Senior Associate / Principal Associate – Competition, Foreign Investment & Trade

London | 3–5 PQE | Top-tier work | International platform

A leading international law firm is seeking a Competition Lawyer (3–5 PQE) to join its highly regarded Competition, Foreign Investment & Trade practice in London.

This is an excellent opportunity to work on complex, high-profile competition and regulatory matters for an international client base, within a collaborative and supportive team known for delivering clear, strategic advice on sophisticated mandates.

The Opportunity

You will work closely with partners and senior lawyers on a broad range of UK and international competition and regulatory matters, including:

• Merger control and complex transaction clearances
• Foreign investment and national security reviews (including UK NSIA)
• Competition investigations, including dawn raid support and regulator engagement
• Market studies and investigations
• Distribution, licensing and commercial arrangements
• Competition issues intersecting with intellectual property
• Subsidy control and State aid
• Trade, customs and sanctions matters

The team acts for major corporates, investors, technology companies and international businesses, regularly advising on high-value, strategically significant transactions and investigations.

You will also have the opportunity to work alongside colleagues across corporate, IP and regulatory teams, both in London and internationally.

Why This Role?

✔ Work on complex, high-profile competition and regulatory matters

✔ Direct client exposure and early responsibility

✔ A genuinely supportive team culture with strong mentoring

✔ Clear career progression pathways

✔ Opportunities to develop expertise in FDI, trade and sanctions

✔ Exposure to international and cross-border work

The team is highly committed to professional development, with structured training, mentoring and opportunities to deepen expertise through specialist study.

About You

You will be:

• A qualified solicitor in England & Wales
• 3–5 years’ PQE with experience in UK and/or EU competition law
• Experienced in areas such as merger control, competition investigations, or advisory work
• Interested in developing expertise across competition, foreign investment, and trade regulation
• A strong team player with excellent analytical and communication skills

An EU qualification or experience with trade, customs or sanctions matters would be beneficial but is not essential.

Apply

If you are a competition lawyer looking to develop your career within a high-quality international practice, we would be delighted to hear from you.

If you would like to be considered please send your CV to charlotte.pember@idexconsulting.com