Associate - Corporate Law

Sumer is a fast-growing professional services firm dedicated to championing small and medium businesses and helping communities prosper across UK and Ireland. Sitting at the juncture of our central team, our accountancy hubs, and our clients is the rare opportunity to join Sumer Law – a client facing private practice within the Sumer Group. We are gaining significant competitive advantage as we acquire accountancy practices across the UK, addressing the legal needs of our SME clients. At Sumer Law, we understand the unique legal needs of small and medium sized enterprises across the UK. With our commitment to innovation and client-focused service, Sumer Law offers you the chance to advance your career and shape the future of legal services for SMEs across the UK. We are looking for a Solicitor within our Corporate Law department, with a clear pathway for progression to Associate in the near term. In this role, you will be working alongside accountancy partners across the wider Sumer group, and guiding SME businesses through the delivery of pragmatic and commercially focused corporate legal advice. Key Responsibilities Provide clear, commercially focused legal advice and guidance to SME and business clients on a broad range of corporate matters, including: o Corporate restructures (e.g. share for share exchanges, demergers) o Company and business sales and acquisitions o Investments and share issues Corporate governance Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of corporate documents, including shareholders’ agreements, articles of association, loan agreements, and share purchase agreements Build strong, trusted relationships with clients, taking time to understand their commercial objectives and delivering pragmatic, tailored legal solutions Take an active role in business development, including: o Supporting on pitches and proposals o Identifying opportunities to expand existing client relationships o Attending networking events and contributing to profile-raising activities o Developing your own emerging client relationships over time Collaborate with accountancy partners within the Sumer group in order to provide a high quality and joined-up client service Assist senior fee earners on more complex transactions and client management Skills, Knowledge & Expertise Qualified solicitor in England & Wales with approximately 0-2 years’ PQE in corporate law Solid experience advising on a range of corporate transactions, particularly for SMEs, founders and owner-managed businesses A commercial mindset with the ability to provide practical, solutions-driven advice Strong drafting and negotiation skills across a variety of corporate documents Good organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple matters and deadlines effectively An interest in and aptitude for business development, with a willingness to get involved in networking, client relationship building and contributing to growth initiatives A collaborative approach, with the confidence to work closely with colleagues across legal and accountancy teams to deliver a seamless experience Growth and Professional Development This role offers the opportunity to develop a range of skills with a diversified workload and working with an experienced team with the opportunity to progress through an established career progression framework You will have the opportunity to build on existing business development skills with an array of both internal and external networking opportunities This is a client facing role which will provide you with the opportunity to develop your own client relationships, professional rapport and legal style, whilst being supported by experienced colleagues Belong @ Sumer At Sumer, we know everyone’s journey is different. That’s why we’re committed to fairness, removing barriers, and giving people the support they need to do their best work. If you need any support during the hiring process, just let us know. Our values represent what matters most to us and guide how we work every day: We Shine Together We Do the Right Thing We Make It Count We know diverse teams make us stronger. That’s why we’re creating an inclusive workplace where everyone belongs and differences are valued and celebrated.