When should I be drafting main deal docs? Forum

[Anonymous User]

By what year should an average associate in a typical corporate M&A practice start drafting initial drafts of the purchase agreement and other primary documents?

[The Lsat Airbender]

By what year should an average associate in a typical corporate M&A practice start drafting initial drafts of the purchase agreement and other primary documents?

Varies wildly by how important/novel the deal is and probably by firm too, so your "should" is weird.

I've seen 4-5th years do this.

[LaLiLuLeLo]

Depends wildly on groups and partners. I started drafting the deal docs in the second half of my 3rd year for either small shitty deals or for one particular partner. But I also work with partners who will never let you touch primary deal docs no matter your seniority or if they do it’s only to run their changes.

[trebekismyhero]

As others have said, it totally depends. I worked on the main deal docs as a first year for this super small deal for a friend of the firm. Generally I think you should start towards the end of your third year and then be working on them for most deals by the middle of your 4th year.

[Best]

I'm a fourth year. Really partner dependent. Some partners don't even tell me they're signing up a deal. They just send me the executed PSA and tell me to work it. Other partners will send me the LOI and ask for me to send the other side a PSA. Some partners will do the same but review and revise the PSA before sending it.