Mid February - private practice roles update

Private Practice

Staying across developments in the legal recruitment market is important if you are considering a move, but it is equally valuable for lawyers who are not actively job-seeking. Maintaining visibility over the market allows you to benchmark your skills, understand how practice areas are evolving and stay informed about the wider direction of the profession.

As many UK-based international firms openly advertise their vacancies, it is possible to build a meaningful picture of hiring trends directly from the roles being published.

We track these opportunities on your behalf and collate the information in a way that makes it easier to see what is happening within your specific practice area. At the start of each month, we publish an overview of the roles advertised during the previous month, and we also take a mid-month snapshot to highlight emerging patterns and shifts in demand.

Our review of February so far suggests that the momentum typically seen in January is carrying through into the early part of the year, with Banking continuing to stand out as a particularly active practice area. Given how busy real estate was in January, it is notable that several of the banking roles currently being advertised are focused on real estate finance. Could 2026 see real estate re-emerge as a key driver of hiring activity?

Below is a roundup of new roles published on international law firm career sites for Banking and Real Estate during the first two weeks of February.

Banking & Finance

• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton – Derivatives and Structured Finance Associate (18 months – 4 PQE) (1.5–3 PQE): English law-qualified associate role focused on derivatives and structured finance, supporting complex cross-border finance matters and requiring strong drafting, analytical ability and collaborative working.

• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton – Leveraged Finance Associate (2–5 PQE) (2–5 PQE): English law-qualified leveraged finance hire to advise on leveraged financings and related transactions, with an emphasis on technical drafting/negotiation and running workstreams on complex deals.

• Gowling WLG – Associate – Real Estate Finance (2–3 PQE): London-based hire into an expanding real estate finance team advising lenders and borrowers across domestic and cross-border transactions and varied asset classes, including development, hotel, Islamic and mezzanine finance.

• Herbert Smith Freehills – Associate / Senior Associate – Finance (4–7 PQE): Project and/or acquisition finance role supporting energy transition and infrastructure financings, with responsibility for leading negotiations, supervising juniors and building client relationships, and requiring strong LMA familiarity and project management.

• Osborne Clarke – Banking Associate (level not stated): Join a London banking team advising clearing banks, challengers, credit funds and insurers, spanning large multi-bank deals and sector-led financings (including TMT, energy and financial services) plus leveraged/MBO and some project finance/fintech work.

• Simmons & Simmons – Knowledge Lawyer – Banking (PSL): Banking knowledge role maintaining and evolving precedents, responding to know-how queries and driving strategic projects including AI and document automation initiatives across the banking group.

• Simmons & Simmons – Supervising Associate – Real Estate Finance (4–6 PQE): Real estate finance supervising associate role on complex cross-border transactions with early responsibility and client exposure, suited to candidates from strong international real estate finance practices with BD appetite.

• Stephenson Harwood – Debt Finance (General Banking) Associate (level not stated): General banking role covering corporate lending, leveraged/acquisition finance and real estate finance, involving drafting/negotiation, transaction management, client contact and junior supervision.

• Stephenson Harwood – Leveraged Finance Associate / Managing Associate (level not stated): Experienced leveraged finance hire focused on mid-market acquisition financings and cashflow lending structures (including unitranche, super senior, mezzanine and holdco PIK), with an expectation of deal/team management and BD/know-how interest.

• Travers Smith – Leveraged Finance Associate (3–5 PQE) (3–5 PQE): Mid-market leveraged and acquisition finance role leading deals end-to-end for sponsors and lenders, drafting and negotiating LMA-based facilities/intercreditors/security and managing diligence, CPs and closings with junior oversight.

Real Estate

• Stephenson Harwood – Real Estate Associate: Junior real estate role supporting investment acquisitions/disposals, asset management and landlord & tenant work (and ideally development), with responsibility for drafting, negotiation, transaction management and BD support.

• Trowers & Hamlins – Associate – Real Estate (NQ): Newly qualified real estate role focused on affordable housing, regeneration and residential/mixed-use development, advising investors, social landlords and developers on acquisitions, disposals, JVs and property aspects of financing-linked work.

• Trowers & Hamlins – Associate / Senior Associate – Energy and Sustainability (2–6 PQE): Energy transition role with a strong real estate/infrastructure angle (heat networks, retrofit, renewables, EV infrastructure and utility regulation), involving bespoke documentation such as supply/concession agreements and PPAs.

These are only the roles that are being advertised on firms careers pages, there will undoubtedly be more with firms that don't advertise - for these firms you'll need to speak to recruiters that have good relationships with the relevant firms.

If you need more objective information on the market, or would like to explore whether our one to one career guidance sessions will be of help to you, Click here and arrange a free 15 minute consultation.