Vault Law Resource Center

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.