CORPORATE LAW

A CORPORATION IS A LEGAL ENTITY CREATED UNDER STATE LAW, USUALLY FOR

THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING BUSINESS. THE LAW TREATS A CORPORATION AS
A PERSON THAT CAN SUE OR BE SUED. A CORPORATION IS SEPARATE FROM ITS
INDIVIDUAL OWNERS, OR SHAREHOLDERS, WHO OWN STOCK IN THE COMPANY.
CORPORATE LAW ENCOMPASSES ALL OF THE LEGAL ISSUES THAT
CORPORATIONS CAN FACE. CORPORATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO NUMEROUS
REGULATIONS THEY MUST FOLLOW IN ORDER  TO ENJOY THE TAX AND OTHER
BENEFITS CORPORATIONS RECEIVE. MOST STATES REQUIRE CORPORATIONS TO
CONDUCT ANNUAL MEETINGS WITH THEIR SHAREHOLDERS, AND MANY REQUIRE
MORE FREQUENT MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE
CORPORATION'S OFFICERS. MOST CORPORATIONS HAVE AN ATTORNEY PRESENT
AT ALL OF THESE MEETINGS TO ENSURE THAT THE CORPORATION COMPLIES
WITH ALL STATE AND FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.
In addition to these unique corporate law issues, corporations also face all of
the legal issues that other businesses face. These issues can include
employment law issues, contract disputes, product liability, intellectual
property management, and others. Smaller corporations may be able to hire a
single attorney with broad experience to handle all of the corporation's legal
issues. Larger corporations, however, may need a team of lawyers with
different specialties to handle daily contract, employment, and business
issues.

As a corporate lawyer, your portfolio of work will usually involve:

• acting on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), the restructuring of corporate
entities and the hiving-off of unprofitable sections.
• You might help list clients on stock exchanges across the world, secure
finance from private equity players and venture capitalists.
• Your work on any deal or transaction will move through different stages.
Firstly, you might negotiate and prepare draft documentation in association
with your client’s various accountants, financial advisors and managerial
representatives.
• Helping to procure finance, either from banks or private investors,
securing guarantees and other assets, might form part of the deal, as
will completing due-diligence reports and checking on debts,
employees, ownership details and existing liabilities.
• To top it off, you might finalise the deal with all involved parties, getting
necessary approvals through resolutions at board meetings, and
completing registration and other formalities wherever necessary.
• Amongst the different types of deals and transactions which constitute
corporate law, a big portion of work involves dealing with private equity
funds and listing clients’ companies on recognised stock exchanges.