Power & Clean Energy - Associate 2-5PQE - London

We have an exciting opening for an ambitious Associate to join one of the largest Energy & Climate Change Groups in the world. The role, within the London Energy & Infrastructure team, would be to play a pivotal role in supporting our valued clients in the fast-moving energy transition landscape.

About us

CMS is a Future Facing firm with more than 80 offices in over 45 countries and 5,800+ lawyers worldwide. We combine deep local market understanding with a global perspective. We are passionate about building strong relationships with our clients, our people, and the communities we work in.

We take a bold, dynamic, and agile approach to ensure our clients are able to face the future with confidence. We are driven by emerging technologies such as generative AI and readily embrace the possibilities it opens up for developing new and better ways of working.  Our aim is to inspire, impact and support our clients and our people, helping them to maximize their potential and thrive.

About the role

With more than 800 energy and climate change lawyers, including over 200 partners, this practice is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Our early work in designing and implementing modern energy markets and subsequently guiding the sector in the push to decarbonisation means CMS is not only a transactional or project adviser to the sector, but uniquely placed to help shape its present and future.

The London Energy & Infrastructure team comprises experts who have shaped the sector by creating the legal frameworks, market rules and helped deliver projects in over 60 countries. We advise on a wide range of technologies including offshore and onshore wind, interconnectors and networks, energy storage, solar, electric vehicles, hydrogen, nuclear, carbon capture and storage and digitisation of the energy systems. 
 
We are looking for an ambitious mid-level associate seeking to gain an in-depth understanding of the legal, industry and commercial arrangements across the power and renewables sector, as well as in hydrogen, batteries and nuclear sectors, and become a subject matter expert. The role will offer you exposure to the full spectrum of areas in the electricity and gas sector, including commercial, regulatory, M&A and projects work. 

About you

We will invest in your ongoing training and development to support your professional goals and help you to thrive in your role from day one. Our opportunities are open to all suitably qualified applicants, so to be considered for this role you must have the following skills and experience:

• A qualified lawyer with 2-5 years of solid experience gained in private practice and/or in-house within the UK or other common law jurisdiction

• Excellent black letter law skills

• A keen interest in the electricity and renewables sectors, and the ability to navigate the economic, technical and financial context within which the legal and regulatory advice is provided. Experience of hydrogen, CCUS and gas, as well as nuclear matters is desirable

• Experience drafting and negotiating commercial or project agreements in the sector

• Experience of energy sector regulation (British or EU experience desirable)

• A commitment to professional development and to becoming a deep sector expert.

If you’ve got a track record with major blue-chip clients and have the ability and work both independently and as part of cross-disciplinary teams on larger projects and transactions, we want to hear from you!

What's in it for you?

We want to reward you today and help you plan for tomorrow. We appreciate that everyone is different, therefore we have designed a benefits system that offers choice and flexibility based on individual needs and lifestyles. To name a few, these include:

•    Competitive basic salary (reviewed annually)
•    Flexible, hybrid working policy
•    Generous bonus scheme
•    Up to 25 days holiday (rising to 28 days with service)
•    Holiday exchange scheme
•    Private medical insurance
•    Enhanced parental leave
•    Reasonable adjustments and accommodation for disabled talent in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

If you would like to read more information regarding our range of benefits, please visit our Rewards & Benefits page on our website.

Equal opportunities

 At CMS, we place diversity and inclusion at the centre of our culture and the heart of our organisation. As a firm we recognise, celebrate, and embrace the diverse talent our society has to offer because we know that to solve big problems, we need the best and brightest minds available to us.  In support of this goal, we commit to actively breaking down barriers which stand in the way of those from diverse backgrounds and play our part in levelling the playing field. 
 
As a Future Facing Firm, we strongly believe that a career in law should be open to people from all walks of life, because not only does diversity of thought and experience make our firm a stronger and more sustainable business, but it also makes it a more rewarding place to work.
 
When recruiting, we prioritise attracting talented people and we actively promote a flexible working environment which enables all our team members to thrive. If you see a role you are interested in, but don’t feel you meet 100% of the criteria we encourage you to still consider making an application. We also welcome applications from those who may be looking to return to the workforce after a career break. 
 
We are proud to say our leadership in creating an inclusive working culture has been celebrated and recognised externally, including being listed for a number of years in the Times Top 50 Employers for Women and the Social Mobility Index.
 
We are a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer, and we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities, whether visible or invisible. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity throughout our recruitment process and in every element of the employee life cycle. If you require assistance, or if you would like to discuss any accessibility requirements or adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please contact Becky Lowe at TalentAcquisition@cms-cmno.com who will be happy to support you.

Ready to apply? Here are the next steps.

 We look forward to receiving your application online via the CMS careers site. Please contact our Talent Acquisition team if you have any questions. 

Please note that we have a preferred agency panel in place. Only applications submitted via the portal at the point of instruction will be accepted.

#LI-EC2