Associate, PE / M&A, Sydney

Clifford Chance · Sydney, Australia · full-time · On site · June 16, 2026

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Posted June 16, 2026 · Read from Clifford Chance
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Job Description

We are seeking a high-performing junior associate (NQ - 2 year PQE UK notional) to join our leading Private Equity and M&A practice in Sydney.

This is an excellent opportunity to work on complex, high-value transactions alongside a highly regarded team, advising top-tier private equity sponsors and corporate clients across a broad range of industries.

You will play a key role in advising on a variety of transactions, including:

  • Private equity investments and exits
  • Public and private mergers and acquisitions
  • Growth capital and minority investments
  • General corporate advisory matters

You will be given early responsibility, direct client exposure, and the opportunity to develop strong technical and commercial skills within a collaborative team environment.

Why Join Us

We offer a supportive and high-performing environment where you will:

  • Work on market-leading transactions with top-tier clients
  • Receive high-quality training and mentoring
  • Be supported in developing as a recognised practitioner in private equity and M&A
  • Benefit from clear career progression opportunities

If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity to accelerate your career in a leading practice, we encourage you to apply.

Qualifications

  • Experience in Corporate / M&A, ideally with exposure to private equity transactions
  • Strong technical drafting and transactional skills
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams within tight timeframes
  • Commercially minded, with a genuine interest in understanding clients’ businesses and objectives
  • Proactive and solution-oriented, with the ability to anticipate issues and deliver practical outcomes
  • A strong communicator, able to build credibility and confidence with clients and colleagues
  • Collaborative, with a team-first mindset and a willingness to take ownership of your work
  • Organised and detail-oriented, with the ability to deliver high-quality work in fast-paced, time-critical environments
  • Motivated to contribute to client relationship development and long-term growth of the practice

Additional Information

Equal Opportunities

At Clifford Chance we understand that our true asset is our people. We believe that each and every one of us should experience an equality of opportunity and an equality of experience here. We are always working to develop and deliver the best and most innovative approaches to make that happen. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm

and society.

We are therefore committed to treating all employees and job 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.

The firm will regularly review its procedures and selection criteria to ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and otherwise treated according to their relevant individual abilities and merits.

We have a number of initiatives and networks that support our aspiration to be the Global Law Firm of choice. These include our LGBT, Gender Parity, Ethnicity and Disability networks.

Employer
Clifford Chance
Location
Sydney, Australia · On site
Contract
full-time