We are seeking a mid-level Associate to join our highly regarded Corporate Sustainability Team, with a primary focus on advising multi-national businesses on the circular economy, packaging and EPR and supply chain due diligence. Additional experience in food and life sciences would also be of interest.
Sustainability regulation is evolving at pace - if you want to be at the forefront, advising major national and international businesses on compliance, risk and enforcement, this is an exceptional opportunity to do just that.
The Work
The team acts across the full lifecycle of regulatory risk, advising on the application of new sustainability legal provisions in the UK and EU, drafting and auditing due diligence systems, advising on preventative compliance, conducting internal and external investigations, and engaging with regulators, including robust representation in enforcement and related proceedings.
The key focus of this role is on advising and supporting clients on the following areas:
- Circular Economy - The circular economy is reshaping how products are designed, used and disposed of. You will advise on the application of current and forthcoming laws in the UK and EU, including sustainable batteries, right to repair, eco-design (ESPR) and the circular economy act.
- Packaging and EPR - Packaging regulation is one of the fastest-moving areas of sustainability law. You will advise on EPR schemes, particularly around packaging waste, textiles, batteries and WEEE, as well as product packaging itself: its design, composition and labelling, including the substantiation of green claims.
- Supply chain transparency and due diligence - Supply chains are under increasing legal scrutiny. You will advise companies on new sustainability provisions affecting their supply chains, including deforestation, forced labour, CSDDD, digital product passports and critical raw materials. This work includes designing effective due diligence systems and managing supplier relationships to meet legal obligations.
The successful candidate will be comfortable navigating evolving regulatory frameworks and providing concise, commercially grounded guidance under time pressure.
Additional experience that would complement our other specialisms includes technical food law, life sciences (pharma and medical devices) and REACH. In these areas, our practice supports clients with compliance, risk assessments, regulator engagement, and complex contentious matters, and we operate seamlessly across multi-disciplinary and cross-office teams to deliver integrated solutions.
The Team
Our Corporate Sustainability practice is an international team that combines environmental, product, advertising and commercial lawyers working as a cross-functional team on multi-jurisdictional projects. This role is within our Regulatory Disputes Team, which is part of our Disputes & Risk practice. The team is nationally led, working cross-office with a collaborative culture and clear opportunities for responsibility and client exposure. We pride ourselves on a supportive, high-performing environment that values initiative, business development contributions, and strong client care.
Illustrative Work Examples
- Devising and drafting a due diligence system to meet the requirements of EUDR for an international food and beverage manufacturer and retailer. This includes creating the overarching policy, setting up supporting systems and procedures and providing regular and ongoing advice on implementation.
- Reviewing and updating a supplier manual to cover sustainability requirements for a large fashion brand.
- Advising hardware manufacturers on the application of sustainable batteries, right to repair and ESPR.
- Advising on the applicability of ESPR to an international fashion company including new rules on the reporting and destruction of unsold goods.
- Conducting a review across multiple jurisdictions of forthcoming sustainability laws in the UK and EU that will impact the business of a global restaurant chain – advising on applicability, compliance obligations and enforcement risk.
- Advising a major global technology company on the sustainability requirements for hardware and packaging.
- Working with businesses in different sectors on the application of UK EPR including liaising with the Environment Agency.
- Acting as in-house sustainability counsel providing assistance for a broad range of sustainability laws and supporting with horizon scanning and major sustainability compliance projects.
- Analysing packaging to determine the application of different packaging laws including PPWR, EPR and the plastic packaging tax.
- Liaising with regulators in the UK and EU on the application of new sustainability laws to particular client situations.
- Working with clients in key regulated sectors, including retail & consumer, technology, life sciences and energy, reflecting our sector-led approach to regulatory risk.
Your Career Development
Like all our lawyers, you will benefit from a structured and award-winning career development programme, offering clear expectations at each level, early client exposure and responsibility, thorough assessment and feedback, robust technical and skills training tailored to your development, and reward based on contribution and potential.
Salary and Benefits
We offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package commensurate with experience and market. Further details can be provided during the application process.
Our recruitment process
We welcome direct applications for our opportunities - if you would like any further information about this role or the firm, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact, in complete confidence, Angharad Jenkins on [email protected]
Please note we review and progress applications on a rolling basis. At Osborne Clarke we do not make any recruitment decisions using automated decision-making.
We are committed to providing an environment where you can perform to the best of your abilities at every stage of your recruitment experience and beyond. If you require any adjustments to be made during the application stage, interview process, or when working with us, please let us know in confidence.