Corporate/M&A lawyers advise companies, investors and other stakeholders on a wide range of corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), public takeovers, private equity buyouts, investment, reorganisations, and general corporate governance and compliance matters.
Corporate law is typically transactional in nature, with lawyers working from start to finish on the lifecycle of an M&A deal, for example, but it also has advisory aspects in relation to corporate governance matters.
Typical tasks for a corporate lawyer include conducting due diligence on the target company in an M&A transaction, preparing and negotiating the key transaction documents (e.g. share purchase agreement (SPA), disclosure letter), and successfully steering the deal by managing the various stakeholders and advisers involved (e.g. financial advisers, lenders, accountants).
Corporate lawyers at the leading London law firms can expect to earn between £120,000 - £150,000 at the junior end of the associate scale (up to 2/3 years’ PQE).
Mid and senior-level associates can expect to earn north of £200,000.
We have a list of salaries paid by all of the UK’s top law firms here.
The Magic Circle firms, the leading US firms in London, and a handful of other leading international firms are generally considered to have the best corporate/M&A law practices in London.
Magic Circle: A&O Shearman, Clifford Chance, Freshfields, Linklaters, and Slaughter and May.
US firms: Latham & Watkins, Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden.
International firms: DLA Piper, Macfarlanes, Travers Smith, Herbert Smith Freehills.
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