Vault Law Resource Center

Emerging Companies & Venture Capital

Overview

An attorney in an EC/VC practice advises early-stage companies on every legal matter the companies face, from formation to several rounds of venture financings to a sale or an IPO. Emerging Companies attorneys are corporate generalists for the clients and often serve as “outside general counsel” for startup clients before the clients are large enough to hire in-house attorneys. They work with founders to choose the best corporate form (corporation, LLC, etc.), and draft the appropriate forms to create the company. They advise companies on how shares will be valued and divided among various stakeholders. Start-up lawyers help develop a company’s internal policies and procedures and serve as corporate secretaries. They work on the legal documentation for various rounds of private financing and ultimately help navigate an “exit event”—an IPO or acquisition. Junior lawyers often have a lot of client contact and responsibility from an early stage as startups can not generally afford to pay senior attorneys’ billing rates. The relationships with founders can often lead to an invitation to join the company when it is in a position to hire its first in-house lawyer. Startup practices are heavily concentrated in certain markets, including San Francisco and Silicon Valley, as well as Boston, New York (Silicon Alley), and increasingly in Southern California (Silicon Beach).

Top Ranked Firms

Top Ranked Firms


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Practice Area Q&A’s

Goodwin firm logo
Q&A Jason Goldfarb
Q&A Giselle Rivers

Jason Goldfarb & Giselle Rivers

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Gunderson Dettmer firm logo
Q&A Erica Davis
Q&A David Horne

Erica Davis & David Horne

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Q&A company OrrickAria Kashefi

Aria Kashefi

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Perkins Coie firm logoQ&A Trey Chenier

Trey Chenier

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Proskauer firm logoQ&A Jennifer E. Crystal

Jennifer E. Crystal

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Fenwick firm logo
Will Black
Serena Ward

Will Black & Serena Ward

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Gunderson Dettmer firm logo
Hilary Adams
Kelvin Chang

Hilary Adams & Kelvin Chan

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Our clients are investors, and understanding how they approach their investments and how the economics work their way through the structures of a private fund will give you a strong foundation to build on as you develop your career.

— Jennifer E. Crystal , Proskauer Rose LLP

Because I work with a lot of different clients, I see a lot of new and interesting legal problems, which keeps my work intellectually interesting. At the end of it all, I am in the business of solving problems for clients, and that’s what keeps me logging back in every day.

— Aria Kashefi , Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP

Regardless of your area of practice, it is crucial to be a technically sound lawyer, and well-drafted documents are equally as important as strong negotiation and communication skills. Taking a Contract Drafting class can provide valuable skills in this area.

— David Horne , Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian, LLP

Overall, people underestimate how much a corporate practice focuses on counseling and advising clients. … A good business sense and the ability to provide practical advice considering the specifics of a client’s situation are what set apart the most successful practitioners.

— Giselle Rivers , Goodwin Procter LLP

Clients want practical and actionable advice, and fine-tuning your skills takes practice. … Being organized, juggling multiple priorities without letting anything slip through the cracks, and always pushing matters forward will make one highly successful in this role.

— Trey Chenier , Perkins Coie LLP

Advice from Vault Law

Advice card The Top Five Law Firms for Emerging Companies & Venture Capital

The Top Five Law Firms for Emerging Companies & Venture Capital

By Travis Whitsitt

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Advice card Practice Area Insights: The Exciting World of Emerging Companies

Practice Area Insights: The Exciting World of Emerging Companies

By Vault Law Editors

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