Structured and Aviation Finance Paralegal (6 months FTC)

What we will offer

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
• 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.

Team Structure

Stephenson Harwood has been established in Asia since 1979. We have a leading asset and structured finance practice. Our award-winning aviation finance team is one of the largest in Asia and ranked in Chambers Asia Pacific and Asia Pacific Legal 500.

Our team of acknowledged leading practitioners and highly talented aviation lawyers bring to the table a genuine in-depth knowledge and understanding of the aviation industry, which, when combined with a practical hands-on approach and high levels of legal expertise, enables us to deliver the commercial outcome our clients are looking for, effectively and cost efficiently.

We have decades of accumulated experience acting for:

• airlines
• lessors
• financiers and the major transportation banks

This experience means our aviation specialist lawyers have a 360-degree understanding of how the aviation industry works and can leverage that knowledge and experience to the benefit of clients without any re-invention of wheels or cost inefficiencies. Our approach is driven by listening to our clients’ commercial objectives, making sure we understand what it is that they want to achieve, within what timeframe, at what cost, and resourcing the job with the right team.

Main Responsibilities

You will be working within a highly experienced and commercially astute team, you will have the opportunity to work on market-leading, high-profile deals. You will be expected to strive to achieve very high-quality standards and a passion for delivering excellence to clients.

This role will suit an ambitious and enthusiastic lawyer with excellent communication skills who enjoys the challenge of a dynamic and high performing team.

• Working with the Aviation Finance team to provide support on multiple transactions
• Drafting and reviewing corporate authorities and taking ownership of conditions precedent documentation and delivery
• Arranging for legal searches and filings where necessary
• Co-ordinating DocuSign signing processes
• Preparing reports and basic notes of advice
• Aviation finance transactions are generally fast-moving and offer the opportunity to work closely with our clients, other law firms and local counsel and take primary responsibility for discrete aspects of our transactions.

You will gain broad market experience and be exposed to a range of different types of financing and leasing transactions. You will develop strong transaction management and administration skills.

Attributes/Skills Required

The successful candidate is expected to have the right mix of technical experience with a collaborative and team-oriented disposition. We are keen to hear from applicants with qualifications, experience as well as key skills and attributes as follows:

• An intellectually curious, lateral thinker who can work independently, is highly organised, and resilient
• Accuracy and attention to detail, with demonstrable good housekeeping and file management practices
• A proven team player, exhibiting cooperation and collaboration and who enjoys building excellent working relationships with clients and peers within the firm
• Clear, concise, and unambiguous drafting of financing and leasing documentation
• Responsibility for transaction management and administration, including liaison with key client contacts and local counsel
• Assisting with the day-to-day development and management of key client relationships
• Proven ability to acquire, consolidate and apply fundamental and up-to-date knowledge of the law
• Possess a good understanding of the legal and regulatory requirements
• Organised and with a resilience that shows an ability to handle setbacks and timeline pressures all whilst operating professionally and proactively at all times

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.

About the Firm

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.