About this role
Senior M&A & Private Equity Associate
New York, NY | 5–7 Years Experience
Join One of the Country's Fastest-Growing Middle-Market Corporate Practices
Our law firm client is seeking a talented Senior Associate to join its nationally recognized Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity practice in New York.
This opportunity is designed for an attorney who is ready to move beyond execution support and take ownership of sophisticated transactions. The ideal candidate will have significant experience leading deals, managing junior associates, serving as the day-to-day contact for clients, and driving transactions from letter of intent through closing.
This group has built one of the nation's premier middle-market transactional practices, representing public and private companies, private equity sponsors, founders, family offices, and portfolio companies in complex domestic and cross-border transactions. The Corporate Practice Group includes more than 100 attorneys nationwide and closed more than 200 corporate and private equity transactions in 2025, representing billions of dollars in enterprise value.
Why Benesch?
Benesch combines the sophistication of an Am Law corporate practice with an entrepreneurial culture that gives associates meaningful responsibility early in their careers.
Unlike many large firms where senior associates remain one of many specialists on oversized deal teams, you'll have the opportunity to:
- Lead transactions from inception through closing
- Work directly with private equity sponsors, founders, boards, and C-suite executives
- Take ownership of client relationships and negotiations
- Mentor junior attorneys and manage deal teams
- Gain substantial exposure to business development and partner-level responsibilities
- Build toward partnership within a collaborative national platform
The firm's Corporate Practice is regularly recognized by Chambers USA, ranked nationally by Best Lawyers® Best Law Firms for Corporate Law, Securities/Capital Markets Law, and Securities Regulation, and has been named a BTI Consulting Group M&A Standout.
About the Practice
Benesch advises clients through every phase of the transaction lifecycle, including:
- Middle-market mergers and acquisitions
- Private equity acquisitions and exits
- Leveraged buyouts
- Growth equity investments
- Minority investments
- Divestitures and carve-outs
- Joint ventures
- Corporate restructurings
- Recapitalizations
- Cross-border transactions
- Corporate governance and strategic counseling
The firm's clients include:
- Private equity sponsors
- Portfolio companies
- Public and privately held companies
- Institutional investors
- Family offices
- Founder-owned and entrepreneur-led businesses
The team represents clients across a wide range of industries, including:
- Manufacturing
- Industrials
- Healthcare and life sciences
- Technology and software
- Transportation and logistics
- Consumer products
- Business services
- Financial services
- Energy
- Food and beverage
- Distribution and supply chain
- Professional services
What You'll Do
As a Senior Associate, you will play a lead role on sophisticated transactions while serving as a trusted advisor to clients throughout the deal process.
Responsibilities include:
- Lead buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions from LOI through post-closing integration
- Manage private equity platform acquisitions, add-on acquisitions, exits, and portfolio company transactions
- Draft and negotiate purchase agreements, merger agreements, equity purchase agreements, disclosure schedules, operating agreements, shareholder agreements, and ancillary transaction documents
- Oversee legal due diligence and coordinate specialist workstreams across tax, finance, employment, real estate, intellectual property, and regulatory matters
- Structure transactions alongside partners and clients to achieve strategic business objectives
- Lead negotiations with opposing counsel
- Serve as the primary day-to-day contact for clients and investment professionals
- Supervise and mentor junior associates
- Coordinate complex domestic and cross-border transactions involving multiple stakeholders
- Advise clients on corporate governance and general business matters
What We're Looking For
- 5–7 years of sophisticated corporate transactional experience
- Significant experience leading mergers and acquisitions
- Strong private equity transaction experience preferred
- Ability to independently manage multiple active deals
- Exceptional drafting and negotiation skills
- Experience supervising junior associates and managing deal teams
- Strong commercial judgment and client management skills
- Excellent academic credentials
- Admission to the New York Bar
Why This Role is Different
This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced associate looking to make the transition from executing portions of deals to leading them.
You'll work with sophisticated clients on market-leading middle-market transactions while receiving the autonomy, mentorship, and client exposure needed to develop into the next generation of corporate partners.
If you're looking for a practice where you'll have a meaningful seat at the table—not simply another role on a large deal team—this is an outstanding opportunity to accelerate your career within one of the country's premier middle-market M&A and private equity practices.