Corporate and Commercial Solicitor (NQ–5 PQE) – Sussex
Full-time | Office-based, Hybrid Working or Fully Remote | Haywards Heath, Mid-Sussex
Basic salary: £45,000 – £75,000 per annum (depending on experience)
Bonus: 20% of billings above £180,000 per annum
Commission: 15% of any work introduced to the firm
Jonathan Lea Network (JLN) is seeking a technically strong and commercially minded Corporate Solicitor (NQ – 5+ PQE) to join our growing team.
This is an excellent opportunity to develop your corporate practice within a modern, entrepreneurial firm that values initiative, collaboration and commercial thinking — without unnecessary hierarchy or rigid structures.
We are looking for someone who wants to build their reputation in high-quality transactional work while benefiting from genuine autonomy, strong client exposure and meaningful career progression.
About JLN
JLN is a modern, forward-thinking, full-service law firm based in Mid-Sussex, advising clients across England and Wales and internationally. Since becoming SRA regulated in May 2019, the firm has grown rapidly and continues to expand its retained team and consultant network.
We combine strong technical expertise with a pragmatic, commercially focused approach to client service. Our clients include technology start-ups, scale-ups, private equity-backed businesses and established owner-managed companies across a range of sectors.
Our values are central to how we operate:
- Responsive and client-centred
- Expertly insightful
- Personable and collaborative
- Innovative and technology-enabled
We operate a successful consultancy model alongside our employed team, enabling collaboration across specialisms and exposure to complex, multi-disciplinary matters.
The Role
You will manage your own corporate and commercial caseload, acting as a key point of contact for clients and delivering clear, pragmatic and commercially aware advice.
Your work is likely to include:
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Shareholder agreements and joint ventures
- Private equity and venture capital transactions
- Corporate restructurings
- Finance transactions
- General company law matters
- Commercial agreements and terms and conditions
- Intellectual property matters (in collaboration with specialists where required)
You will have autonomy from day one, supported by a collaborative team and our wider consultant network where specialist input is required.
This role offers exposure to high-quality work often associated with larger City and national firms, within a more agile and entrepreneurial environment.
Key Responsibilities Include:
- Managing a varied corporate and commercial caseload
- Advising clients with clarity, precision and commercial awareness
- Drafting and negotiating transactional documentation
- Taking introductory calls and converting new enquiries
- Working collaboratively on multi-disciplinary matters
- Engaging with AI and legal technology embedded in JLN’s working practices
- Contributing to marketing, networking and business development initiatives
The Ideal Candidate
You will be:
- A qualified solicitor with NQ – 5+ PQE in corporate and commercial law (private practice and/or in-house)
- Technically strong with a meticulous eye for detail
- Confident managing files independently
- Commercially aware and business-minded
- An excellent communicator, both written and verbal
- Organised, responsive and solution-focused
- Comfortable working in a collaborative but entrepreneurial environment
- Enthusiastic about marketing, networking and developing your own profile
A genuine interest in entrepreneurship, high-growth businesses and transactional work is essential.
Why Join JLN?
This role offers high-quality corporate work without the constraints of a traditional firm structure.
You will benefit from:
- Hybrid working with genuine flexibility
- A supportive mixed-level team structure
- Direct client contact and early responsibility
- A collaborative, open working environment
- A firm that embraces AI and modern systems
- Exposure to ambitious, high-growth clients
- Regular team events and a friendly, inclusive culture
Benefits
- 22 days’ annual leave (rising to 25 days with service)
- NEST pension scheme
- Salary sacrifice options
- WPA Precision Corporate Healthcare
- Performance bonus: 20% of billings above £180,000 per annum
- Commission: 15% of any work introduced to the firm
Location
This role is best suited to candidates based in Sussex, Surrey, Greater London or Kent who are within an hour’s commute of our Haywards Heath office.
However, we are open to considering strong candidates from further afield who wish to work on a fully remote basis.
How to Apply
If you would like to apply, please send your CV and covering letter to:
📧 Alice.Roseman@jonathanlea.net