Vault Law Resource Center

Banking & Financial Services

Overview

Finance attorneys represent borrowers or lenders in transactions involving lines of credit, loans, or restructurings. Law firm practices tend to lean toward either the lender or borrower side, though some practices work on both sides. Financing can come from traditional banks as lenders or from private credit funds. In the U.S., the practice is heavily concentrated in New York where the majority of the banks and private lenders are located, but the practice can be international, and finance attorneys are in demand in international capital markets as well (London and Hong Kong, for example). The practice often involves acquisition finance supporting a larger M&A transaction, which means deadlines can fluctuate, and the hours can be erratic, especially on the borrower side, where the transaction timeline can be at the mercy of the lender’s side. Financing deals tend to be relatively short, so lawyers are frequently moving from one transaction to the next.

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Practice Area Q&A’s

A&O Shearman firm logo
Mak Gordon headshot
Penelope Yan headshot

Gordon Mak & Penelope Yan

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Mayer Brown firm logo
Q&A Maria A. Alevras-Chen
Q&A Nicole L. Goodman

Maria A. Alevras-Chen & Nicole L. Goodman

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Q&A company Paul Hastings LLP
Q&A Jordan M. Hook
Q&A Mitchell G. Zuckerman

Jordan M. Hook & Mitchell G. Zuckerman

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Weil firm logoQ&A Justina Chen

Justina Chen

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Fried Frank firm logo
Duncan McKay
Eliza Hollander

Duncan K.R. McKay & Eliza Riffe Hollander

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Jones Day firm logo
Hannah Fregolle
Rubi Ali

Hannah Fregolle & Rubina Ali

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Latham logo
Jennifer Kent Headshot
Michele Penzer headshot

Jennifer Kent & Michèle Penzer

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Proskauer firm logoPhillip Kaminki headshot

Philip Kaminski

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Simpson Thacher firm logoErland Modesto headshot

Erland Modesto

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White & Case firm logoBenjamin Ludewig headshot

Ben Ludewig

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Deals vary widely, and priorities can shift quickly, often with tight deadlines, and I am constantly managing multiple transactions simultaneously, which requires adaptability.

— Mitchell G. Zuckerman , Paul Hastings LLP

What I love most about the finance groups at Mayer Brown is that the group leaders really do allow you to choose your own course for your career. If there is a specific kind of deal that you enjoy, you don’t have to do much more than let folks know.

— Nicole Goodman , Mayer Brown LLP

After I developed a working understanding of financial concepts like credit risk and the structure of loan documents and their main terms, I found my favorite aspect of my practice was how the loan documents felt like a big puzzle to play around with.

— Justina Chen , Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP

Few firms can match the global footprint of A&O Shearman. We have offices in dozens of cities around the world. Because of the United States’ place in the global economy, many financing transactions around the world often have a nexus with the United States, so we find ourselves frequently working with our colleagues overseas.

— Gordon Mak , Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP

Advice from Vault Law

Advice card Practice Area Insights: What A Banking & Financial Services Practice Is Like

Practice Area Insights: What A Banking & Financial Services Practice Is Like

By Vault Law Editors

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Advice card The Top Five Firms for Banking and Financial Services

The Top Five Firms for Banking and Financial Services

By Travis Whitsitt

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