Mergers & Acquisitions Associate Attorney

Direct Counsel is seeking a Mergers & Acquisitions Associate Attorney to join a highly respected Am Law firm. Locations: New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver This is an opportunity to join a premier M&A practice representing Fortune 500 companies, private equity firms, investment banks, and privately held companies in complex and high-profile domestic and cross-border transactions. The group is known for handling sophisticated, market-moving deals across a broad range of industries while providing associates with meaningful client exposure and increasing responsibility on active transactions. Attorneys in this practice work on acquisitions, divestitures, strategic alliances, spin-offs, carve-outs, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, and tender offers. The team is highly collaborative, fast-paced, and focused on developing strong transactional attorneys who can manage sophisticated deal work from start to finish. Qualifications The ideal candidate will have 2-4 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions and other general corporate transactional matters at a leading law firm. Candidates should have experience working on both domestic and cross-border transactions and should be comfortable supporting buy-side and sell-side representations. Experience should include exposure to complex corporate structuring and transactional matters such as acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, spin-offs, carve-outs, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, and related strategic transactions. Strong drafting skills and familiarity with key transaction documents are required. Candidates should have excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong analytical ability, and sound judgment in handling sophisticated legal and business issues. The ideal attorney is detail-oriented, proactive, and able to manage multiple components of transactions in a fast-moving environment while working effectively as part of a team. Candidates must be admitted to the state bar in which they practice or be eligible to waive in. Compensation & Benefits The expected salary range for this position is $260,000 - $365,000, commensurate with experience and market factors. The firm offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; generous parental leave and family-building benefits; tax-advantaged health savings and flexible spending accounts; 401(k) or Roth 401(k) retirement plans; wellness and employee assistance resources; flexible time away and reduced schedule options; paid bar dues and professional membership support; and access to structured professional development programs, mentorship, and career advancement resources.