Senior Associate

Department: Energy, Marine & Natural Resources

Location: Guildford

Role: Senior Associate (Shipping & Trading)

The Team:

We are globally recognised as a leader in the energy, marine and natural resources sector, with one of the largest dedicated teams in the world. Our practice covers the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious work. The team you will be joining specialises in live, shipping and trading issues and dispute resolution and international arbitration, acting in some of the most significant and high-profile disputes in the sector. The team also works on some non-contentious matters such as helping negotiate and draft charterparties and sale and purchase agreements.

The Role:

We are seeking a talented Senior Associate to join our market-leading Energy, Marine & Natural Resources team. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the forefront of dispute resolution and international arbitration in the offshore energy sector, with a particular focus on shipping and trading disputes.

The role will involve advising and representing a broad range of international clients, including major oil companies, trading houses and charterers, across high-value, complex and cross-border matters. The successful candidate will be expected to take on significant responsibility from the outset, dealing with ad hoc day-to-day issues for trading clients, managing cases, leading client relationships, and supporting the continued growth of the practice.

Key Responsibilities:

• Advising on fast moving, live shipping and trading matters and dealing with day-to-day queries from clients and their in-house legal teams.
• Managing and advising on complex shipping and trading disputes, including charterparty, COA, bills of lading, sale contracts, and related matters.
• Acting for global energy majors, trading companies, and other industry participants in litigation and international arbitration proceedings.
• Taking responsibility for case management, drafting pleadings, evidence, and submissions, and working closely with counsel and experts.
• Leading client relationships, with a focus on providing commercial, pragmatic, and strategic advice.
• Supporting the development of junior team members and contributing to business development initiatives.

Experience and Skills Required:

• England & Wales qualified lawyer with strong post-qualification experience (typically 5–8 PQE) gained at a leading international law firm.
• Demonstrable experience in shipping and/or trading disputes, ideally including both litigation and arbitration.
• A solid grounding in the legal and commercial issues affecting the shipping, energy and natural resources sectors.
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills, with a proven ability to draft high-quality pleadings and submissions.
• Strong client-handling and relationship management skills, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• A proactive, collaborative and ambitious approach.

When you work at Clyde & Co, you join a team of 500 partners, 2,400 lawyers, 3,200 legal professionals and 5,500 people in nearly 70 offices and associated offices worldwide. Our values are the principles that guide the decisions we make, unite us in our endeavours and strengthen our delivery, for both our clients and our firm. We work as one, excel with clients, celebrate difference and act boldly. We are committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and clients it serves. We are devoted to providing an environment in which everyone can realise their potential, using its legal and professional skills to support its communities. We do this through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment, including through our commitment to the SBTi Net-Zero standard and the setting of ambitious emissions reduction targets.    

We offer a range of tailored benefits and support, including healthcare, retirement planning and wellbeing initiatives.

Clyde & Co is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Our core values encourage us to support fairness, celebrate diversity and prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace to allow everyone to excel at work. Therefore, we welcome and encourage all applications from suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background or identity.
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