Senior Debt Finance Attorney

We are conducting a search on behalf of a boutique, impact-focused law firm for a Senior Debt Finance Attorney to join at the Partner or Of Counsel level. This is a rare chance to step into a growing, entrepreneurial debt practice — with real autonomy, a genuinely manageable billable hour target, and the backing of a collaborative team of former Big Law attorneys who left large firms specifically to build something better. This is not a high-volume, high-leverage shop. The firm works on bespoke, non-form-driven secured lending and private credit transactions for lenders, funds, family offices, and development finance institutions — sophisticated, complex deal work without the grind of a traditional Big Law finance group. If you're a senior debt finance attorney who wants to run your own deals, help shape a practice, and actually have a life outside the office, this is worth a confidential conversation. What You'll Be Doing Independently leading secured lending and private credit transactions for lenders, funds, family offices, and development finance institutions Drafting and negotiating credit agreements, security documents, and intercreditor agreements in highly bespoke, non-templated deal structures Collaborating closely with the firm's funds and corporate teams on cross-practice matters Helping shape the long-term strategy, service offering, and growth trajectory of the debt practice Supporting and expanding existing client relationships while building your own What We're Looking For 10+ years of debt finance experience at a large or mid-sized law firm (Big Law training required; no more than ~1 year in-house) Strong technical grounding in secured lending, asset-based lending, private credit, or direct lending Comfort working in bespoke, non-form-driven transactions — this is not a large-cap syndicated lending practice Ability to run deals independently with limited supervision — this is a lean team, not a heavily staffed group Exposure to family offices, DFIs, or impact-oriented lenders is a strong plus J.D. and admission to at least one U.S. state bar (NY preferred) An entrepreneurial mindset — motivated by building something and having autonomy over your practice, not by maximizing comp A portable client relationship or two is a bonus, not a requirement — though it meaningfully enhances comp at the partner level Consistent tenure history (no frequent short stints) Why This Role Stands Out Real work-life balance — a genuine, sustainable billable hour target (1,400), not a number on paper Autonomy — shape your own practice and client base rather than executing someone else's playbook Impact-driven work — transactions with family offices, development finance institutions, and mission-aligned lenders Collaborative, senior culture — a team of ex-Big Law attorneys who made a deliberate lifestyle choice and built a firm around it Growth opportunity — help define the strategy and direction of an expanding debt practice, not just staff it Compensation & Logistics Base + upside: $250K–$375K base, with competitive equity/upside potential tied to book of business and practice growth Hybrid schedule: 2 days/week in-office (Midtown Manhattan) Location requirement: Must be able to work in and commute to New York; Visa sponsorship: Not available — U.S. citizens or Green Card holders only #J-18808-Ljbffr Waterstone Human Capital