Corporate Lawyer CV Guide + Tips + Example

Dayle Kavonic
By Dayle Kavonic, Career Advice ExpertRated 4.8/5 Stars
Last Updated: October 18, 2023
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Securing a position at a top law firm or as in-house counsel for a leading company can be challenging, to say the least. So, you need a CV that will successfully set you apart from the competition. But how do you go about drafting such a document? We’re here to show you. Use this guide to create an impressive CV for a corporate lawyer role that highlights your top skills and achievements to land an interview for your target job.

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Corporate lawyer CV sample (text version)

Shirley McCollum

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(555) 555-5555
example@example.com

Summary Statement

Accomplished corporate lawyer with over a decade of experience providing expert legal counsel to businesses on complex transactions, regulatory compliance and corporate governance. Proven track record of negotiating favorable deals, mitigating risks and ensuring legal compliance. Adept at collaborating with cross-functional teams and delivering strategic solutions to drive business success.

Core Qualifications

  • Corporate law
  • Mergers and acquisitions
  • Contract negotiation
  • Securities regulation
  • Corporate governance
  • Due diligence
  • Legal research
  • Risk management
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Dispute resolution

Education

  • Stetson University College of Law Gulfport, FL
    J.D. Law
  • University of South Florida Tampa, FL
    Bachelor of Science Business Management

Work Experience

November 2018 – Current
PSCU Financial Services – Tampa, FL
Corporate Attorney

  • Advise clients on mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, resulting in successful transactions worth over $100 million.
  • Draft documents for acquisition and merger cases and ensure every aspect complies with the law.
  • Report to senior partners about how certain cases are progressing and recommend new courses of action for when a case has become stagnant.
  • Negotiate complex commercial contracts, minimizing legal risks and ensuring favorable terms for clients.

September 2015 – October 2018
Citi – Tampa, FL
Corporate Lawyer

  • Drafted, reviewed and negotiated contracts, agreements and other legal documents to protect the interests of 12 clients while ensuring legal compliance.
  • Ensured all important documents were filed with the Secretary of State before deadlines.
  • Acted as an executor for over a dozen companies’ estates.
  • Provided legal counsel on corporate governance matters, including board meetings and shareholder relations.

June 2012 – August 2013
Wilkes & Associates – Tampa, FL
Assistant Counsel

  • Worked with senior lawyers to determine probable outcomes of cases.
  • Selected jurors and complied with all state regulations concerning trial proceedings.
  • Gathered evidence and worked with an investigative team to strengthen 10 cases.
  • Researched and interpreted laws, rulings and regulations to advise clients on business and legal transactions.

Conference Presentations

  • Contract Review and Negotiation Today – (2023)
  • Business Ethics in the Corporate Culture; An Examinations of Ethics in the Practice – (2022)
  • Client Representation Advisement Conference – (2019)

Conference Attendance

  • Preventing Recurring Errors on Appeal – Prosecutorial Error, online – (2023)
  • Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC), Las Vegas, NV – (2022)
  • Legal Week 2022, NY, NY – (2022)
  • Clio Cloud Conference, virtual – (2022)

Professional Affiliations and Memberships

  • American Bar Association (ABA) – (2023)
  • Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) – (2022)
  • Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) – (2021)

Certifications and Licenses

  • Attorney License, Florida State Bar Association – (2023)
  • Certified Corporate Attorney (CCA) – (2023)
  • Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor – ( (CM&AA) – (2021)
  • Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM) – (2018)

Profession Relevant Skills

  • Intricate understanding of business law at state and national levels.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills to aid in properly presenting positions, arguing cases and getting positive outcomes for clients.
  • Proficient in legal research, intellectual property protection, dispute resolution and management.
  • Strong background in due diligence, drafting transaction documents and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Ability to network and develop connections while at conferences and presentations.
  • Experience using accounting and data mining software and tools such as LexisNexis, Westlaw and Bloomberg Law.
  • Complex problem-solving skills to help both sides settle with negotiations.

Hobbies and Interests

While my career takes up most of my time, I do enjoy jet skiing when I have the opportunity. I own my gear, so when friends or family members are in town, we always head over to the beach for a few hours of relaxation.

5 essentials of a top CV for a corporate lawyer

  1. Contact details

    Without contact information, hiring managers cannot invite you for an interview. Create a section at the top of your CV for your contact details and display them as follows: Your full name, then your city, state and ZIP code, followed by your phone number and professional email address. If you have a LinkedIn profile and professional website, add those as well. 

  2. Personal statement

    A personal statement, also called a professional summary, is your chance to shine in a few short sentences. It’s where you introduce yourself to the hiring manager and pitch your best technical and soft skills, as well as your relevant work experience. Your CV summary should also include one or two of your most notable professional accomplishments to grab the hiring manager’s attention. If your work experience is limited, consider using an objective statement instead.

  3. Skills

    Hiring managers want to know if your skills match their needs. Show them you have what it takes by creating a separate section and using bullet points to display your top hard and soft skills — from contract drafting and document filing to problem-solving and time management — as demonstrated by our corporate lawyer CV sample.

  4. Work history

    Your corporate lawyer CV must have a detailed employment history section, even if you don’t have much work experience in the field. List current and previous employers in reverse-chronological order and provide company names, locations and the dates you worked for each. Add three bullet points of quantifiable achievements for every job you include. If you don’t have an extensive employment history, list part-time jobs, internships, summer associate programs and volunteer work  — anything that shows you have relevant experience.

  5. Education

    Add all the educational institutions you’ve attended after high school in an education section in your CV for a corporate lawyer role. Use bullet points for each school and display the name of the degree, the school name and the year you graduated, unless it was more than 10 years ago.

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Do’s and don’ts for building a corporate lawyer CV

  • Use measurable achievements to describe your corporate lawyer skills and experience.
  • Use action words to add impact to your CV for a corporate lawyer role.
  • Tailor your CV to your target corporate lawyer job.
  • Use keywords from the job description throughout your corporate lawyer CV.
  • Format your corporate lawyer CV so that it is easy to read by ATS software and human eyes.
  • Lie about your corporate law experience and skills.
  • Boast about your “unparalleled” expertise in the area of business law.
  • Include irrelevant personal information, such as your ethnicity and age.
  • Add skills and experience that aren’t relevant to a corporate lawyer role.
  • Forget to proofread. A corporate lawyer CV with errors is unprofessional.

Top 4 tips for acing a corporate lawyer interview

  1. Learn about the company before your interview.

    It’s important to learn about a business’s history, goals, values and people before the interview. It shows genuine interest, dedication and commitment — traits that hiring managers look for in top job candidates. Plus, getting a glimpse of the company’s culture before you’re interviewed will give you an idea of what to expect on arrival so that you can feel more confident.

  2. Practice.

    A little practice now will go a long way during your interview. To practice for your interview, start by reviewing the most common interview questions, such as:

    It’s also worth giving some thought to behavioral interview questions, like:

    Ask a friend or family member to interview you so you can get comfortable with the questions and imprint the answers in your mind. Ask them for feedback on your performance and answers, and write down any suggestions that resonate with you. You’ll feel confident and ready when it’s time for the real thing. 

  3. Ask questions.

    Your interviewer will ask if you have any questions about the role at the end of your session. You should always have at least three questions ready to ask them. Job candidates who don’t ask questions are less likely to get hired because hiring managers assume they aren’t interested in the position and won’t put much thought into it. 

    Some questions you might ask for a corporate lawyer job are: 

    • What would you consider to be the biggest challenges and opportunities for the firm/company’s legal department?
    • Are there any specific areas of corporate law that I would be expected to focus on?
    • What is the culture like at the company? How does the organization foster a collaborative work environment?
  4. Have references ready.

    Having professional references ready before your interview will prepare you in case the hiring manager decides to move forward. Create a list of two former colleagues and a former manager who would be willing to speak about your legal knowledge and abilities and who you know will give you a stellar review. It’s even better if they’re open to writing a letter of recommendation for you.

    If you are applying for your first full-time paid job in corporate law, it’s acceptable to get contacts from a former professor, internship manager, associate program leader or classmate who will provide positive feedback about your ability to perform the job.

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