Employee Incentives NQ/Associate

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

You can expect:

• A competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies
• Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family
• A range of flexible benefits including gym discount and retail vouchers
• Tech, cycle and electric car schemes
• The opportunity to support the firm's charity through volunteering leave
• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when our people experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects.

This role is for a junior associate within the employee incentives group, which sits within the wider corporate tax team. The corporate tax team (including employee incentives) currently comprises 4 partners, 4 consultants, 3 associates and 2 trainees (with an NQ qualifying to work on corporate tax matters in March and further recruitment anticipated on the corporate tax side of the team as it continues to grow).

Nicholas Stretch heads the employee incentives group and is a leading individual in both Chambers and Legal 500. He is well-known in the employee incentives space as the recent chairman of Share Plan Lawyers in which he remains actively involved. The employee incentives group comprises: Nicholas, an experienced mid-level associate whose maternity leave finishes in April/May this year, two consultants and one dedicated trainee. While one consultant is long-term, both consultants are likely to continue to be engaged by the firm after the end of the maternity leave to work on self-standing as well as transactional work. This is due to continuing volume of work which is what had led the firm to seeking a junior associate.

The Role

The role will primarily involve private company employee share plan work – with a balance of on transactional and set-up work – but there is also public company and cash bonus plan work, and the opportunity to work on financial services sector remuneration issues and general employee tax advisory issues. Areas of focus include:

Transactional Support

• Working closely with corporate colleagues on transactions for private companies, including private equity. This typically involves unravelling existing enterprise management incentive (EMI) and other incentive arrangements as part of the transaction and may also involve negotiating replacement incentives. This involve due diligence and then transaction documentation. Frequently, there is also liaison with employee trustees.

Setting up share plans

• Designing and implementing share plans, particularly EMI and growth share plans as well as other arrangements. We structure bespoke and innovative remuneration arrangements to suit the specific objectives of our clients.

Joiners and leaver

• Working closely with the employment group, representing both employers and senior management on equity issues arising on appointment and particularly on the impact of a termination of employment.

Corporate Governance/Regulatory Requirements

• We advise listed companies and, increasingly, private companies in the adoption of appropriate corporate governance framework and generally, on ongoing compliance requirements (eg under "MAR").

Cash Bonus Arrangements

• Again, working closely with the employment group, advising clients on the design and structure of annual and other cash bonus plans. We also have a number of clients that are regulated financial institutions and so advise them on the impact of relevant regulatory rules for financial sector pay.

Employment Taxes

• Advising on PAYE and NIC issues generally, including inbound and outbound employees, IR35 and on terminations of employment.

The ideal candidate will have some grounding in the taxation of employment-related securities, exposure to EMI and growth share plans and the impact of transactions on them.  Familiarity with listed company work, financial services regulatory and employee tax generally would be welcome but is not essential.

This is a great opportunity for an ambitious newly qualified lawyer who already has incentives exposure to join and make their mark at this highly regarded employee incentives practice. As important as experience, however, is a demonstrable interest in the area and an enthusiastic approach to joining a small team. In return, we offer excellent training, a range of high-quality work and a universally recognised warm environment.

• Preparation and drafting of due diligence reports and grant/exercise documentation
• Considering technical issues in the correct commercial context
• Liaising with clients under the supervision of a partner/consultant/senior associate
• Developing own informal internal and external network of contacts, and within the employee share plan world
• Building excellent working relationships with clients and peers within SH

• Ability to acquire and apply up-to-date knowledge of UK tax law on employment-related securities
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Awareness of key requirements of due diligence and option grant/exercise processes, and key stages of corporate transactions.
• Good transaction management, keeping record of key documents and running DocuSign completions (training will be given if required)
• Excellent verbal and numerical communication skills
• Organised and able to work to strict deadlines with the ability to prioritise realistically
• Good housekeeping/file management practices; manages and records time promptly and accurately
• A resilient self-starter, able to work alone (under supervision) and within a small team.
• Ambitious, keen to work in a developing market.
• Cooperative and collaborative in approach and able to develop excellent working relationships at all levels and roles
• Ability to operate professionally and proactively at all times
• Active participant in self-development
• Commercial awareness, and what makes option arrangements attractive to employees and employers
• Strong academic and professional qualifications

This job description is indicative only and does not represent an exhaustive list of responsibilities. The firm reserves the right to alter or change the responsibilities at any time, in line with the firm's strategy and business needs.

We are an equal opportunity organisation, committed to having a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, culture, or any other protected characteristics. We aim to create a culture where everyone can be themselves and is valued for their strengths and unique perspectives.

With 8 offices worldwide and with our headquarters based in London, Stephenson Harwood is a law firm where our people are committed to achieving the goals of our clients - listed and private companies, institutions and individuals across the globe. Our mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.

Our experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation and arbitration, employment, pensions and private wealth, finance, marine and international trade, and real estate and projects.

We assemble teams of bright thinkers to match our clients' needs and give the right advice from the right person at the right time. Dedicating the highest calibre of legal talent to overcome the most complex issues, we deliver pragmatic, expert advice that is set squarely in the real world.

We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our values

Individuality - We encourage creativity and develop talent.

Commitment - To be the best and deliver the highest standard.

Teamwork - We work together to build close, long-term relationships

Straight talking - We say what we mean and do what we say.

These values express the personality of the individuals within our firm. They are the behaviours we encourage in our people and the standards which inform our decisions and actions.

Our vision into 2026

To be a successful firm where talented people work together in an entrepreneurial environment, building long term client relationships.

This vision is about who we want to be, as well as who we are. It is as much about our values as about our character – the attributes we want to see from all of our people. That's how we unlock our entrepreneurial spirit, advising our clients with top performing teams.

A key part of the 2026 strategy is to focus on five core sectors: decarbonisation, life sciences, private capital & funds, technology, and transportation & trade. These have been identified as crucial in the drive for accelerated profitable growth.