Corporate finance
months to a year, is possibly more demanding than working as a junior associate. You’re doing substantive work from day one, including marking up documents and sending email advice to clients” – responsibility that appealed to Catherine. No one-trick ponies While Catherine’s work in corporate finance focuses mainly on M&A and capital markets, associates at Sullivan & Cromwell are encouraged to practise in a range of areas – an approach that’s echoed globally across the firm. “I was attracted to this model because it makes every day different. In the space of one day, I could work on a private equity orientated management incentive plan, before working on more traditional M&A deals that involve drafting share purchase agreements.” The variety of work and the chance to exercise different skills is a key component to Catherine’s happiness at the firm. Relationships with clients As well as her secondment to Hong Kong in 2019, which Catherine describes as a “very special time”, she shares additional highlights, including the carving out of an optical business in Europe. Catherine was appointed to this matter from the start and was responsible for making sure the signing and closing of the transaction went smoothly. As well as gaining insight into the nuances of how M&A deals work from start to finish, her role enabled her “to build up great relationships with internal team members”, including partners she’d not worked with before. At the heart of all corporate finance matters is the client, and it’s this relationship-building aspect that Catherine favours: “It’s rewarding when you reach a key milestone and the client is pleased with the work, and appreciative of the support you’re offering them in navigating their issues.” The work doesn’t stop there though. Client relationships must be maintained: “It’s quite common when working on the
Corporate finance lawyers advise clients on all aspects of the buying and selling of interests in businesses or business assets, relationships with their shareholders, corporate governance and fund raising. This includes advising on compliance with company law procedures, the raising of equity financing and, in the case of cross- border transactions, compliance with domestic and foreign laws. It’s possible to work primarily on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) with public or privately-owned companies. Alternatively, a corporate finance lawyer may focus on equity capital markets work, the private equity, venture capital or hedge fund sectors, or spend their whole career as a generalist. “Make the most of your university’s careers service” is advice that’s thrown around during your quest to become a lawyer, but these wise words aren’t always taken on board. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP associate Catherine McLaughlin is proof that these services are useful when identifying the right career path. During the second year of her law degree at the University of Oxford, Catherine dedicated time to learning about the differences between barristers and solicitors. “I was lucky because my university had lots of engagement with both sides of the profession. I attended as many events as I could, including workshops, panels and dinners hosted by barristers’ chambers and solicitors’ law firms.” It was only through speaking to people in the industry that Catherine got a sense of the work that barristers and solicitors do. Ultimately, it was the transactional and client-facing nature of a solicitor’s job that drew Catherine to this side of the profession. “I thought it would suit the key aspects of my personality better,” she says. Looking back on her journey, Catherine explains that “trainee work at Sullivan & Cromwell, particularly within the first six
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