Assistant General Counsel | Corporate M&A | Global Investment Bank in Sydney

A leading global investment bank is seeking an accomplished Assistant General Counsel to join its high-performing APAC Legal function in Sydney.

This organisation is widely recognised for delivering sophisticated advisory, capital markets and trading solutions to corporates, financial sponsors and institutional investors worldwide. With a truly international platform and a strong reputation for execution excellence, it offers a dynamic, fast-paced environment at the front of global markets.

The Opportunity

This is a rare and highly differentiated in-house role, offering direct exposure to live transactions and market activity across Investment Banking, Capital Markets, Sales & Trading and Research.

Operating within a deliberately lean legal team and reporting directly to the Head of Legal, Australia, you will act as a true business partner—working closely with front-office stakeholders and contributing to the execution of complex, high-value transactions across Australia and internationally.

You will play a pivotal role as a trusted legal adviser, with significant autonomy and visibility, supporting both domestic and cross-border mandates while helping shape the legal and regulatory framework of the Australian business.

Role Responsibilities

In this commercially focused and hands-on role, key responsibilities will include:

• Providing strategic legal advice on Equity Capital Markets transactions, including IPOs, secondary raisings, placements and other equity offerings
• Supporting public and private M&A transactions, including takeover bids, schemes of arrangement and strategic advisory matters
• Reviewing, drafting and negotiating transaction documentation across ECM and M&A matters
• Advising Sales & Trading and Research teams on regulatory, market conduct and transactional issues
• Interpreting and applying Australian securities law, including the Corporations Act and ASX Listing Rules, within a commercial context
• Supporting cross-border transactions and collaborating with global stakeholders across APAC, the US and EMEA
• Managing and supervising external counsel across jurisdictions
• Identifying emerging legal and regulatory risks and delivering clear, pragmatic solutions
• Monitoring regulatory developments and contributing to internal policies, training and legal frameworks
• Acting as a trusted adviser to senior stakeholders and the Head of Legal on strategic legal and risk matters

Skills & Experience

You will be a high-calibre legal professional with:

• Approximately 6–10+ years' PQE, ideally gained within a top-tier law firm or leading international practice, and/or in-house within an investment banking or global markets environment
• Strong Equity Capital Markets experience, including IPOs and equity raisings, with additional exposure to M&A
• A solid understanding of Australian financial services regulation, including the Corporations Act and ASX Listing Rules
• Proven ability to operate in fast-paced, transaction-driven environments, advising on live deals
• Exceptional drafting, negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills
• A commercially astute, solutions-focused mindset with the ability to manage multiple complex matters concurrently
• The confidence and judgement to operate as a second-in-command within a lean legal team

Why This Role?

This opportunity offers:

• High visibility and direct access to senior decision-makers
• Genuine breadth across investment banking, capital markets, trading and research
• Close alignment with front-office teams and live transactions
• A non-hierarchical, agile legal environment with meaningful autonomy
• A compelling pathway for career progression within a global platform

This role is ideally suited to a top-tier ECM lawyer seeking to transition in-house without losing proximity to transactions, or an experienced in-house banking lawyer looking to broaden their exposure across a full-service investment bank.