Senior Associate/Special Counsel - Electricity Regulatory - National

• Develop specialist expertise in a rapidly growing renewable energy sector
• Work directly with our firm's national renewable energy lead, a recognised market leader in renewables  
• Enjoy transparent progression opportunities, bonus structures, generous leave policies and a supportive, high performing culture
• Open to candidates nationally

About us

HWLE is not your typical law firm. Our rapid rise to become the largest legal partnership in Australia shows that in our case, the differences are real. We deliver first class legal advice to our government and commercial clients in every State and Territory across Australia. Nationally the firm features over 270 Partners and more than 1900 people.

The opportunity

We have an opportunity for Senior Associate or Special Counsel to join our highly regarded Melbourne Corporate and Commercial practice working primarily with Peter Dreher and his team. You'll be involved in an interesting mix of M&A, major projects work in renewable energy and other sectors, contracting, general corporate, business and strategic advice, and corporate governance work. Peter leads our national Renewable Energy Practice, where the firm has advised on over 70 wind, solar and BESS projects combined in Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. Peter has advised on some of Australia's biggest wind, solar and BESS projects, undertaking corporate, development and associated regulatory and other commercial legal work.

The role is an opportunity to work on top tier matters with our prominent client base. In renewables, you will be trained and be part of the process to deliver value for clients beyond the provision of legal services, regardless of any given project phase. This includes project sale and acquisition and due diligence, project feasibility, grid connection, compliance and associated areas of finance, offtake, construction and operation. Our team understands the issues industry participants face and can talk sensibly about them.

To succeed in the role, ideally, you will have

• 6+ years PAE
• experience or interested in working in a number of sectors including in the public sector, renewable energy and M&A
• corporate, commercial, M&A l skill set and passion to draft and negotiate a range of commercial contracts
• good working knowledge of contract law and strong drafting skills
• appetite to mentor our junior cohort

What we offer

• Unrivalled career pathways: Our unique meritocracy model proudly offers our staff career development, promoting talent based solely on merit. Our size, range of experience and competitive pricing model will provide you with everything you need to succeed. Unlike our competitors, our Solicitor to Partner ratio enables greater mentoring and client engagement compared to our competitors. Our 180 day career forecasting sessions provide the platform to fast-track your progression.
• Work-Life Balance: We offer flexible work arrangements to support your work-life balance.
• Location: Open to candidates nationally. Enjoy working in a state-of-the-art office environment with access to modern end of trip facilities.
• Great culture and a huge networking platform: Be part of a firm renowned for its friendly and down-to-earth culture. Sign up for our 'Latte Link-Up' program to connect with members of the firm outside of your practice group, across all levels from shared business services through to C-Suite! We also have sports clubs, social club and monthly firmwide drinks.
• Impact: Join a firm consistently ranked at the forefront of the Australian legal market, where your work is celebrated and recognised nationally.

How To Apply

Please submit your CV via the 'Apply' function. Applicants must have full working rights in Australia and a valid practising certificate to apply. HWLE also strongly encourages applications from the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.

HWLE strives to create an inclusive environment where our people want and feel comfortable to bring their entire selves to work. Varied perspectives contribute to our collective success so whatever your background, we'd love to hear from you and encourage you to apply. If you have reasonable accessibility requirements that will enable you to participate equitably in our recruitment process, please reach out to Gabrielle Saunders for a confidential discussion.