Corporate Attorney Resume Examples for 2024

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Corporate Attorney

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Corporate Attorney Resume Tips

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Google Docs Template #1

Corporate Attorney Resume Sample

Corporate attorneys concentrate on corporate law. In this position, you will be representing corporations rather than employees or other individual stakeholders. Some of your responsibilities will include drafting and reviewing contracts, working on mergers, and otherwise ensuring that a corporation follows all laws that govern it. You must be an expert in corporate law and will need to show recruiters that you have years of experience legally representing corporations.

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A corporate attorney resume sample that highlights the applicant’s specific skill set and strong experience.

Tips to help you write your Corporate Attorney resume in 2024

Focus your skill section on corporate law skills.

Corporate lawyers are usually skilled in many areas of general law. But for your corporate attorney resume, concentrate on listing the skills that are directly related to corporate law. This applicant has done this effectively.

Also see: Essential Components of Your Skills Section

Focus your skill section on corporate law skills. - Corporate Attorney Resume

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Give details about your successes.

It is beneficial to give recruiters a clear picture of some of your successes so include key details of cases you won or settlements you negotiated. It’ll help give them a better idea of your experience. If you have represented impressive companies like the 7 Fortune 500 companies that this applicant has represented, make sure to state that clearly.

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Corporate Attorney Resume Tips

We spoke with hiring managers at top law firms like Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, and Skadden to bring you the best tips for your corporate attorney resume. These tips will help your resume stand out and get you interviews at prestigious firms.

Highlight your specialization and industry expertise

Emphasize your specialization within corporate law and the industries you have experience in:

Specialize in M&A, capital markets, and securities law with deep expertise in the technology and healthcare sectors
Focus on corporate governance, compliance, and risk management for Fortune 500 financial services and insurance clients

Contrast this with being too general which doesn't tell the hiring manager how you can help their specific clients:

Experienced in various areas of corporate law
Worked with clients across multiple industries on their legal needs

Bullet Point Samples for Corporate Attorney

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Show your impact on deals and transactions

Use numbers to show the impact you had on the deals and transactions you worked on. Highlight the dollar value, number of parties involved, and complexity.

Led legal due diligence and contract negotiations for $500M+ cross-border M&A deal involving 5 parties across 3 countries
Drafted and reviewed 200+ commercial agreements and NDAs for 50+ technology clients, closing deals totaling $75M in value

Don't just list your responsibilities without showing the outcome and impact:

Worked on M&A transactions and conducted due diligence
Drafted and negotiated various agreements for corporate clients

Demonstrate your advisory and counseling skills

Showcase specific examples of how you advised and counseled clients beyond just legal work:

Advised executives and boards on corporate governance best practices, activist defense strategies, and shareholder engagement
Counseled 15+ startups on equity financing strategies, raising $200M+ in capital while minimizing dilution and protecting founder interests

Avoid generic statements that could apply to any corporate attorney:

Advised clients on various corporate legal matters
Provided strategic counsel to executives and company leadership

Highlight your project and deal management abilities

Demonstrate your ability to efficiently manage complex projects and deals from start to finish:

Managed 10+ parallel M&A deals and transactions at various stages, ensuring all deadlines were met and stakeholders updated
Created and implemented legal project management system for 5-attorney team, increasing on-time filing rate by 30%

Don't just say you have project management skills without backing it up:

Skilled in managing multiple projects and deals simultaneously
Kept stakeholders informed and ensured key deadlines were met

Show your collaboration and leadership skills

Provide examples of how you worked with cross-functional teams and demonstrated leadership:

Collaborated with bankers, accountants, and consultants on 5 IPO filings, preparing S-1s and ensuring compliance with SEC regulations
Managed and mentored team of 3 junior associates, providing training and feedback to develop their legal and client skills

Avoid just saying you're a team player without examples:

Experienced working collaboratively with colleagues and clients to achieve successful outcomes. Proven leader who can manage and mentor junior attorneys.

Tailor your resume to the specific role and firm

Customize your resume for each job you apply to. Research the firm and highlight experiences and skills that match what they're looking for.

For example, if applying to a firm with a strong M&A practice:

Highlight your M&A deal experience and the types of transactions you specialize in
Emphasize any experience in the firm's key industry sectors like technology, healthcare, or energy

Don't send a generic resume that isn't tailored:

Corporate attorney with 5+ years of experience drafting and negotiating contracts, managing transactions, and advising clients on corporate governance matters. Skilled in legal research, writing, and project management.

Writing Your Corporate Attorney Resume: Section By Section

Summary

A resume summary for a Corporate Attorney is optional, but it can be a valuable addition if you want to provide context or highlight details that may not be immediately apparent from the rest of your resume. It's particularly useful if you're changing careers or have extensive experience that you want to summarize succinctly. However, avoid using an objective statement, as it's outdated and doesn't add value to your resume.

When crafting your summary, focus on your most relevant qualifications, experiences, and skills that align with the Corporate Attorney role. Keep it concise, typically no more than a paragraph, and avoid repeating information that's already covered in other sections of your resume.

How to write a resume summary if you are applying for a Corporate Attorney resume

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1. Tailor your summary to the corporate attorney role

When writing your summary, it's crucial to tailor it specifically to the Corporate Attorney position you're targeting. Highlight your relevant legal expertise, such as experience with contract negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, or corporate governance. Consider the specific requirements and responsibilities mentioned in the job description and align your summary accordingly.

For example:

Experienced attorney with a strong background in corporate law, specializing in contract drafting, due diligence, and risk management. Proven track record of successfully negotiating complex deals and providing strategic legal advice to C-level executives.

Avoid generic or irrelevant statements that could apply to any legal professional, such as:

Recent law school graduate seeking an opportunity to utilize my legal skills and knowledge in a challenging environment.

To ensure your resume resonates with hiring managers, try using Targeted Resume to check if your resume includes the right skills and keywords for the specific Corporate Attorney job you're applying for.

2. Highlight your most impressive accomplishments

Use your summary to showcase your most notable achievements and qualifications as a Corporate Attorney. Focus on specific accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to add value to the organization. Quantify your impact whenever possible to make your achievements more tangible and impressive.

Consider accomplishments like:

Spearheaded the successful acquisition of a $500 million company, ensuring compliance with all legal requirements and minimizing risk exposure.
Developed and implemented a comprehensive contract management system, reducing contract review time by 30% and saving the company over $200,000 annually.

Avoid vague or unsubstantiated claims, such as:

Results-oriented attorney with a proven track record of success.
Hardworking and dedicated legal professional with strong communication skills.

Accomplished Corporate Attorney with over 10 years of experience in contract negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance. Proven ability to provide strategic legal guidance to executive teams and manage complex transactions. Spearheaded the successful acquisition of a $500 million company and implemented a contract management system that reduced review time by 30%. Committed to delivering exceptional legal services and driving business success.

Remember, your resume is already a summary of your qualifications. Use the summary section to provide additional context, highlight your most impressive accomplishments, and grab the attention of hiring managers.

Experience

Your work experience section is the heart of your resume as a corporate attorney. It's where you highlight your career progression and accomplishments. Hiring managers and recruiters want to see the impact you've made in your previous roles.

In this section, we'll cover what to focus on and how to make your work experience compelling. We'll also share examples of what to do and what to avoid. By following these tips, you'll be able to craft a strong work experience section that will help you stand out from other candidates.

1. Use strong legal action verbs

When describing your work experience, use strong action verbs that are relevant to the legal industry. This helps paint a clear picture of your responsibilities and accomplishments. Consider verbs like:

Negotiated complex contracts worth $50M+ with Fortune 500 clients
Advised executive leadership on compliance risks and mitigation strategies
Drafted and reviewed non-disclosure agreements for key partnerships
Represented the company in employment litigation matters

Avoid generic or weak verbs that don't convey much meaning. For example:

Worked on M&A transactions
Helped with legal research

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Tip: If you're having trouble thinking of strong verbs, try using a thesaurus or industry-specific resume examples for inspiration. You can also run your resume through Score My Resume to get instant feedback on your verb usage.

2. Quantify your legal accomplishments

Numbers jump off the page and quickly convey the scope of your work. Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments with metrics or specific details. Compare these two bullets:

Reviewed contracts for the sales team

Reviewed and negotiated 50+ sales contracts per quarter, resulting in a 15% increase in revenue

Implemented a new contract management system, reducing contract turnaround time by 30% and saving the legal department 10 hours per week.

Even if you don't have exact metrics, you can provide specific details to give a sense of your work:

Conducted legal research on 10+ trademark infringement cases to support the successful resolution of disputes

If you're light on metrics, think about other ways to quantify your work - the number of contracts reviewed, size of deals supported, hours saved, etc. Every corporate attorney role will have some numbers behind it.

3. Highlight progression and leadership

Recruiters love seeing growth and progression in your work experience. If you've been promoted, taken on leadership roles, or expanded your scope of work, make sure to highlight that clearly. For example:

Promoted to Senior Corporate Counsel within 2 years based on strong performance and leadership skills
Managed and mentored a team of 3 junior attorneys, providing training on contract drafting and negotiation best practices
Selected to lead the legal workstream for the company's largest M&A deal to date, a $250M acquisition of a key competitor

On the flip side, downplay entry-level responsibilities and tasks in your older roles. Summarize those briefly to leave space for your more impressive recent accomplishments.

Tip: If your promotions involved a change in title, consider breaking out those roles under separate subheadings to really emphasize your career trajectory. Recruiters often scan for job titles first.

4. Tailor your experience to the job

While it's tempting to include every responsibility you've ever had, focus on the experience that's most relevant to the job you're applying for. Look for keywords and requirements in the job description and mirror that language where it makes sense. For example, if the job calls for experience with SEC filings, you could say:

Prepared and reviewed SEC filings, including 10-Ks, 10-Qs and 8-Ks to ensure compliance with regulations

Leave off experience that's not directly transferable, or minimize it to a brief mention. This is especially important if you're applying for a more senior role and have a lot of early career experience.

Targeted Resume is a great tool to see how well your resume matches up with a specific job description. It analyzes your resume against the job posting and industry data to identify gaps and opportunities to better tailor your experience.

Education

The education section of your corporate attorney resume is where you showcase your academic qualifications and legal training. It's a critical component that hiring managers and law firms will scrutinize to ensure you have the necessary foundation to excel in the role. Here are some key tips to make your education section stand out:

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1. Highlight your law degree and school

As a corporate attorney, your law degree is your most important academic credential. Make sure to prominently feature your Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree and the law school you attended.

Here's an example of how to format your law degree:

Harvard Law School, Cambridge, MA
Juris Doctor (J.D.), May 2018
GPA: 3.8/4.0

If you graduated with honors, such as cum laude or magna cum laude, include that distinction as well.

If you attended a top-tier law school, consider moving your education section above your work experience to emphasize your academic pedigree.

2. Include relevant coursework and legal clinics

If you're a recent law school graduate or have limited work experience, highlighting relevant coursework and legal clinics can demonstrate your expertise in corporate law. Focus on courses that relate directly to corporate law, such as:

Corporate Finance
Mergers and Acquisitions
Securities Regulation
Contract Drafting

Additionally, if you participated in legal clinics or externships that involved corporate law matters, include those experiences to showcase your practical skills.

Be selective with the courses you include. Only list those that are directly relevant to corporate law and will catch the attention of hiring managers.

3. List your undergraduate degree concisely

While your law degree is the main focus, include your undergraduate degree as well. Keep the details concise, especially if you have significant work experience. Here's an example:

Yale University, New Haven, CT
Bachelor of Arts in Economics, May 2015

There's no need to list your undergraduate GPA or coursework unless it's directly relevant to corporate law or you're a recent graduate.

If you double-majored or earned a minor, include that information if it's relevant to your career as a corporate attorney.

4. Showcase advanced degrees or certifications

If you have an advanced degree, such as a Master of Laws (LL.M.) or a Master of Business Administration (MBA), definitely include it in your education section. These degrees can set you apart from other candidates and demonstrate your specialized knowledge.

Here's an example of how to list an LL.M.:

New York University School of Law, New York, NY
Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation, May 2020

Similarly, if you've earned any relevant certifications, such as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, include them in your education section or create a separate "Certifications" section.

Pursue advanced degrees or certifications that align with your career goals and the needs of your target employers.

5. Focus on your most recent education if you're a senior attorney

If you're a senior corporate attorney with extensive work experience, your education section should be concise. Focus on your most recent and relevant degrees.

Here's an example of what to avoid:

Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Bachelor of Arts in History, May 1985
GPA: 3.2/4.0
Relevant coursework: American History, World History, Political Science

Instead, keep it short and sweet:

Tulane University Law School, New Orleans, LA
Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Remember, your work experience and accomplishments will carry more weight than your education at this stage in your career.

If you graduated from law school more than 15 years ago, consider omitting the graduation year to avoid potential age discrimination.

Skills

The skills section of your corporate attorney resume is a critical component that can make or break your chances of landing an interview. It's essential to showcase your most relevant and impressive skills that align with the job description and demonstrate your expertise in the field. In this section, we'll guide you through the process of crafting a compelling skills section that will catch the attention of hiring managers and help you stand out from the competition.

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1. Tailor your skills to the job description

When creating your skills section, it's crucial to align your skills with the requirements listed in the job description. Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes and filter out candidates who don't have the desired qualifications. To increase your chances of passing the ATS and catching the attention of hiring managers, make sure to include relevant keywords and phrases from the job posting.

For example, if the job description emphasizes experience with contract negotiation and due diligence, your skills section might look like this:

Contract negotiation
Due diligence
Mergers and acquisitions
Corporate governance
Regulatory compliance

To ensure your skills section is optimized for the job, try using Resume Worded's Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes your resume against the job description and provides personalized recommendations to improve your chances of success.

2. Highlight your technical skills and certifications

As a corporate attorney, you likely have a range of technical skills and certifications that showcase your expertise. Be sure to include these in your skills section to demonstrate your qualifications and set yourself apart from other candidates.

Some examples of technical skills and certifications to include:

Legal research tools: Westlaw, LexisNexis, Bloomberg Law
Certifications: Certified Corporate Counsel (CCC), Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP)
Specialized knowledge: Securities law, intellectual property, tax law

Remember to list only the skills and certifications that are most relevant to the position you're applying for. Avoid cluttering your skills section with outdated or irrelevant information that may distract from your key qualifications.

3. Categorize your skills for easy scanning

To make your skills section more user-friendly and visually appealing, consider grouping your skills into categories. This approach helps hiring managers quickly identify your key strengths and areas of expertise.

For instance, you might organize your skills like this:

Legal Expertise: Contract law, corporate governance, securities regulation
Transactional Skills: Mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, contract negotiation
Technical Proficiencies: Westlaw, LexisNexis, Microsoft Office Suite

Avoid creating a long, unorganized list of skills, as it can be overwhelming and difficult to read:

Contract law, corporate governance, securities regulation, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, contract negotiation, Westlaw, LexisNexis, Microsoft Office Suite

When categorizing your skills, prioritize the most important and relevant ones for the position. Place these categories at the top of your skills section to ensure they catch the hiring manager's attention.

4. Focus on hard skills and avoid generic soft skills

When crafting your skills section, focus on highlighting your hard skills and technical expertise. Hard skills are specific, measurable, and directly related to your ability to perform the job. In contrast, soft skills like 'communication' and 'teamwork' are more generic and can be difficult to quantify.

Examples of hard skills for corporate attorneys include:

Contract drafting and review
Legal research and analysis
Regulatory compliance
Intellectual property protection

Avoid including soft skills like:

Strong communication skills
Detail-oriented
Team player

While soft skills are important, they are better demonstrated through your work experience and achievements. By focusing on hard skills in your skills section, you provide concrete evidence of your qualifications and expertise.

Skills For Corporate Attorney Resumes

Here are examples of popular skills from Corporate Attorney job descriptions that you can include on your resume.

Match Your Resume To These Skills

Skills Word Cloud For Corporate Attorney Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Corporate Attorney job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.

Top Corporate Attorney Skills and Keywords to Include On Your Resume

For more skills, visit Corporate Attorney Skills & Keywords.

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