Corporate Law

Overview

Corporate lawyers assist in business transactions and advise corporations on their legal rights and duties. They may work in such areas as mergers and acquisitions, securities, capital markets, venture capital, and corporate governance. Much of their work includes negotiating, drafting, and reviewing contracts and other agreements associated with the activities of the business. Corporate law is far less adversarial than trial law, and corporate lawyers are typically working together with the lawyers for the other side, rather than working in opposition to them.

Skills/personality characteristics

  • Interpersonal communication skills
  • Legal writing skills for drafting contracts, briefs, and other legal documents. Business writing skills in order to communicate with clients
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Negotiation skills
  • Organizational skills: You may be working on highly detailed transactions with numerous parties.

Where do corporate lawyers practice?

This area of law is typically practiced in law firms, particularly large or mid-size firms. Some corporate lawyers are employed directly by corporations as in-house counsel. Lawyers specializing in corporate law may also work for government agencies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Selected related courses at Brandeis School of Law

These courses have been taught in the last two years and may or may not be on the schedule for the next academic year. If you are interested in a course listed here, but the course is not on the schedule, please see the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

  • Contracts I and II
  • Secured Transactions
  • Negotiable Instruments
  • Business Organizations
  • Basic Income Taxation
  • Bankruptcy Law
  • Securities Regulation
  • Corporate Taxation
  • Accounting and Finance for Lawyers
  • Antitrust Law
  • Business Planning
  • Transactional Drafting
  • International Business Transactions
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Partnership Taxation
  • Problems in Corporate Law
  • Real Estate Transactions
  • State and Local Tax Issues

Selected Faculty Who Teach in This Area

Tony Arnold
Tom Blackburn
John Cross
Grace Giesel
Timothy Hall
Lisa Nicholson
Rick Nowka
Lars Smith
Manning Warren

Externship/Public Service Placement Opportunities

Externships

  • Tax Externship
  • Entrepreneurship Clinic

Public Service Placements

  • Better Business Bureau
  • Internal Revenue Service, District Counsel’s Office
  • UofL Office of Technology Development

Professional Associations

  • Kentucky Bar Association Business Law Section
  • Louisville Bar Association Business Law Section

Further suggested reading, Vault Guide to Corporate Law Careers. El Kouri, Zahie (2003), is available at the Law Library.