Corporate Law at Latham & Watkins | Career Guide

Latham's corporate group in London is widely recognised for its strength in cross-border M&A and private equity, supported by deep capability in capital markets, leveraged and acquisition finance, restructurings and joint ventures. The team works on large-scale, multi-jurisdictional transactions that demand co-ordination across Latham's global offices in New York, Hong Kong, Dubai and elsewhere.

Clients typically include FTSE 100 and international corporates, major private equity sponsors, investment banks and sovereign entities. The firm's size and industry coverage mean you can expect to work on sector-specific transactions in energy, technology, life sciences and financial institutions, which helps develop sector commerciality as well as pure corporate law skills.

Skills and expertise commonly deployed in the group include transactional drafting (SPA, subscription and shareholders' agreements), deal structure and tax-aware solutions, negotiating purchase price mechanics (earn-outs, escrows), regulatory navigation (takeover rules, market abuse) and coordinating disclosure processes during sale processes or IPOs.

The corporate team typically handles:

• Large Cross-Border Mergers And Acquisitions Where multiple jurisdictions and regulatory clearances are required.

• Private Equity Buyouts And Exits Involving complex sponsor arrangements, leverage and intercreditor issues.

• Capital Markets Transactions Including IPOs, follow-on offerings and block trades for listed issuers.

• Debt And Leveraged Finance Deals Supporting acquisitions and refinancings with syndication mechanics.

• Restructuring And Distressed M&A Work On creditor arrangements and pre-pack/investment solutions.

As a trainee or junior associate you are likely to be asked to prepare drafting mark-ups, support due diligence exercises, build and maintain disclosure schedules, and prepare client-ready transaction memos. Expect regular redlines of SPAs, drafting of board minutes, and practical negotiation notes for partners. Working on a large cross-border transaction can also involve coordinating foreign counsel and summarising foreign law reports for internal teams.

Latham runs formal training and on-the-job development aimed at accelerating transactional capability. Typical elements include workshops on drafting and negotiation, training on deal management and project planning, and sessions on regulatory/compliance issues relevant to corporate work. Firms of this size also provide access to in-house learning platforms and technical subscriptions such as Practical Law.

Secondments are an important development tool. You may be seconded to a private equity sponsor, an investment bank, an overseas Latham office or a client in a sector of interest. Secondments build commercial confidence, client-facing skills and industry knowledge that are difficult to replicate in a pure firm environment.

Practical strategies to extract value from training and secondments:

• Before a secondment, agree specific learning objectives with your supervisor (for example, lead the drafting of an indemnity clause or run one element of due diligence).

• Keep a learning log that records documents you drafted, negotiations you attended and lessons on client management.

• Ask for structured feedback after each seat or secondment and implement one concrete improvement in the next seat.

Day-to-day work in Latham's corporate team is fast-moving and deadline-driven. You will often juggle multiple matters at different stages: drafting on one file, preparing disclosure on another and attending calls on a third. Time management, clear written communication and an ability to prioritise are essential.

Key skills to cultivate:

• Drafting Precision: Learn how to draft commercially effective warranties, tax protections and price adjustment mechanisms with clarity and brevity.

• Commercial Judgment: Understand client objectives (speed, certainty, price) and adapt legal solutions to those objectives.

• Technical Breadth: Build comfort with regulatory frameworks relevant to deals such as the UK Takeover Code, FCA disclosure obligations and UK/EU merger control basics.

• Communication And Teamwork: Transaction teams are multi-disciplinary; being able to explain legal risk to non-lawyers and coordinate with foreign counsel is valuable.

Culture varies by team and partner, but large US firms like Latham often emphasise client service, responsiveness and an entrepreneurial approach. Work-life balance can be challenging around deal deadlines; manage this by setting realistic timelines, flagging capacity early and using team briefings to allocate tasks efficiently.

Applying successfully requires evidence of commercial awareness, transactional interest and demonstrable examples of teamwork and initiative. Practical steps and examples:

• Tailor Your CV And Cover Letter: Highlight deal-relevant experience such as internships with corporate teams, experience on transactional pro bono matters, or involvement in student investment societies. Where possible quantify contributions (for example, "prepared diligence summaries on 200 documents for a cross-border sale process").

• Prepare Commercial Awareness Examples: Read recent deal coverage in the Financial Times, IFLR and Legal Week. Be able to explain how regulatory developments (for example, foreign investment screening) can affect cross-border M&A and outline sensible client advice.

• Expect Transactional Tasks In Interviews: You may face a case study that asks you to identify and prioritise commercial risks in a sale process or draft a short clause (for example, a warranty or limitation of liability). Practice drafting under time pressure and use the STAR method for behavioural questions, focusing on specific contributions, actions taken and outcomes.

• Use Networking And Mentoring: Attend firm events, alumni talks and use mentoring platforms to get insights into the team. Services such as YourLegalLadder, Chambers Student, Legal Cheek and LawCareers.Net provide firm profiles, mock interview resources and market intelligence. YourLegalLadder also offers mentoring, TC/CV reviews and a training contract application tracker which many candidates find helpful alongside public resources such as Practical Law and The Lawyer.

Resources and preparation tools to consult:

• Chambers Student For firm rankings and candidate insights.

• Legal Cheek For market commentary and firm culture snapshots.

• LawCareers.Net For application timelines and role-specific advice.

• Practical Law, IFLR And Financial Times For deal mechanics and commercial awareness updates.

• YourLegalLadder For training contract trackers, mentoring and bespoke SQE/Trainee support.

Final interview tips:

• Rehearse concise answers that demonstrate your transactional exposure.

• Prepare two or three short examples that show leadership, error management and learning.

• During case exercises, think aloud to show reasoning and prioritisation even if you are unsure of a technical point.

Good preparation, targeted examples and an ability to show commercial judgement will make your application for Latham's corporate team stand out.