Corporate Tax 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
• A range of flexible benefits including gym discounts and retail vouchers
• Tech, cycle, and electric car schemes
• 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 we experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial, and social aspects.

Team Structure

Stephenson Harwood is a law firm with 1100+ people worldwide, including more than 180 partners. Our headquarters are in London, with 8 offices across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

We are currently seeking ambitious associates to join our Corporate Tax team. The work that we do in the tax team is very varied and often complex. We work closely with other departments across the firm including the corporate, private equity and funds, finance, real estate, employment & pensions, and litigation groups. We advise on the full range of taxes.

The Stephenson Harwood tax team prides itself on being a friendly and dynamic place to work and on providing high-quality, solutions-focused advice to our clients. The tax partners are hands-on and supportive, both in relation to client work and associate development and training. For the successful candidate, the role offers a fantastic opportunity to develop and progress their career as part of a very successful and high-calibre tax team.

The department runs regular legal training sessions covering the core practice areas, as well as associate development centres focusing on 'soft' skills and BD. The tax team also runs targeted training sessions. The ongoing support and development of our associates is regarded as essential to our future growth and success.

Main Responsibilities

The role will involve transactional, advisory, and structuring work across all areas of the firm. This could typically include:

• Public and private M&A transactions
• Group reorganisations and demergers
• Real estate matters, including corporate real estate transactions and property fund structures
• Listed fund IPOs and secondary fundraisings
• Private equity transactions
• Corporate finance, leasing, and asset finance tax disputes work

Given the breadth of the work that we do, the candidate should be confident advising on all of the main direct taxes, VAT, SDLT, and stamp duties.

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

The successful candidate will be a qualified lawyer with experience in corporate tax matters, strong academics, an analytical mind, good oral and written communication skills, and enthusiasm.

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.

We are an equal opportunity employer, 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.

About the Firm

With 8 offices worldwide and 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:

• Individuality - We encourage creativity and develop talent
• Commitment - To be the best and deliver the highest standard
• Teamwork - We work together to build close, long-term relationships
• Straight talking - We 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 2026

To 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. It also reflects the importance of remaining independent - a clear sign that we are confident in our own future. 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.