• Full-time role with strong work-life balance culture

Next Steps

To discuss this opportunity in confidence, please contact:

David Hawthorne-Finch
Email: d.hawthorne-finch@h-fts.com

Alternatively, apply now for further information and a confidential discussion.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence. We will always obtain your express permission before sharing your details with our client.