Legal Associate

Hytech serves as an external legal and compliance adviser to our client, which operates licensed entities regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as well as other licensed entities in jurisdictions operating under common law frameworks. In this capacity, we provide ongoing legal, regulatory, and litigation support to ensure the client’s regulated entities maintain compliance with applicable requirements, while also assisting with day-to-day legal, governance, dispute management, and strategic matters arising from their operations. This role is driven by both regulatory expectations under the FCA Handbook, comparable common law regulatory regimes in other jurisdictions, and the increasing volume of contentious, regulatory, and operational matters across the business. Key business drivers include: 1. Complaints, disputes, and litigation management Assist in handling client complaints, escalations, and potential disputes involving FCA-regulated and other offshore/common law entities. Support pre-litigation strategy, including risk assessment, evidence gathering, and internal investigations. Coordinate with external counsel on active or threatened litigation, arbitration, and regulatory enforcement actions, including managing instructions, reviewing pleadings, and monitoring case progress. Support responses to complaints and other dispute resolution forums where applicable. 2. FCA and multi-jurisdictional regulatory compliance support Support ongoing compliance and legal work for FCA-regulated entities and other licensed entities in common law jurisdictions, including interpretation and application of relevant regulatory frameworks (e.g., FCA Handbook and equivalent local regimes). Assist with regulatory filings, licence maintenance, and responses to regulatory queries and supervisory engagements, working closely with senior legal and compliance stakeholders across jurisdictions. 3. Coordination with our client and local stakeholders Liaise with UK local compliance teams and other jurisdictional stakeholders to ensure alignment on regulatory standards, policies, and implementation across multiple regulatory environments. Provide day-to-day legal support to business teams, including review of client-facing materials, operational queries, and internal policies relating to regulated entities. 4. Corporate, contentious, and strategic initiatives Support M&A and corporate restructuring activities involving regulated entities, including legal due diligence, transaction documentation review, and post-transaction integration from both regulatory and dispute-risk perspectives. Provide legal support on contentious aspects of commercial arrangements, including contract risk analysis and dispute prevention strategies. Handle daily legal requests from stakeholders, including contract drafting and review, preparation of board resolutions, and corporate governance documentation. Candidate Profile / Requirements An ideal candidate would have: A law degree, with up to 5 years’ post-qualification experience (PQE), or be a fresh graduate with relevant internship experience A preference for candidates trained in a common law system (e.g. UK or Hong Kong LLB) Exposure to litigation, disputes, or other contentious matters (preferably up to 5 years) Familiarity with commercial legal work, including contract review and drafting Strong analytical, legal research, and drafting skills Good communication and stakeholder management abilities Ability to think critically, exercise sound judgment, and apply practical, common-sense reasoning Ability to manage multiple matters in a fast-paced, cross-jurisdictional environment This role is open to candidates from both solicitor and barrister pathways, as well as fresh law graduates. Benefits / Working Environment • Competitive remuneration package • Supportive and collaborative working environment • Direct guidance and mentorship from a senior solicitor with 10 years’ PQE, alongside a team of experienced lawyers with around 6 years’ PQE • Strong training and development opportunities for junior lawyers and fresh graduates • Normal business hours with minimal overtime