Position: Paralegal, Private Markets
Company: Cleveland & Co
Location: London Bridge
Reports To: Deputy General Counsel
About Cleveland & Co
Cleveland & Co is a dynamic outsourced in-house legal team, delivering innovative, strategic legal solutions to clients across the investment management industry. We deliver high-calibre advice across private equity, real estate, infrastructure, private debt, hedge funds, and venture capital. Our clients trust us not only for our technical excellence, but for our commercial mindset and deep understanding of the market. We thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment, where client service and forward-thinking legal strategy go hand in hand.
The Paralegal, Private Markets role is built for a candidate with at least 5 years of experience, who’s ready for more; more responsibility, more variety, more impact. They’re trusted, capable, and relied upon, but they’re also underutilised. They’re not looking for another lateral move, they’re looking for a step-change.
They’re energised by complexity and nuance, but they don’t want to sit on the sidelines. The worst job for them would be one defined by repetition, hierarchy, and stagnation.
At Cleveland & Co, we offer something different. This is a role for someone who wants to build something; inside our firm, and inside their own career. It’s a platform for a Paralegal to operate at pace, at scale, and with real autonomy. For the right person, this is the opportunity that changes everything.
Role Summary
We are seeking an excellent Paralegal to support high-value matters across Private Markets practice. This is a great opportunity to take on a mid-level role that will offer a broad range of experience with firms across the financial services industry.
The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years’ experience and an excellent working knowledge of at least two or more of the following:
* Private market funds (e.g. private equity, real estate, hedge, listed);
* Investment management;
* Financial services regulation;
* General regulation (e.g. GDPR, AML, MAR)
* Corporate matters; and
* Commercial contracts.
Required technical skills are:
* English speaking;
* Attention to detail and issue spotting;
* Confidence in reviewing commercial contracts; and
* Legal drafting and summarising abilities.
Must-have criteria for this role:
* Discrete and honest personality;
* Friendly and collaborative approach;
* Professionalism;
* Independent, resourceful, and confident with a great problem-solving skills;
* Strong interpersonal skills, business sense, and professionalism;
* Proactively support the team;
* Eagerness to learn;
* Ability to work effectively with a range of personality types and seniority levels;
* Self-starter with a history of pushing for deadline-driven results;
* A good working knowledge of MS Office is essential;
* Ability to commute to the office as this is an in-office role; and
* A MacBook laptop as we operate BYOA(pple) policy to allow for maximum agility
Key Responsibilities
You will work within the team to learn and support on a variety of client work, including without limitation:
* Private market fund documentation (e.g. LPAs, subscription agreements, side letters);
* Transactional documentation (e.g. share/asset purchase agreements, term sheets, NDAs);
* Legal advice relating to private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and hedge funds;
* Legal research relating to private markets, fund structuring, and cross-border investments;
* Agreements covering regulated activities;
* Writing legal articles;
* Financial services and general regulation (e.g. AIFMD, AML, GDPR, MAR); and
* Investment management and advisory agreements.
Why Join Cleveland & Co?
* A Platform for Strategic Growth: Step into a leadership role where you’re empowered to shape client strategy, mentor future legal talent, and help build the legal function of the future.
* High-Impact Work Across Leading Clients: Work directly with ambitious clients across the private markets sector, from private equity to infrastructure, where your advice directly influences outcomes and value creation.
* Accelerated Career Trajectory: Break out of the traditional GC-track bottleneck. Gain the breadth, depth, and leadership exposure that would take years to build in a single in-house role.
* Entrepreneurial, High-Performance Culture: Join a team that’s scaling fast, values initiative, and thrives on challenge. You’ll be surrounded by brilliant people who love what they do, and push each other to be exceptional.
* Work That Doesn’t Stand Still: No two days are the same. If you’re tired of repetition, hierarchy, or stale environments, this is your chance to lead at pace, with purpose.
* Team: Our team includes former GCs, top-tier law firm alumni, and rising legal stars, united by a shared mission to build the legal function of the future.
LOCATION
This is a full-time, in-office role based at our London Bridge office (Monday–Thursday in-office, Friday remote).
Please note: Cleveland & Co is not a legal placement agency. We are a fully integrated, outsourced in-house legal team. You will be working as part of our core team, alongside colleagues, not deployed onsite at client offices. We operate as a collaborative, high-performing legal function, serving multiple clients from within our own firm.
Application Process
To apply, please send your CV and a short cover letter to hr@cleveland-co.com, outlining your relevant experience and what excites you about this opportunity.
We’re reviewing applications on a rolling basis and encourage early submissions. If you’re a strategic legal leader ready to take the next bold step in your career, we’d love to hear from you.
Cleveland & Co is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
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