Associate - International Legal Services

Water & Shark Legal is looking to hire associates.

Founded in Mumbai, Water & Shark (“W&S”) has evolved into an award-winning international professional services firm with a strong multi-jurisdictional presence with presence in over 13 countries. Our multidisciplinary team delivers bespoke legal, tax, assurance, and strategic advisory solutions across borders with particular focus on cross-border structuring, international corporate transactions, global tax strategy, offshore advisory, family office establishment, and wealth and business structuring solutions. W&S is widely recognized for providing technically rigorous, and commercially astute counsel across complex, multi-country mandates.

We work with family offices, high-net-worth individuals, multinational corporations, and sovereign-linked entities, and are globally known for our precision, discretion, and results-driven approach. Our clients include royal families, global entrepreneurs, corporations, and next-generation wealth creators who rely on its expertise to protect, structure, and grow their wealth and businesses.

At W&S, people are central to success. W&S is united by a shared philosophy: delivering borderless solutions for a borderless world. Our teams operate at the intersection of law, tax, strategy, and global mobility, solving complex cross-jurisdictional challenges with clarity and confidence.

W&S believes wealth is about continuity, protection, and purpose. By empowering global citizens to structure their assets and enterprises across jurisdictions where they can thrive, W&S creates lasting impact for clients—and meaningful, high-growth careers for professionals.

We are looking for dynamic candidate for our Ahmedabad office who is willing to apply his/her knowledge, skills, and experience to assist clients in meeting their business purpose across various jurisdictions.

Position Title: Associate - International Legal Services

Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Experience Level: 2-4 years

Education: Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) /Master of Laws(LLM)

Job Summary:

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled corporate lawyer to join our dynamic legal team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in private client practice which may inter-alia include estate planning, asset protection and a thorough understanding thereof. This role primarily involves research related to U.S. and other international jurisdictions, with a strong emphasis on wealth structuring for high-net-worth individuals and families.

The ideal candidate will possess excellent legal interpretation skills, research and communication skills.

Key Responsibilities:

The key responsibilities may inter alia include:

- Conduct in-depth legal research on international estate planning, asset protection, and wealth structuring with a primary focus on international laws particularly U.S. law. - Analyse and interpret corporate laws and their interaction with trusts, foundations, and estate planning structures. - Assist in designing and reviewing cross-border corporate and trust structures for clients. - Prepare detailed research notes, draft legal memorandums, opinions and comparative analysis (with respect to jurisdictions and structures). - Draft and review documentation related to trusts, estate planning instruments, corporate entities, and holding structures in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. - Prepare high quality client facing content, presentations and research publications (specifically with respect to private client practice) in increase the data repository. - Develop and maintain strong client relationships through effective communication and understanding of their business needs. - Stay updated on changes in relevant laws and regulations. - Advise clients on regulatory compliance and best practices to mitigate legal risks. - Work closely with other legal team members, external counsel, and business partners to ensure seamless execution of transactions. - Collaborate with cross-functional teams to provide integrated legal solutions. - Conduct legal research and analysis to support transactional work and provide strategic legal advice. - Keep abreast of industry trends and developments to anticipate legal issues and provide proactive solutions.

Qualifications:

- Degree in LL.B/LLM from a recognized university. - 2-4 years of PQE in private client practice or corporate transactional work. - Strong understanding of estate planning and succession corporate law, or foreign exchange transitions transactions. - Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills. - Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. - Proficiency in both written and spoken English. - Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. - High level of integrity and professional ethics.

Preferred Skills:

- Prior experience in a private client practice of a law firm (highly preferred). - Background in estate planning and trust advisory. - Exposure to international corporate structuring and cross border advisory work. - Familiarity with U.S. estate planning, trust law or international tax concepts is a strong plus.

What we offer:

- Competitive salary and benefits package. - Professional development and career advancement opportunities. - Exposure to global legal frameworks and high-value wealth structuring work. - Continuous learning which will enable you to develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next. - Diverse and inclusive culture which will enable you to embrace who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.

Application Process: Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume, cover letter, and any relevant certifications to legal@waterandshark.com. Please include "Associate-International Legal Services (Private Client Practice)" in the subject line.