Maritime, Trade and Offshore Finance Associate

What we will offer

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

You can expect:

• A competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies
• Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family
• The opportunity to support the firm's charity through volunteering leave
• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when our people experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects

Team Structure

This role is working within our Maritime, Trade and Offshore Finance team.

Main Responsibilities

• As a junior/mid-level associate within the team, the role will involve a broad range of marine asset finance, general banking and project finance transactions for our clients across the region including Korea, PRC (including Hong Kong) and Singapore.
• Working alongside a team of highly experienced and commercially astute partners and colleagues, you will have the opportunity to work on market-leading, high-profile deals.  You will be involved in drafting and reviewing of financing or leasing documentation, negotiating the terms of transaction documents, legal research, and supporting in the management of client files and relationships.
• Candidates must be able to strive to achieve very high-quality standards and have a passion for delivering excellence to clients.  This role will suit an ambitious and enthusiastic lawyer with excellent communication skills, and who brings their energy and intellectual curiosity to our dynamic, high performing team.
• As well as your technical rigour, the successful applicant will thrive on a busy and successful working environment.  They will want to be a part of a practice that encourages participation in business development events, and who is able to build strong working relationships with clients and colleagues alike.
• This role will suit an ambitious and enthusiastic lawyer with good communication skills who would enjoy the challenge of a dynamic practice area.  And in return, the successful candidate will join a mature, tier 1 ranked practice, where they can expect great work, supervision by market-leading partners, high quality learning & development opportunities, and an attractive remuneration and benefits package.

Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.

Attributes/Skills Required

• Experienced qualified lawyer in either Singapore, England & Wales or any other common law jurisdiction
• Proven Finance legal experience gained in private practice – i.e. asset, project and/or banking finance experience, ideally gained at a leading Singapore, UK or US firm.
• Strong academic credentials are expected
• Able to develop informal internal and external network of contacts
• An intellectually curious, lateral thinker who can work independently, is highly organised, and resilient
• Accuracy and attention to detail, with demonstrable good housekeeping and file management practices
• A proven team player, exhibiting cooperation, collaboration and using one's initiative
• Excellent numerical and communication skills with demonstrated commercial awareness.

This job description is indicative only and does not represent an exhaustive list of responsibilities. The firm reserves the right to alter or change the responsibilities at any time, in line with the firm's strategy and business needs.

About the Firm

With 8 offices worldwide and with our headquarters based in London, Stephenson Harwood is a law firm where our people are committed to achieving the goals of our clients - listed and private companies, institutions and individuals across the globe. Our mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.

Our experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation and arbitration, employment, pensions and private wealth, finance, marine and international trade, and real estate and projects.

We assemble teams of bright thinkers to match our clients' needs and give the right advice from the right person at the right time. Dedicating the highest calibre of legal talent to overcome the most complex issues, we deliver pragmatic, expert advice that is set squarely in the real world.We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our values

IndividualityWe encourage creativity and develop talent.

CommitmentTo be the best and deliver the highest standard.

TeamworkWe work together to build close, long-term relationships

Straight talkingWe say what we mean and do what we say.

These values express the personality of the individuals within our firm. They are the behaviours we encourage in our people and the standards which inform our decisions and actions.

Our vision into 2026To be a successful firm where talented people work together in an entrepreneurial environment, building long term client relationships.

This vision is about who we want to be, as well as who we are. It is as much about our values as about our character – the attributes we want to see from all of our people. That's how we unlock our entrepreneurial spirit, advising our clients with top performing teams.

A key part of the 2026 strategy is to focus on five core sectors: decarbonisation, life sciences, private capital & funds, technology, and transportation & trade. These have been identified as crucial in the drive for accelerated profitable growth.

We are an equal opportunity organisation, committed to having a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, culture, or any other protected characteristics. We aim to create a culture where everyone can be themselves and is valued for their strengths and unique perspectives.