why does an attorney make a good investment banker

by Monserrat Klocko 5 min read

Of the two careers, investment banking requires greater quantitative acumen and skills in math. The educational requirements for becoming a lawyer are much more rigid than those for becoming an investment banker. Employment in both law and investment banking are projected to grow between 2016 and 2026, according to the BLS. Investment Banking

Full Answer

Can a lawyer become an investment banker?

You might assume that your main value-add as a lawyer moving into banking is your knowledge of the legal code, and how legal considerations affect deals. Nope! Your main value-add is execution : the ability to work under time pressure and unreasonable deadlines …

What is the difference between investment banking and law firms?

Mar 03, 2010 · A strong banker will also create a competitive environment (or the perception of one) and play bidders off of each other to make sure you get the best possible deal terms. Indeed, Martin Lipton , a prominent M&A attorney in New York City, captured the value (and qualities) of a strong investment banker in his remarks at the Memorial Service of legendary …

What does an investment banker actually do?

Answer (1 of 6): Investment banker. The correct and more nuanced answer is that it depends on your interests and your strengths, but assuming you're moderately interested in both and are capable of pursuing both, I would definitely go down the …

What are the value-adds of a lawyer moving into banking?

Feel free to combine multiple pros into a single reason for “Why Investment Banking”. It may make the answer flow a bit more naturally. Also, always try to sprinkle in details that flatter the interviewer’s firm if it feels organic.

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Why do lawyers go into investment banking?

In my experience, most lawyers who want to move into finance cite the following reasons: “I can make more money!” “The work is more interesting or more exciting.” “I can influence companies and deals rather than just reviewing the paperwork.”

Can lawyers become investment bankers?

However, some of the most successful investment bankers in history are lawyers, and lawyers often have an unsaid advantage in this heavily regulated industry. ... Yes, a lot of lawyers and law students will give an arm to break into investment banking, but what does it really take to get there?Dec 9, 2016

Do lawyers make more or investment bankers?

Originally Answered: Who makes more money, Lawyers or Bankers? , the average salary for a banker is $79,000 USD/year*. The average salary for a lawyer is $65,000 a year*. So, banker wins.

What qualities make a good investment banker?

What Skills and Traits Make a Good Fit?Willingness to work extremely long hours (80+ per week)High attention to detail.Ability to take direction well.Team player.Great at Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.Strong accounting and finance knowledge.Excellent financial modeling.

What kind of lawyer gets paid the most?

Medical AttorneysMedical Attorneys Medical lawyers are among the highest paid types of lawyers and earn one of the highest median salaries in the legal field.Oct 27, 2021

Are lawyers richer than doctors?

It is true as well that different medical and legal fields can have their own unique averages. However, on average, the data shows that doctors make more than lawyers. ... Specifically, the average doctor makes $208,000 per year, while the average lawyer makes $118,160.Apr 26, 2018

Is it harder to be a lawyer or investment banker?

Of the two careers, investment banking requires greater quantitative acumen and skills in math. The educational requirements for becoming a lawyer are much more rigid than those for becoming an investment banker.

Are investment bankers richer than doctors?

The short answer is that compensation at the high end in investment banking is much higher than in medicine.

What does an investment banker do?

The Role of an Investment Banker Investment banks help companies and governments raise capital by issuing stock or borrowing money. They also act as advisers and go-betweens on mergers and acquisitions. The capital markets are a fast-paced, high-stakes, and highly regulated environment.

Are investment bankers rich?

Thus most IBers are not rich but most are adjacent to a decent pay in a tech company or business. However like many company VP and director roles pay bigger money so this is qlso not unique to banking.

What type of person is an investment banker?

Investment bankers tend to be predominantly enterprising individuals, which means that they are usually quite natural leaders who thrive at influencing and persuading others. They also tend to be conventional, meaning that they are usually detail-oriented and organized, and like working in a structured environment.

What are top 3 skills for financial analyst?

Essential items for a financial analysts' skills setExpert-level analytical and financial modeling skills.Strategic thinking.Great presentation skills.Ability to influence and persuade.Knowledge of ERP systems and related technologies.Strong understanding of Sarbanes-Oxley.More items...

What does it mean when an investment banker is looking to buy a company?

If an investment banker is looking to purchase a company and the company in question learns of those intentions, they may take steps to boost their selling price significantly based on the “deep pockets” of the investment banker. Having an attorney who has no ties to the investment banker allows them to contact the potential seller and negotiate without this type of risk.

Is an investment bank acting on behalf of a client?

In many cases, an investment bank is acting on behalf of a client in these transactions. An internal attorney would be required to put the client’s best interests first, even if that means taking a loss for the bank itself. Of course, the same attorney is obligated to work on behalf of their employer as well. This can create conflicts of interest for the attorney. When external counsel is working on a case, they face no such issues.

Is an investment bank attorney biased?

The attorneys working as the internal legal department for an investment bank are going to be biased toward their employer, even if it is not intentional. Since they are so closely linked to the company, it is virtually impossible to remain unbiased when giving legal advice. External counsel, on the other hand, has no long-term ties to the organization, which allows them to give unbiased advice during these high-stakes deals.

Who is Brian DeChesare?

Brian DeChesare is the Founder of Mergers & Inquisitions and Breaking Into Wall Street. In his spare time, he enjoys memorizing obscure Excel functions, editing resumes, obsessing over TV shows, traveling like a drug dealer, and defeating Sauron.

Is legal work more secure?

Legal jobs also tend to be more secure, especially in-house counsel roles. No matter what happens to the economy, companies still have to follow the law (barring a zombie apocalypse). Deals, however, plummet during economic turmoil.

What is corporate lawyer?

The corporate lawyer works in a corporation providing advice and direction or externally through a private law firm.The best corporate lawyers understand finance and the hundreds of issue that arise in reaching and documenting agreements to borrow, raise equity or complete a sale or acquisition.

How many hours do lawyers work?

In both instances, you are looking at 10-12 hour days Monday to Friday and usually going into the office on. Continue Reading.

How to Answer This Question

I generally think you shouldn’t try to re-invent the wheel when answering this question. I think there are well understood benefits to a career in investment banking and it’s really about picking the combination of elements that most sensibly fit in your story.

Common Answers

Below are some of the most common answers to this question. What you need to do is pick a few that you can most believably discuss and that you can also tie to a specific experience or trait of yours. I would try to pick 2 or 3, depending on how much content and support you have for each one.

Watch Out for Potential Contradictions

The only other real thing to be mindful of is to make sure that your answers don’t contradict your own experiences or story. For example, if you have multiple private equity internships, you may not want to say that you want to do investment banking because you want a greater sense of ownership in your work.

More Examples

Feel free to combine multiple pros into a single reason for “Why Investment Banking”. It may make the answer flow a bit more naturally. Also, always try to sprinkle in details that flatter the interviewer’s firm if it feels organic.

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Investment Banking vs. Law: An Overview

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Investment bankingand law are popular career paths for ambitious young people who want the chance to pull in a good salary right out of university. Because these career paths draw from the same broad talent pool, many students face initial difficulty choosing between the two. On one hand, investment banking requires fe…
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Investment Banking

  • Investment banking has fewer hard-and-fast educational requirements. Most firms, however, require, at a minimum, a four-year degree. Investment banks recruit almost exclusively from top-rated universities, such as Ivy League schools and the University of Chicago. Students who wish to become investment bankers but attend less prestigious schools can better their chances by g…
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Law

  • The educational requirements for becoming a lawyer are much more rigid than those for becoming an investment banker. An aspiring attorney must complete a bachelor's degree and then attend law school—there is no way around that. Attaining a law degree, for the vast majority of students, requires at least seven years of post-secondary education. Following law school, yo…
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Corporate Law vs. Investment Banking Example

  • Expect work to dominate the first few years of your life in either career. Investment bankers work, on average, 70 to 90 hours per week during their first year. This includes almost every Saturday and many Sundays. Vacation days are few, and leaving the office at 5:00 p.m. is a fantasy. Though work hours become more manageable as you build seniority, investment banking is never a 9-to …
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Special Considerations

  • Investment bankers make a lot of money right out of school with a bachelor's degree. As of 2020, a first-year analyst makes between $70,000 and $150,000 a year, according to Wall Street Oasis, thanks in large part to aggressive bonus structures almost all firms pay; the average salary is $88,000 and the average bonus is $39,000.3 4 The better you are at your job, the more you …
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