Associate - Banking & Real Estate Finance

The role

Howard Kennedy is a London law firm creating lasting value and outcomes for clients in the UK and internationally. We are known for delivering depth, clarity and market‑leading expertise, and for working alongside our clients to drive meaningful impact for their businesses. As part of our continued growth, we are seeking a Banking & Finance Associate to join our collaborative and ambitious team.

This is a role for an Associate who wants to go beyond technical delivery — someone motivated by understanding clients’ ambitions, shaping clear and practical advice, and seeing the direct impact of their work.

 You will advise lenders and borrowers on a broad range of secured lending transactions, working closely with colleagues across the Firm and with clients operating in complex, fast‑moving commercial environments.

Role responsibility

• Advise on secured lending transactions from instruction through to completion, delivering commercially focused and pragmatic advice.

• Draft, review and negotiate loan, security and ancillary documentation, including in‑house precedents, lender templates and Loan Market Association (LMA) documentation.
• Manage transaction processes end‑to‑end, including conditions precedent, completion mechanics and post‑completion matters.
• Arrange and monitor the registration of applicable security documentation at the appropriate governmental registries, ensuring compliance with required timeframes.
• Assist senior colleagues with advising on transaction structures, including cross‑collateralisation, cross‑guarantees, intercreditor and priority arrangements, and offshore or multi‑jurisdictional structures.
• Work directly with clients, counterparties and overseas counsel, building trusted relationships and fostering strong collaboration to maintain clarity and momentum throughout transactions.
• Collaborate closely with colleagues across the Firm to meet demanding client deadlines while maintaining quality and consistency.
• Contribute to the growth of the practice through business development, knowledge sharing and client‑facing initiatives.

About you

Ideally you will be able to demonstrate;

• Some post qualification experience in Banking & Finance transactions, ideally with strong real estate finance experience.
• Experience of secured lending transactions, acting for banks, institutional or alternative lenders, and borrower clients.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and transaction management skills, with the ability to handle complexity and volume.
• Commercial acumen, with sound judgement and a proactive, solutions‑focused approach.
• Highly organised, detail‑driven, and comfortable working in a deadline‑oriented environment.
• Collaboration, a desire to learn and develop, and motivation to build long‑term client relationships.
• An interest in developing business development skills and contributing to the wider growth of the Firm.

Why Howard Kennedy?

• A clear and ambitious strategy focused on excellence, insight and impact.
• Direct client exposure and early responsibility within a supportive, high‑calibre team.
• A culture that values collaboration, trust and professional development.
• Opportunities to develop technical expertise, leadership capability and market profile.
• A firm genuinely committed to helping its people build sustainable and fulfilling careers.

If you are looking to combine high‑quality work with a culture that values insight, collaboration and impact we would welcome an application.

At Howard Kennedy we believe that everyone deserves the space to thrive. We’re committed to creating an inclusive recruitment experience that reflects the diversity of both our people and our clients.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities, and we’re committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and accessible to all.

We understand that every candidate’s needs are different If there’s anything we can do to make your application journey more comfortable— whether for interviews, assessments, or onboarding—please let us know. We’ll work with you to remove any barriers and ensure our recruitment process is comfortable for you. 

Contact our recruitment team at recruitment@howardkennedy.com to discuss any support you might need.

Agency Introductions

Please note that we are not accepting applications via agencies for this role at this time. Before sharing any named candidate CVs, please contact your recruitment representative. If any named CVs are sent from agencies without approval from our recruitment team, they will not be deemed valid introductions, and no agency fee will be paid.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual holiday
• Permanent Health Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Interest free Season Ticket Loan
• Private Healthcare
• Pension Scheme
• Staff Introductory Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

About us

With almost 200 lawyers in one location, we ensure our clients have the right team to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. We advise major corporates and institutions as well as entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises which are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. As well as our significant business law capability, we are one of only a few London-based law firms with a large private wealth offering. Our clients find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.

Whether you are an ambitious and talented individual wanting to hit the ground running from day one, or an established professional looking for a new opportunity, Howard Kennedy is the firm where you can really make it happen.

We have earned a strong reputation for our exceptional and uniquely talented people who between them deliver outstanding results for clients. In a firm of our size, our strong team dynamic creates a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Howard Kennedy is a pragmatic and non-hierarchical environment where success is shared, and you are proactively encouraged to thrive at your own pace.

Our distinctive culture is built on fairness and respect. Guided by the firm’s values of talk straight, think smart and be yourself, everyone in the firm holds equal value, and everyone plays their role in supporting, encouraging and inspiring colleagues to do their best work.

At the same time, we recognise and reward individualism, celebrating the diversity of our people and supporting them to grow their practice and drive their own career advancement.

As well as client work, there is opportunity to broaden your horizons at the firm with fulfilling pro bono and charity projects. We have a regular social calendar full of wellbeing activities, charitable and social events too.