Corporate Paralegal – Startups, Capital Markets, M&A

Job Description

Mid-Level Corporate Paralegal | Fenwick & West

The Tone:
This is a full-time Mid-Level Corporate Paralegal role at Fenwick & West, located in any of our U.S. offices. Fenwick & West is a large law firm that supports technology and life sciences companies, focusing on legal matters related to startups, capital markets, and mergers & acquisitions. This role is essential for managing critical legal documentation and processes, helping legal teams navigate complex transactions. The firm encourages continuous learning and the adoption of new technologies, including AI, within its collaborative environment.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time (non-exempt)
• Location: Hybrid, Any U.S. office
• Pay: $85000–$133750 yearly
• Mission: This person supports legal teams handling startup, capital markets, and mergers & acquisitions matters by managing critical documentation and processes.
• Tech Stack: Carta, Shareworks, Excel, AI tools

What You’ll Actually Do
• Corporate Formation & Equity Management: Incorporate technology and life sciences companies, manage corporate records, and implement and administer stock option plans using platforms like Carta and Shareworks.
• Public Company Compliance: Prepare and manage documentation for IPOs and ongoing public company matters, including registration statement backups, ’34 Act reporting, Section 16 filings, and stock exchange applications.
• Transactional Support: Assist with venture capital financings by conducting blue sky research and preparing closing documents, board resolutions, and minutes.
• Mergers & Acquisitions Due Diligence: Collect and organize due diligence documents for M&A, perform diligence and capitalization research, and coordinate shareholder mailings and regulatory filings.
• Closing Document Management: Draft, manage, and prepare signing and closing documents and closing volumes for various corporate and M&A transactions.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Minimum a four-year degree and/or a paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program, with a focus on corporate and transactional law.
• Experience: 3+ years of corporate and transactional experience, specifically focused in Startups, Capital Markets, and Mergers & Acquisitions. Direct experience with capitalization maintenance platforms such as Carta and ShareWorks is required.
• Skills: Exemplary communication, research, and organizational skills; the ability to multi-task effectively in a demanding, deadline-driven environment; substantial proficiency with Excel spreadsheets; comfort working alongside AI tools and a curiosity to adopt new technologies.
• Bonus: Prior experience working in a large corporate setting or law firm.