International Commercial or Corporate Law is one of the fastest growing areas of international law. Both small business entities and larger corporations are becoming increasingly globalized, operating and trading across borders. As such, there is a need for international lawyers specializing in the commercial sector, who have an intimate understanding of different countries' legal frameworks, along with relevant international frameworks and agreements on public and private affairs. This is a broad category of law that can encompass other specializations, including transactional law, investment law, intellectual property law, financial law, and international economic law.
International commercial lawyers represent all sizes of companies, working as both in-house lawyers (directly for the company), or through law firms. Corporate lawyers can have a wide range of job responsibilities: drafting and writing sales agreements and contracts between different parties, offering legal advice to clients on financial, or investment matters, and representing parties in court over disputes with other individuals, or corporate bodies. Currently, there is a broad range of career opportunities in international banking, financial management, business development, and trade.
As a rule, corporate lawyers tend to work in collaborative environments—working as part of a team—and, depending on the project load, can often grind out long workdays at the office, far exceeding the 9-to-5 lifestyle. Employers seek out candidates with excellent cross-cultural communication skills and previous experience working in multi-ethnic environments. Despite the long hours you will be expected to clock, even entry-level positions with commercial and corporate firms can offer competitive salaries and remuneration packages, offering attractive financial compensation for the demanding workload.
The areas of commercial law that are currently in demand include:
- Banking and capital markets
- Securitization
- Intellectual property
- Project financing
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Joint ventures
- Privatization
- Capital markets
- Leveraged acquisition finance
- Financial services regulation
Commercial hubs of the world
Aim to align yourself with corporations, or law firms that have offices and connections in the most important commercial cities in the world: this is where you’ll find the most employment opportunities in international corporate law. Some of the most influential commercial hubs in the world, include London, New York City, Milan, Frankfurt, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Chicago, Dubai, and San Francisco. In these urban centres, there’s a concentration of investment companies, banks, pharmaceutical companies, start-ups, and corporations of various interests. In Canada, both Toronto and Vancouver are great places to be to find legal work for resource extraction (mining) companies, while Calgary is the largest hub for the oil and gas industry.
How to break into the job market
Breaking into this field starts during law school, not after. Take as many corporate law courses as you can. Your future employers will want to see this area of specialization—and they'll want to recruit the students with the best grades, also. Most importantly, if you want to get your foot in the door, start your research from day one of law school. Where do you want to work in the world? Whom do you want to work with? Find your mentors. Which lawyers do you admire? How did they get to where they are today? Don't be afraid to reach out to those who have gone before you. Find law firms and practices that have an international scope, or reach in their work. Do they have offices elsewhere in the world? Do they offer their associates the opportunity to travel and work placements abroad? Identify those firms that are recruiting for summer internships.
Associate lawyer Julianna Fish got her foot in the door during law school when she was recruited by Norton Rose Fulbright Canada as a summer intern. Fish took note of the opportunities to work in international business law at Norton Rose.
“The Calgary office had oil and gas lawyers with a strong international practice, and this appealed to me,” says Fish. “I was intrigued by their work—and the challenging dynamics of such work—representing clients and advising on issues in developing countries. Working under such lawyers, I had the opportunity, very early on, to work on international projects.”
She says her strong academic performance helped her get noticed by the company. After completing an internship, she was recruited to do her articling at Norton Rose, and after that, she was named a junior associate.
In the legal world, an internship can easily turn into an articling opportunity, which can give you the competitive edge to become an associate. Stick with the firms that offer their associates international placements. After you put in your hours, you’ll often be granted with the freedom and security to work abroad, but also return to your home country if that’s your long-term plan. Future employers will look for corporate attorneys with at least 3 to 5 years of work experience: find a law firm where you can gain critical knowledge and experience, and learn from other mentors in the field.
Knowledge of the global financial market is critical
Representing your clients’ financial needs and interests will require you to have a foundational understanding of the global financial market. How does market economics work? How does a startup grow into a multinational company? How do global politics influence the international stock markets?
If you’re interested in becoming an international corporate lawyer, it’s an advantage to have an undergraduate degree in business, or commerce. Following law school, many graduates go on to take an LL.M. program specializing in economic, or transactional law, banking, or financial law. You might also consider specializing in a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA). Take care to choose the right school for you. For example, if you dream of one day working in London, one of the biggest commercial hubs in the world, consider enrolling in an LL.M. program in the U.K. Having local accreditation and education will make it easier to be considered at London-based law firms and practices, and a Master’s program will open doors to interacting with potential employers.
Studying corporate law in the U.S. could also give you an edge in today’s global legal job market. As global investment firms—many based in the Asian market—are investing in a wide-range of startup companies in the U.S., many firms want to hire lawyers who are familiar with American laws and legal frameworks. Additionally, U.S. companies will often conclude contracts that align with U.S. laws, particularly those of New York and Delaware. As a result, lawyers with experience working in the U.S., or who are familiar with American legal frameworks, are attractive to international companies, or law practices.
In addition to knowing about the global financial market, it’s also important to have an understanding of the geopolitical forces that shape economics. Oil and gas lawyer Julianna Fish, who advises clients with oil and gas interests around the world, emphasizes the importance of considering the larger political climates, in addition to understanding legal frameworks.
“The climate is always changing in countries where our clients operate,” says Fish. “In Kurdistan, for example, there are practical realities that bear significant weight on our client’s operations. We’re not going to be able to give helpful advice unless we’re aware of the much larger political landscape and situation.”
Who’s hiring?
There’s a wide range of potential employers in the field of international corporate law:
Multinational corporations
Get hired on as an in-house attorney working with a multinational resource extraction company, a global tech software company, or a pharmaceutical corporation, to represent their business interests all around the world.
Law firms/practices
Focus on the global economic hubs of the world, including London, Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, New York City, and Paris. Here you’ll find the major players representing economic interests in the field of international business law. In Canada, lawyers in Calgary lead the pack in the area of international oil and gas law. You’ll have the opportunity to represent clients with diverse business needs in countries around the world.
Investment companies
Consider applying for a position with an investment company—large, or small. You’ll enter the exciting world of investment law and negotiate contracts between your company and startups.
Financial institutions
Look for internships and entry-level positions with major financial banks that have international offices, including JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, and Canada’s Scotiabank.
Resources
→ Join the International Bar Association (IBA), an organization with a membership of over 80,000 lawyers working in 160 countries. Subscribe to the IBA’s publication, Business Law International to stay abreast of current issues, trends, and events related to international corporate law.
→ Attend conferences and educational events that focus on international corporate law. Check out the IBA’s complete list of international business conferences.
→ Participate in the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court Competition, the world’s largest moot court competition, which involves more than 550 law students from 87 countries. Gain hands-on experience preparing for court and making your case before a mock judge; this experience is sure to impress potential employers.
Job Boards
Legal Jobs – http://www.legaljobs.ca/en/
Canada’s Legal Job Board - http://clearlegaljobs.com
Indeed – https://ca.indeed.com/International-Business-Lawyer-jobs
Conclusion
International corporate law is rapidly expanding: it’s an exciting time to consider a career in this field that is constantly working to keep up with our globalized world. Grace Lau, an international lawyer with experience working in Hong Kong for a private investment firm, says the field is only about to get more interesting. “[International corporate law] deals with issues that arise from contracts made between companies in at least two different countries. How do you solve those issues? Which country’s rule of law do you apply? I find these disputes absolutely fascinating.”
According to Lau, if you want to break into the field, expect to be working long hours (forget being home for dinner, or making it back for the weekends), and putting in a long grind. Look for entry-level positions with larger law firms—particularly those with world offices—and you’ll potentially have the opportunity to travel and work in offices, abroad.
One last piece of advice? “A working knowledge of the language that’s spoken in the country where you’re working—it’s absolutely huge,” says Lau. “In Hong Kong, both Mandarin and Cantonese are spoken, so I need a working knowledge of both. No matter where you go, knowing the language is very important.”
Add to Favorites
