Junior/Mid-Level Associate - Shipping Finance

Location: Athens, Greece

Practice Group / Department

Banking Team Leadership - Athens

Job Description

Norton Rose Fulbright is a global law firm with a deep commitment to our clients, their businesses and industries and our people. We are a trusted advisor to global and local organizations the world over, offering a broad range of legal services across key industries, including financial institutions; energy, infrastructure and resources; technology; transport; life sciences and healthcare; and consumer markets.

With 7,000 people across 50 offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East, we work as one team to solve issues wherever they arise, no matter how complex they are.

For more information, see nortonrosefulbright.com.

The Team

Our global Shipping practice provides the full range of legal services required by sophisticated shipping businesses. The team advises banks, financial institutions, lessors, private equity investors, shipowners and operators on international shipping finance, corporate shipping transactions and the acquisition, disposal, construction and operation of vessels. The role will sit within a collaborative team handling matters across our international network, with particular exposure to the Greek and wider European shipping markets.

The Role

You will manage substantial workstreams on bilateral and syndicated loan financings, refinancings and restructurings, sale and leasebacks, vessel sale and purchase transactions, joint ventures and shipbuilding contracts. Working directly with partners and clients, you will lead drafting and transaction management, supervise junior colleagues and help deliver practical, commercially focused advice.

Key Responsibilities

Draft and negotiate facility agreements, security packages, intercreditor arrangements, guarantees and related finance documents.

Run key workstreams on vessel sale and purchase, sale and leaseback, shipbuilding, joint venture and corporate transactions.

Manage due diligence, conditions precedent, signing, closing and post-completion processes across multiple jurisdictions.

Develop trusted day-to-day relationships with banks, lessors, funds, shipowners, operators, local counsel and other advisers.

Supervise junior lawyers and trainees, providing clear delegation, feedback and technical support.

Support pitches, client training, know-how and business development initiatives within the Shipping practice.

Key Skills and Experience

Qualified lawyer with approximately 4-6 years of relevant post-qualification experience; equivalent experience will be considered.

Strong experience in shipping finance, asset finance, banking or related transactional work.

Confident drafting and negotiation skills, with experience taking ownership of substantial transaction documents.

Proven ability to manage complex matters, transaction timetables and cross-border stakeholder groups.

Sound commercial judgement and the ability to translate technical issues into clear, practical advice.

Excellent written and spoken English; Greek language capability would be advantageous for an Athens-based role.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

To attract the best people, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work, have a sense of belonging, and realize their full career potential.

Our new enabled work model allows our people to have more flexibility in the way they choose to work from both the office and a remote location, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of service. We offer a range of family friendly and inclusive employment policies and provide access to programmes and services aimed at nurturing our people’s health and overall wellbeing. Find more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion here.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams. We strive to create an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all candidates. If you require any tailored adjustments or accommodations, please let us know here.