Top Corporate Lawyer sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers & results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a Corporate Lawyer resume experience section
Checklist: Ways to Make Your Experience Section Stand Out
- Find balance: use 4-6 bullet points per position;
- Include positions that are relevant to the job you’re applying for;
- Use action verbs when describing your responsibilities and results;
- Highlight your achievements by adding numbers to them (e.g. instead of saying “achieved a steady increase in…”, say “achieved an X% increase in…”);
- Prove that you’re willing to work hard, both individually and in a team.
The work experience samples below come from real Corporate Lawyer resumes that got people hired at top companies. You can use them as an inspiration to build your own resume:
- Negotiated and drafted complex commercial agreements resulting in a 20% increase in client satisfaction
- Advised clients on regulatory compliance resulting in a 25% decrease in legal disputes
- Assisted in the due diligence process for mergers and acquisitions, resulting in a successful acquisition worth £5M
- Managed a team of 5 junior lawyers in the research and analysis of legal issues
- Assisted in the preparation of legal documents for capital fund-raising resulting in £10M in funding
- Conducted legal research on joint venture agreements resulting in a successful negotiation
- Prepared legal briefs for clients on a range of business legal issues resulting in 15% increase in business
- Negotiated and closed 10 M&A transactions with a total value of $500M.
- Advised a technology startup on their $20M Series A financing round.
- Represented a healthcare company in a $50M corporate restructuring.
- Drafted a new set of internal policies for a financial institution with over 1,000 employees.
- Managed a team of 5 junior lawyers, providing training and mentoring to improve their performance.
- Assisted in the due diligence process of a $200M leverage buyout transaction.
- Reviewed and updated the corporate governance structure of a private equity portfolio company.
- Conducted legal research and drafted a report on the regulatory environment of the private equity industry in the UK.
- Assisted in the drafting of a shareholder agreement for a private equity investment in a fintech company.
- Managed the workflow of junior team members to ensure timely and accurate delivery of work.
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Corporate Lawyer job responsibilities instead of your achievements. Recruiters know what you do. They want to know what kind of difference you can bring to their company. Focus on what you've accomplished.
Action Verbs for your Corporate Lawyer Resume
Recommended reads:
An Impressive Skills Section for Your Corporate Lawyer Resume
Checklist for your Corporate Lawyer skills section:
- Include all relevant skills from the job description to pass ATS;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise;
- List your technical skills in a clear and concise manner;
- Leave room for transferable skills related to teamwork, communication, negotiation, and conflict management.
Top skills for your corporate lawyer resume
Legal Research
Contract Review
Litigation
Intellectual Property
Corporate Governance
Mergers & Acquisitions
Due Diligence
Legal Writing
Regulatory Compliance
Arbitration
Negotiation
Problem-Solving
Communication
Leadership
Attention to Detail
Time Management
Analytical Thinking
Collaboration
Empathy
Adaptability
PRO TIP
Don’t feel obliged to spend a separate section for your soft skills - you can weave them throughout your job experience or career summary. But, don’t just write empty words - back them with examples.
Recommended reads:
Corporate Lawyer resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Corporate Lawyer resume summary checklist:
- Your total years of experience
- The industry you’re coming from
- One or two most remarkable accomplishments that have helped you - turn into a great professional
- Short sentences that add value – avoid filler words and phrases
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
You’re not going to get hired simply because of a good summary or objective. However, your recruiter can bump you up in front of similarly experienced candidates who didn’t demonstrate such passion and drive.
Recommended reads:
How to write a Corporate Lawyer resume
There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional resume format;
- Hybrid (or Combination) resume format;
The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.
Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
Here are some more things worth remembering when it comes to formatting your Corporate Lawyer resume:
- Choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts sized 10-12p;
- Match the length of your Corporate Lawyer resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates – use them only when applying for executive positions;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid formatting issues and potential unauthorized editing.
Tired of getting rejected? Check out this article on how to craft a resume that stands out!
