Commercial Transportation - Associate

What we will offer

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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. 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

This role primarily involves working with commercial contracts, together with advising on regulation specifically within the rail and bus sectors. As a result, the role will be within the award winning and top ranked rail and bus team at Stephenson Harwood.

The past few years have been highly successful for the Stephenson Harwood rail and bus team, which has seen the client base significantly grow and the team expanding accordingly. Key areas of expertise include:

• Rail franchising and concessions (advising private and public sector operators and owning groups).
• Bus franchising and concessions (advising private sector operators and owning groups).
• Rolling stock (advising manufacturers on bids for new rolling stock contracts and associated maintenance arrangements).
• Regulation (advising on the regulation of the rail and bus sectors).
• Infrastructure (advising on the structuring, real estate, construction and regulatory aspects of infrastructure development).
• Rolling stock and depot financing (advising financiers on the financing of new rolling stock and depots).

We are currently expanding our business internationally and are focused on developing work in Europe (in particular France) and in the Middle East. There may therefore be opportunities to work in other countries.

The rail and bus team is part of the Real Estate and Projects department at Stephenson Harwood. Whilst this role has a focus on rail and bus work, there will also be the opportunity and expectation in quieter times for a candidate to work in the projects and infrastructure practice from time to time.

Main Responsibilities

• Analysing the risks arising from proposed contractual arrangements and advising on the best ways of addressing those risks.
• Understanding the client's preferred outcomes and developing potential solutions within relevant frameworks.
• Clear, concise and unambiguous drafting of documentation.
• Conducting legal research using internal and external knowledge management resources.
• Preparing commercially-tailored notes of advice and analysis.
• Considering and analysing existing contractual arrangements and risks.
• Analysing statutory provisions and any regulatory guidance and applying it to the client's situation.
• Assisting in the preparation of legal articles.
• Liaising with clients.
• Communicating clearly with colleagues and clients on each of the responsibilities described above.
• Developing own informal internal and external network of contacts.
• Building excellent working relationships with clients and peers within the firm.
• Attending business development and profile raising events.
• Willingness to work with our clients in a secondment capacity.

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

• Qualified lawyer with relevant experience in commercial contracts is essential, with past exposure to rail (either from a projects or rail finance team) desirable.
• A keen interest in the rail and/or bus industry is essential; an interest in projects and infrastructure more generally would also be a plus.
• Experience of dealing with franchises and concessions (in rail and/or bus) would be ideal.
• Background in a firm with an excellent reputation in commercial contracts.

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. Our mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.

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. 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: energy transition; life sciences and healthcare; private capital and funds; technology; transportation and trade.