Venture Capital/Start-Up Lawyer, AMAA Forum

[Anonymous User]

Is there a pathway from cap markets to EC/VC, as a second or third year associate? If so, what should I focus on?

Is it substantially harder than coming from M&A or midmarket PE?

[SFSpartan]

Is there a pathway from cap markets to EC/VC, as a second or third year associate? If so, what should I focus on?

Is it substantially harder than coming from M&A or midmarket PE?

You might have to take a haircut on your class year (i.e. if you're a third year you'll prob come in as a second year), but at least at my firm we are hiring pretty much anyone with a pulse to do VC work, including many cap markets and M&A retools.

In theory, M&A should have a leg up over cap markets because there is more overlap in concepts between VC and M&A vs. cap markets. I have not found that to actually be true in practice though (likely a sample size thing - a lot of our M&A retools came from big NY shops where associates do nothing but churn on diligence for a couple years)

[Anonymous User]

I did 3 years of litigation at a T10 big law firm in New York, switched to a legal-adjacent (employment/HR type) job for 1 year, and now I'm interested in trying EC/VC at a big law firm in Los Angeles. T14 law school, cum laude, class of 2018.
What are my chances?
How can I sell the transition?
Would a firm take me as a first year or higher?