Senior M&A Lawyer – Shanghai

About the role

Our client, an international boutique law firm, is building an M&A department in Shanghai to support Europe‑Asia trade flows. As a Senior M&A Lawyer you will join an agile practice, advising on acquisitions, joint ventures and disposals across a range of sectors.

Key responsibilities

• Manage complex buy‑side and sell‑side M&A transactions, private‑equity deals, fundraising and restructurings.
• Draft and negotiate SPAs, GAPs, shareholders’ agreements, earn‑outs and price‑adjustment mechanisms.
• Provide corporate‑governance advice, group reorganisations, joint‑venture structuring and cross‑border transaction support.
• Oversee legal due diligence and coordinate with tax, IP, employment, compliance and finance teams.
• Supervise, train and develop junior and senior members of the Corporate/M&A team.
• Contribute to business development, cross‑selling, events and publications to raise the firm’s M&A profile.

Required profile

• Law degree and admission to the bar in China (MBA is a plus).
• Fluent in Mandarin and English.
• Minimum 5 years of M&A experience in a commercial law firm.
• Strong understanding of cross‑border transactions and ability to navigate multiple legal environments.
• Proven project‑management and client‑relationship skills.

Required skills

• M&A transaction management
• Legal structuring of deals (SPAs, GAPs, shareholders’ agreements)
• Corporate governance and group reorganisations
• Cross‑border transaction advisory
• Legal due diligence coordination

What we offer

• Strategic position at the Europe‑China legal and economic crossroads.
• High autonomy to shape and lead a new team.
• Collaboration with offices in China, Southeast Asia and Europe.
• Robust back‑office support and financial management platform.