Main Responsibilities of an Associate at Morrison and Foerster
As a corporate attorney, Michael's responsibilities at Morrison & Foerster LLP involve working with companies and investors in private markets on capital raising and funding, a role that evolves with experience. Early career focuses on "diligence, some drafting, and managing processes," progressing to more significant drafting and negotiating responsibilities as they gain seniority.
Contract Drafting, Due Diligence, Transaction Management, Corporate Law, Legal Processes
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michael Santos
Associate
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Santa Clara University
Georgetown University - JD
Business Management & Admin
Law
Legal
Took Out Loans, Transfer Student, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Corporate attorneys work with companies and investors, primarily in private markets, assisting with capital raising and funding.
2. Junior associates focus on due diligence and drafting ancillary documents, while senior associates take on more responsibility in drafting and negotiating major documents like purchase agreements.
3. The role involves significant process management, including creating and managing transaction checklists, especially crucial in complex deals, allowing junior associates to understand the process and involved parties.
Transcript
What are your main responsibilities within your current role?
As a corporate attorney, I work with companies and investors, mostly in the private markets, for either raising or funding capital. Your roles and responsibilities will vary from when you're a junior associate up to a senior associate.
Early on, you'll do a lot of diligence and some drafting, but more of the ancillary documents. You won't be getting your hands on purchase agreements or larger documents as early. However, by your second or third year, you'll start to get more responsibility with larger drafting and negotiating.
Unless you're specialized within a certain group, like tax or IP, a lot of your job as a general corporate attorney is managing processes. As a junior, you'll create and manage a transaction checklist. If you're doing a billion-dollar cross-border deal, there are so many facets involved.
This really helps you get to know the process by having to monitor where things are at, which parties are involved, and so on. So, it varies as you get more senior, like any job. On the corporate side, early on, it's a lot of diligence and contract drafting. There's very little legal research or memo drafting compared to if you were a litigation associate.