Transactional Legal Professional

A Transactional Legal Professional is a legal professional who specializes in non-litigious transactions and business agreement tasks.

• AKA: Deal Lawyer, Commercial Legal Professional, Transaction Attorney.
• Context:
  • They can (typically) have Transaction Law Training from institutions like Harvard Law School's Corporations Course, New York University School of Law's transactional training offerings, or Northwestern Pritzker School of Law's Donald Pritzker Entrepreneurship Law Center.
  • They can (typically) perform Legal Transaction Analysises through deal review and risk assessment using frameworks like Practical Law Transaction Checklists, IACCM Contract Risk Assessment, or Bloomberg Law Due Diligence Tools.
  • They can (typically) handle Legal Document Preparation through contract drafting and agreement structuring using systems like Thomson Reuters Document Automation, Contract Express, or Kira Contract Analysis Software.
  • They can (typically) provide Transaction Legal Advice through business consultation and deal guidance to clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies to emerging startups and private equity firms.
  • They can (typically) manage Legal Deal Processes through transaction coordination and closing management using platforms like Litera Transact, DealRoom, or iManage Closing Folders.
  • They can (typically) perform Contract Reviews through document examination and term analysis using tools like Contract Express, DocuSign Analyzer, or LawGeex AI Contract Review.
  • They can (often) engage in Business Negotiations through term discussion and agreement mediation using frameworks such as Harvard Negotiation Project methodology, Getting to Yes principles, or BATNA analysis.
  • They can (often) maintain Client Relationships through business partnership and advisory service approaches outlined in Legal Client Relationship Management best practices.
  • They can (often) participate in Professional Networks through industry associations and business community such as the American Bar Association Business Law Section, Association of Corporate Counsel, or International Bar Association.
  • ...
  • They can range from being a Junior Transactional Legal Professional to being a Senior Transactional Legal Professional, depending on their experience level.
  • They can range from being a General Transactional Legal Professional to being a Specialized Transactional Legal Professional, depending on their transaction focus.
  • They can range from being a Domestic Transactional Legal Professional to being an International Transactional Legal Professional, depending on their jurisdictional scope.
  • They can range from being a Small Deal Legal Professional to being a Large Deal Legal Professional, depending on their transaction scale.
  • They can range from being a Single-Industry Transaction Professional to being a Multi-Industry Transaction Professional, depending on their sector coverage.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • Corporate Transaction Professionals, such as:
    • Merger and Acquisition Lawyers handling corporate mergers and business acquisitions, such as:
      • Martin Lipton of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz who invented the "poison pill" defensive strategy that fundamentally changed how corporate takeovers work and advised on major transactions like Time Warner's defense against hostile takeovers.
      • Scott Barshay of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison who has advised on over $500 billion in merger transactions, including Bristol-Myers Squibb's $90 billion acquisition of Celgene and Marriott's acquisition of Starwood Hotels.
      • Frank Aquila of Sullivan & Cromwell who advised on transformative deals like InBev's $52 billion acquisition of Anheuser-Busch and Kraft's $19 billion hostile bid for Cadbury.
      • Faiza Saeed of Cravath, Swaine & Moore who led Disney's $85 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox and has been recognized as one of the leading M&A attorneys in the industry.
    • Securities Transaction Lawyers managing stock offerings and securities filings, such as:
      • Richard Truesdell of Davis Polk & Wardwell who has advised underwriters and issuers on numerous IPOs including the $25 billion Alibaba IPO and the Visa IPO.
      • Katharine Martin of Wilson Sonsini who has advised technology companies on more than 75 public offerings including the IPOs of Apple, Google, and Lyft.
      • William Hinman (former Davis Polk & Wardwell partner and SEC Director) who worked on notable IPOs including Facebook's $16 billion offering before leading the SEC's Corporation Finance Division.
      • Joshua Ford Bonnie of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett who has represented underwriters and issuers in over 200 capital markets transactions.
    • Corporate Finance Lawyers structuring financial transactions and lending agreements, such as:
      • Jason Kyrwood of Davis Polk & Wardwell who heads the firm's Finance Group and represents lenders and borrowers in complex financing transactions.
      • Marc Hanrahan of Milbank who has led numerous high-profile leveraged finance transactions totaling billions of dollars.
      • Michael Bates of Clifford Chance who specializes in complex cross-border financing transactions and project finance.
      • Angela Fontana of Sidley Austin who specializes in acquisition financing and has been recognized as one of the leading finance attorneys in the US.
  • Commercial Transaction Professionals, such as:
    • Business Contract Lawyers drafting service agreements and sales contracts, such as:
      • Ken Adams, author of "A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting" who is considered the leading authority on contract language and has conducted training for thousands of lawyers worldwide.
      • Tina Stark, author of "Drafting Contracts: How and Why Lawyers Do What They Do" who founded Emory Law School's Center for Transactional Law and Practice.
      • D.C. Toedt who created the Contract Drafting course at the University of Houston Law Center and maintains the widely-referenced "On Contracts" blog.
      • Laura Frederick who founded "How to Contract" after 25 years as a tech transactions attorney at firms like Morrison & Foerster and Tesla.
    • Real Estate Transaction Lawyers handling property deals and lease agreements, such as:
      • Jonathan Mechanic of Fried Frank who negotiated the $5.4 billion Stuyvesant Town sale in 2006 (then the largest single-asset real estate sale in U.S. history) and represents major developers in New York City.
      • Jay Epstien of DLA Piper who has handled landmark deals including the development of CityCenterDC and headquarters leases for major corporations.
      • Stuart Saft of Holland & Knight who has represented developers in projects throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe.
      • Robin Panovka of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz who specializes in complex real estate mergers, acquisitions, and REIT transactions.
    • Licensing Lawyers managing intellectual property transactions and technology transfers, such as:
      • Mika Reiner Mayer of Cooley LLP who specializes in life sciences licensing and collaboration agreements, handling due diligence and partnering deals for biotech and medical device companies.
      • Thomas Knox of Morrison & Foerster who structures complex technology licensing agreements for software and hardware companies.
      • Stephen Gillespie of Fenwick & West who represents technology companies in IP licensing, including deals between Microsoft and Yahoo.
      • Catherine Nyarady of Paul, Weiss who specializes in pharmaceutical and biotech patent licensing agreements.
  • Tax Transaction Professionals, such as:
    • Corporate Tax Lawyers structuring tax-efficient transactions and business restructurings, such as:
      • Lowell Yoder of McDermott Will & Emery who specializes in multinational corporate tax planning and has guided Fortune 100 companies through complex reorganizations.
      • Karen Gilbreath Sowell of Ernst & Young (formerly of U.S. Treasury's Office of Tax Policy) who has shaped corporate tax policy and advises on complex corporate transactions.
      • David Hariton of Sullivan & Cromwell who has structured tax-efficient mergers and acquisitions for major corporations.
      • Sara Luder of Slaughter and May who leads the tax practice and advises on the tax aspects of major corporate transactions in the UK.
    • International Tax Lawyers handling cross-border tax planning and treaty compliance, such as:
      • H. David Rosenbloom of Caplin & Drysdale who directs the International Tax Program at NYU Law and has served in the Treasury Department.
      • Patricia Lewis of Caplin & Drysdale who advises on transfer pricing and international tax controversies.
      • Kimberly Blanchard of Weil, Gotshal & Manges who specializes in cross-border transactions and structuring.
      • Simone Bridges of Baker McKenzie who leads international tax planning strategies for multinational companies.
  • International Transaction Professionals, such as:
    • Cross-Border Deal Lawyers managing international transactions and foreign investments, such as:
      • Klaus Beucher of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer who handled the €40 billion Holcim-Lafarge merger and other major European transactions.
      • Handel Lee of King & Wood Mallesons who specializes in China-focused cross-border investments and joint ventures.
      • Edward Neary of Cleary Gottlieb who has led major Latin American cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
      • Sabine Chalmers (former Chief Legal Officer of AB InBev) who oversaw the $100+ billion acquisition of SABMiller across multiple international jurisdictions.
    • Trade Finance Lawyers handling international trade and export contracts, such as:
      • Diane Frenier of Reed Smith who structures international commodities trading agreements across multiple jurisdictions.
      • Robert Parson of Clyde & Co who specializes in commodity and trade finance across Africa, Asia, and Europe.
      • Geoffrey Wynne of Sullivan & Worcester who is recognized as a global leader in trade and export finance law.
      • Michael Swangard of Clyde & Co who specializes in international trade finance and commodity trading disputes.
  • Special Transaction Professionals, such as:
    • Technology Transaction Lawyers managing software licensing and tech acquisitions, such as:
      • Suzanne Bell (formerly of Wilson Sonsini, now at Covington) who has completed over 1,000 technology transactions and specialized in complex strategic alliances and outsourcing.
      • Andrew Luh of Gunderson Dettmer who represents emerging companies and venture capital firms in technology transactions.
      • Stefania Zilinskas of Cooley LLP who specializes in complex technology and data-driven transactions.
      • Samir Gandhi of Sidley Austin who has handled billions in tech-focused transactions for clients like Microsoft.
    • Healthcare Transaction Lawyers handling medical practice mergers and facility acquisitions, such as:
      • Stephen Bernstein of McDermott Will & Emery who leads healthcare transactions nationwide and advised on the $4.3 billion Steward Health Care deal.
      • Deborah Gersh of Ropes & Gray who specializes in healthcare compliance and transactions, including hospital mergers.
      • Peter Leibold (former American Health Lawyers Association CEO) who has deep expertise in hospital system transactions.
      • Norman Jeddeloh of Polsinelli who has closed billions in healthcare acquisitions and joint ventures.
  • Energy and Infrastructure Transaction Professionals, such as:
    • Energy Deal Lawyers specializing in power project transactions and energy asset acquisitions, such as:
      • Rohit Chaudhry of Kirkland & Ellis who has led multibillion-dollar energy transactions including complex power generation assets.
      • Timothy Moran of Sidley Austin who specializes in renewable energy project finance and development transactions.
      • Neeraj Arora of Morgan Lewis who structures energy infrastructure transactions across conventional and renewable sectors.
      • Giji John of Bracewell who handles complex liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other energy development agreements.
    • Infrastructure Finance Lawyers structuring project finance deals and public-private partnerships, such as:
      • Catherine Hagerty of White & Case who specializes in infrastructure project finance in emerging markets.
      • Lee Armstrong of Paul Hastings who focuses on complex infrastructure financings for airports, roads, and other public facilities.
      • John Murphy of Milbank who handles multibillion-dollar infrastructure finance transactions globally.
      • Carlos Viana of Hughes Hubbard & Reed who specializes in project finance across Latin America.
    • Mining and Natural Resources Lawyers handling mineral rights and extraction agreements, such as:
      • Carlos Vilhena of Pinheiro Neto in Brazil who specializes in mining contracts and regulatory matters.
      • Alexander Malahoff of Fasken who focuses on mining development and financing in Africa.
      • Elizabeth Hurst of Herbert Smith Freehills who handles mining joint ventures and acquisitions globally.
      • Ronald Bacigal of Cassels Brock who specializes in complex natural resource transactions and financing.
  • Financial Services Transaction Professionals, such as:
    • Banking and Finance Lawyers structuring financial service agreements and banking transactions, such as:
      • Lee Meyerson of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett who has advised on more than $500 billion in financial services mergers and acquisitions.
      • Eric Levin of Davis Polk & Wardwell who specializes in complex financial transactions for global banks.
      • Sunil Mehta of Cleary Gottlieb who focuses on complex financial product structuring and regulatory matters.
      • Kathleen Scott of Norton Rose Fulbright who advises on banking regulations and financial institution mergers.
    • Investment Fund Lawyers managing fund formation and investment structures, such as:
      • Marco Masotti of Paul, Weiss who leads the private funds group and represents major private equity and hedge funds.
      • Stephanie Breslow of Schulte Roth & Zabel who specializes in investment management and has structured innovative investment vehicles.
      • Jason Glover of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in London who has advised on the formation of funds with over $500 billion in committed capital.
      • Michael Wolitzer of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett who leads the firm's private funds practice and structures complex investment vehicles.
    • Insurance Transaction Lawyers handling insurance policy and reinsurance agreements, such as:
      • Nicholas Potter of Debevoise & Plimpton who has advised on major insurance industry mergers and demutualizations.
      • Larry Hamilton of Mayer Brown who focuses on insurance regulation and transactional matters.
      • James Woods of Covington & Burling who specializes in complex insurance coverage transactions.
      • Paola Bahari of Willkie Farr & Gallagher who handles complex insurance-related mergers and reinsurance transactions.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Litigation Legal Professionals who handle court disputes rather than business transactions, such as David Boies of Boies Schiller Flexner who represented the U.S. in its antitrust case against Microsoft and numerous other high-profile litigations.
  • Regulatory Legal Professionals who focus on compliance matters rather than deal structuring, such as Hogan Lovells' Peter Spivack who specializes in regulatory investigations and white-collar defense.
  • Criminal Law Professionals who manage criminal cases rather than commercial agreements, such as Benjamin Brafman who has represented high-profile defendants in criminal trials, or Abbe Lowell who specializes in white-collar criminal defense.
  • Family Law Professionals dealing with domestic matters rather than business deals, such as Laura Wasser who has represented celebrities in high-profile divorce cases, or Fiona Shackleton who has handled royal family divorces in the UK.
  • Legal Document Specialists who only handle document preparation without transaction management, such as certified Legal Document Preparers who assist with standard legal forms but cannot provide legal advice on transactions.
• See: Commercial Law, Contract Law, Corporate Law, Business Transaction, Legal Deal, Transaction Document, Deal Structure, Legal Negotiation, Due Diligence, Deal Closing.

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