AddressWhy Baker McKenzie?
At Baker McKenzie not only do we pride ourselves on leading pay and a great culture, joining a leading Global Law firm provides unique development opportunities to grow in a highly supportive working environment throughout all stages of your life. We know our people value flexibility around when and where they work. We are committed to offering a more adaptable way to work, and we call this bAgile. As a highly valued employee we will also provide you with an extensive range of wellbeing, recognition & benefits offerings.
For more information on our benefits, please visit this link https://www.bakermckenzie.com/-/media/files/locations/australia/australiaofficesbenefits_april2022.pdf
The Role
We have a fantastic opportunity for an Associate with 3-5 years' experience to join our Energy and Resources team in Brisbane. Led by a market recognised Partner and Co-Head of the Energy Practice for Australia, our energy transition market-leading and collaborative team invests in and offers a first-rate environment for our lawyers’ professional growth.
This role involves opportunities to work on an exciting and diverse range of cutting edge and challenging projects and deals. Examples of the type of work includes renewables, energy storage, hydrogen, waste to energy, resource and oil and gas projects and transactions, wholesale and retail contracting, energy market regulation, mining regulation, emissions reduction regulation, carbon regulation and projects, joint venture arrangements, offtake arrangements, supply agreements, compliance and investigations, and more.
The Team
The transition to a carbon-neutral economy is a seismic shift on a global scale, leaving no sector untouched. The urgent strategic, operational and reputational challenges are considerable, but so are the opportunities for growth. Baker McKenzie is at the forefront of market-leading deals within this context in the renewable Energy and clean technology sector. Our multidisciplinary global team helps energy producers, investors and users forge their energy transition journey in an increasingly complex regulatory environment, enabling them to transform, powerfully.
Our Energy and Resources team is at the forefront of this journey, providing commercially astute advice to major Australian and global companies. We have one of Australia's largest dedicated energy, infrastructure and Resources teams, with experience in all Australian jurisdictions. With offices across the globe, we provide our clients with something that no other Australian law firm can offer – a leading Australian practice with access to an integrated global platform.
Our areas of experience and the work involved include Energy and Resources projects (including clean energy, waste to energy, renewables, storage, oil & gas, carbon, clean technology, mining & metals), joint ventures and alliances, privatisation/corporatisations, M&A transactions, utilities and infrastructure, as well as corporate governance and compliance, corporate advisory, due diligence and foreign investment. The majority of our clients are working towards decarbonisation and energy transition, and we are at the forefront of this work.
Our lawyers assist clients through all stages of a transaction, from developing a greenfields project and the approvals advice and contracting required, establishing the business platform and compliance systems and tools, structuring for appropriate governance and regulatory matters, preparing the business for sale, or performing due diligence or structuring advice to prepare for investment, to negotiating the transaction and project documents, coordinating the closing across multiple jurisdictions, and executing delivery or integrating the operations of the resulting business, alliance or transformation. Recent notable transactions that our Brisbane Energy and Resources team advised on include: the Vale Indonesia, Huayou and Ford Motors global deal to advance more sustainable nickel production in Indonesia and facilitate affordable and sustainable electric vehicle batteries; CS Energy’s Kogan Creek Hydrogen project; Shell Energy’s Cranbourne Battery Energy Storage Project; several large wind farm developments and various solar and energy storage projects; the development and investment in Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Projects in Queensland (including the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project).
What we're looking for
If you have at least 3 years’ post admission legal experience in either energy or resources markets, projects or transactions and contracting, or you have at least 3 years’ experience and strong skills in corporate and commercial transactions and contracting and you genuinely want to learn and build a legal career in the Energy and Resources industry, then it would be great to hear from you.
- 3-5 years' experience in Energy and Resources markets and/or corporate transactions and commercial arrangements
- Dedication to learning and commitment to professional development in Energy and Resources
- Excellent analytical and research skills and attention to detail
- Strong technical and drafting skills
- Effective written and verbal communications skills
- Strong commitment to client service, well-developed relationship management ability and ability to build rapport with colleagues and clients - you will play a role in supporting and actively developing our relationships with clients.
- Team focus – ability to build relationships with colleagues and clients, reliable and always follow through
- Proactive and enthusiastic approach including participating in industry related programs and developing strategic relationships and networks
- Relevant legal qualifications
- Strong academic background
About the Firm
At Baker McKenzie, we are different in the way we think, work and behave. The first local, truly global law firm in Australia, we commenced operations in Sydney in 1964, in Melbourne in 1982 and in Brisbane in 2014. Our lawyers work seamlessly with our global colleagues, collectively providing a capacity of more than 13,000 people, including over 6,500 lawyers who work alongside our clients to drive growth that is both sustainable–and inclusive.
Baker McKenzie Australia can offer you access to complex, market leading matters working with some of the world's best legal minds–people who know the law and who understand business. We have an unrivalled ability to provide training and secondment opportunities across our global network. Locally, we have an inclusive culture of learning, coaching and opportunity where you will work in small teams on matters that often cross borders. We value people who think ahead and get noticed.
Inclusion, Diversity & Equity
Baker McKenzie is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive culture for all its employees, with equal opportunity for all to progress and have a meaningful career with our Firm. Our mission is to foster an environment where individuals of every ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, age, disability, carer status and working style may succeed professionally and fully contribute to the goals of the Firm. Our bAgile program encourages a range of flexible work opportunities for all. We invite you to let us know of any reasonable adjustments you require to equitably participate in the recruitment process or in performing the requirements of this role.
Our application process
Please apply by selecting the "apply now" link below and completing an online application form.
As part of our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive we encourage applications from all genders, abilities and cultural backgrounds including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
