Vault Law Resource Center

General Corporate

Overview

Broadly speaking, corporate or transactional lawyers advise companies on a variety of transactions—including M&A, financings, and securities—in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. Corporate generalists work across these disciplines and can sometimes act as “outside general counsel.” What a corporate generalist focuses on can depend a lot on their location. In New York, the work leans toward finance and securities work, while in Washington, DC, it tends to be more regulatory. On the West Coast, corporate attorneys often deal with venture capital and the issues affecting emerging companies. While there are certain large firms that encourage their corporate attorneys to have a broad practice, many require them to specialize in only one area. Attorneys who wish to be corporate generalists often look to practice in smaller firms or in smaller, regional offices of large firms where specialization is not required. Corporate generalists often have the most in-house opportunities because they have touched on so many areas.

Top Ranked Firms

Top Ranked Firms


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Practice Area Q&A’s

Q&A company Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLPQ&A Manuel Silva

Manuel Silva

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Gunderson Dettmer firm logo
Q&A Jenn Sayles Okorn
Q&A Sogoal Salari

Jenn Sayles Okorn & Sogoal Salari

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Kirkland & Ellis firm logoTyler Ambrose

Tyler Ambrose

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Mayer Brown firm logoQ&A Camila Panama

Camila Panama

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Q&A company Morrison FoersterQ&A Patricia Perez Elias

Patricia Perez Elias

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Cleary Gottlieb firm logoJamal Fulton

F. Jamal Fulton

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Gunderson Dettmer firm logo
Stephanie Lane
Ibrahim Elshamy

Stephanie Lane & Ibrahim Elshamy

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Jones Day firm logo
Ben Stulberg
Emily Cai

Benjamin Stulberg & Emily Cai

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Proskauer firm logo
Simon Sharpe headshot
Robert Chiu headshot

Simon Sharpe & Robert Chiu

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The most surprising aspect of dealmaking is how much the human element influences even the most complex transactions. While technical expertise and legal precision are critical, the success of a deal often hinges on relationships, trust, and effective communication among all parties involved.

— Manuel Silva , Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

The venture world is rooted in trust between founders and investors. Our role in orchestrating and bringing deals together strengthens relationships for the long-term success of these companies, adding significant value, even if it’s not always immediately obvious.

— Sogoal Salari , Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve & Hachigian, LLP

You don’t need a finance or business background to become skillful in this practice area. … Many of the traits and skills that make for a successful deal team—being personable, having a solid command of process management, and identifying the strengths of your  various deal team members—are things that you could already bring to the firm or that youcould develop while you’re here.

— Tyler Ambrose , Kirkland & Ellis LLP

I foresee that technology and the use of AI will make the process aspects of M&A transactions more efficient, but experience and business judgment will continue to be the  primary focus that substantially informs transactions.

— Patricia Perez Elias , Morrison & Foerster LLP

For those who have access to a clinic or internship, I highly recommend anything that gives the opportunity to have a speaking role on client calls (whether internal or external clients) and exposure to analyzing complex issues, issue spotting, and digesting and explaining complex concepts in plain English.

— Camila Panama , Mayer Brown LLP

Advice from Vault Law

Advice card The Top Five General Corporate Law Firms

The Top Five General Corporate Law Firms

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Advice card Practice Area Insights: What We Mean by General Corporate Practice

Practice Area Insights: What We Mean by General Corporate Practice

By Vault Law Editors

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