Day in the Life of a Corporate Lawyer
The corporate lawyer spends her day much like her private-practice counterpart, servicing the needs of her clients. But her clients, unlike the private-practice attorney, are the employees and stockholders of the corporation where she works. In a large corporation, she may specialize in an area of law such as litigation, finance, government compliance or intellectual property, or she may be a generalist, advising the company on a variety of matters.
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Contracts
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Contract negotiating, writing and analyzing are a large part of a corporate lawyer's duties. Contracts may include employment agreements for senior management staff, purchasing contracts, product distribution agreements, manufacturing contracts, insurance and technology contracts and industry-specific contracts, such as performer contracts in an entertainment company or government contracts in aerospace.
Company Policies
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The corporate lawyer may also be required to write or review policies related to business practices. Business conduct standards, sexual-harassment policies, records retention policies and conflict-of-interest statements are some of policies he may handle. Many times the attorney will work with the company's human-resources department to ensure policies comply with current laws.
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Employment Matters
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A corporate employment lawyer deals with disputes concerning employment practices between the company and an employee. If an employee files a legal claim, the corporate lawyer will work with the employee's counsel to settle the claim or will manage the litigation if the claim becomes a lawsuit. If an employee is suspected of wrongdoing on the job, the corporate lawyer will conduct the internal investigation, working with the human-resources department and sometimes with the information technology and security departments.
Litigation
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Large corporations tend to have many lawsuits and claims. The corporate lawyer may sometimes litigate a case, but because of the volume and sometimes the size of the cases, the company will farm out the litigation work to private law firms. The corporate lawyer oversees the law firm's work, making decisions on the course of action the outside counsel will take. The corporate lawyer may also attend depositions of company employees and may supervise the collection of documents for "discovery," that is, company documents required by the court that relate to the lawsuit.
International Law
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With many companies selling their products globally, the corporate lawyer must have a general understanding of international law. He must understand privacy practices, copyright and patent laws and trade agreements that vary from country to country. He may also have to oversee legal matters handled by overseas law firms.
Wages and Benefits
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Depending upon the company, the corporate lawyer may receive corporate benefits such as health care, paid vacations and pension plans, which can make working in a corporation more attractive than working at a law firm or being self-employed. The pay scale for corporate counsel and private-practice attorneys is similar. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' occupational employment statistics for May 2008, the annual wage estimate for lawyers is $54,460 to $163,320.
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