How To Get Into Corporate Law: A Solicitor’s Guide

Hello, I’m Malcolm Zoppi. As a specialist corporate solicitor, one of the most common questions I’m asked by aspiring lawyers, students, budding corporate lawyers, and even professionals considering a career change is, “How do I get into corporate law?”

It’s a fantastic question. A career in corporate law is fast-paced, intellectually challenging, and places you at the very centre of the business world. But the path isn’t always clear, especially with the recent changes to the qualification process in the UK.

In this blog, we will cover what corporate law actually is, how it differs from commercial law, and the exact steps you need to take to build a successful career. If you want to become a corporate lawyer, this guide will walk you through the educational requirements, qualification steps, and my top tips that will give you the greatest chance to succeed in securing a training contract, to then become a big time, highly-paid corporate lawyer (and who doesn’t want that?!).

Chapter 1: What is Corporate Law?

Before you commit to the journey, it’s crucial to understand what you’re aiming for (and partners will ask you why you want to become a corporate lawyer specifically).

In simple terms, corporate law deals with the formation, operation (most often), and dissolution of corporations and other business entities. It’s rooted in company law (the Companies Act 2006), which is the foundation of corporate law and governs the legal activities of companies, including their formation, management, and restructuring. Corporate lawyers often advise large corporations and handle complex legal matters for them.

My work isn’t about courtroom drama. It’s about transactions, strategy, and compliance. A corporate lawyer is an advisor, a negotiator, and a project manager for a company’s most significant moments.

Our “bible” is the Companies Act 2006, a large piece of legislation that dictates everything from a director’s duties to how a company must file its accounts.

My day-to-day work generally falls into three main categories:

1. Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A): This is the “blockbuster” work you often read about. It involves the buying and selling of companies, as well as joint ventures—major transactions where legal guidance is essential. As a solicitor, I’ll conduct due diligence (a deep investigation into the target company), draft the complex Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA), and manage the entire transaction to completion. It’s high-stakes and deadline-driven. (If you’re curious about the other side, I’ve written about what you should know before buying a small business).

2. Corporate Finance & Investment: We help companies raise money. This could mean guiding a startup through its first seed funding round, advising on a private equity investment, or helping a public company issue new shares on the stock market. Corporate lawyers may also assist with capital markets transactions, support publicly traded companies, and help businesses list on the stock exchange, navigating the legal complexities involved.

3. Corporate Governance & Advisory: This is the essential day-to-day advisory work. We advise boards of directors on their legal duties, draft shareholder agreements, manage company secretarial matters, draft and review legal documents, and ensure the company’s internal structure is legal and efficient.

It’s a rewarding field that requires precision and a deep understanding of business. If this sounds like the challenge you’re looking for, our team of specialist corporate lawyers lives and breathes this work every day.

Chapter 2: How is Corporate Law Different to Commercial Law?

This is, without a doubt, the biggest point of confusion for newcomers. Many people refer to these practices together, but they are technically distinct practice areas within the legal profession. Corporate law and commercial law are both important practice areas, each with its own focus and skill set.

Grocery store example:

• Corporate law is when a grocery store has to decide whether to operate as a limited company or as a sole trader, whether to have investors, and what the rules (bylaws) of the company are. Here, the grocery store is dealing with its internal structure.

• Commercial law is when a grocery store engages in commerce, ie in the buying and selling of goods. It buys from suppliers and sells to consumers, and will need contracts and policies for each of these transactions. Here, the grocery store is dealing with external third parties.

Understanding this difference is key to sounding credible in interviews. As I’ve explained in my blog on what is commercial law, a commercial lawyer deals with supply agreements, terms and conditions, and intellectual property.

Here’s a simple table to break it down:

Company law is a related field that underpins much of corporate law, focusing on the legal activities involved in establishing, managing, and restructuring companies.

While distinct, they are deeply linked. You can’t be a great corporate lawyer without understanding the commercial contracts that give a company its value. My guide on what business lawyers do in the UK explores this crossover in more detail.

Chapter 3: How To Get Into Corporate Law: The Modern Path

The route to becoming a solicitor in England and Wales has undergone its biggest change in 30 years. To become a solicitor in the UK, aspiring solicitors can follow a new qualification process that applies to those wishing to become a corporate lawyer as well as other legal professionals. The old path (degree, LPC, training contract) is being phased out, and the process is highly competitive, especially for those aiming to enter corporate law.

The new, more flexible route is centred on the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). Here’s the step-by-step process.

Step 1: The Academic Stage (Degree)

You need a degree-level qualification. This can be:

• An Undergraduate Law Degree (LLB): This is the traditional route and provides the foundational legal education, covering core legal subjects necessary for qualifying as a solicitor or pursuing further legal training.

• A Non-Law Degree: If you are a non law graduate, this pathway is increasingly common and highly valued. Firms appreciate the diverse perspectives that non law graduates in history, science, economics, or a related field such as business or finance bring to the profession. As a non law graduate, you will need to take a conversion course—often called a law conversion course or a GDL—to gain the foundational legal knowledge required for the SQE. Demonstrating key skills, such as analytical thinking, communication, and adaptability, is especially important for non-law graduates entering corporate law.

Step 2: Pass the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)

This is the new, two-part centralised assessment that all aspiring solicitors must pass. The SQE1 has replaced the Legal Practice Course (LPC) as the main route to qualification, marking a significant change in legal education and training.

• SQE1: A multiple-choice exam that tests your “Functioning Legal Knowledge” (FLK). It covers everything from contract law and tort to business law and practice.

• SQE2: A practical skills assessment. You’ll be tested on your client interviewing, advocacy, legal writing, drafting, and case analysis.

The SQE is designed to assess whether candidates are ready for legal practice as a solicitor, ensuring they have both the knowledge and practical skills required.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) website is the official source for all things SQE, and I highly recommend you read their full SQE overview.

Step 3: Qualifying Work Experience (QWE)

This is the biggest change. The rigid two-year “training contract” has been replaced by Qualifying Work Experience (QWE).

You must complete two years of full-time (or equivalent) QWE. The great news is this is much more flexible. QWE can be obtained:

• At a traditional law firm (this is still the most common way).

• In-house at a company’s legal department.

• At a law clinic or charity.

• Through a paralegal role.

When does the Qualifying Work Experience need to happen? Again, this is very flexible:

• Simultaneously to you sitting the SQE.

• Before you sit the SQE; or

• After you sit the SQE.

You can also combine experience from up to four different organisations. However, for a career in corporate law, the “gold standard” remains securing a training contract (which now simply counts as your QWE) at a firm with a strong corporate department. Training contracts are still a key route to qualification and are highly sought after by aspiring solicitors. During the training contract period, a trainee solicitor will typically rotate through various practice areas, gaining hands-on experience and developing essential legal skills. Many law firms offer training contracts and work placements to support those looking to qualify, especially for candidates coming from different backgrounds or conversion courses.

Before applying for training contracts, students can also take advantage of insight schemes—programs such as workshops, open days, and vacation schemes—which provide valuable exposure to corporate law and help build networks within the profession.

How to Get Relevant Experience (The #1 Factor) to secure a Training Contract

You can have perfect academics, but in a competitive field like corporate law, it’s often not enough. The single most important thing you can do to secure a job is to gain relevant experience.

Why is this the number one factor?

1. You become valuable: An employer sees you as an asset, not just a trainee. You already have a baseline understanding of the work, which means you’ll learn faster and contribute sooner.

2. You learn the “real world”: Experience teaches you how to operate in a professional working environment—how to communicate, manage tasks, and navigate workplace culture.

Getting your first break can feel like a catch-22 (you need experience to get experience). Here are three powerful strategies to break that cycle.

Tip 1: Pursue Traditional Experience (Even if Unpaid)

Your first step should be to apply for internships, paralegal roles, or legal assistant positions. These are the classic routes for a reason.

A crucial mindset shift is required here. As a student or recent graduate, you are not yet valuable enough to command a high salary. Your priority is not the money; the money will come later.

Your goal is to get paid in work experience and knowledge.

This hands-on experience in a firm is invaluable. It will form the foundation of your CV and give you talking points for every future interview.

Tip 2: Become a Subject Matter Expert (and Prove It)

Start writing content and blogs specifically about corporate law.

Think about it: to write clearly about a topic, you are forced to truly learn it. You can’t hide behind vague ideas. This process is one of the best ways to build a deep, practical skillset and—just as importantly—create a public portfolio that evidences your understanding and passion.

You can start your own blog, post articles on LinkedIn, or even contribute to established publications. (For example, you could write for Zoppi & Co and be featured as the author of blogs and news articles).

Tip 3: The Ultimate DIY Project: Run Your Own Company

This is the most innovative strategy and will make you stand out. Instead of waiting for experience, create it yourself.

Set up your own private limited company on Companies House. You can issue 1,000 shares at a nominal value of £0.01 each, so your total financial commitment is just £10.

But don’t just register the name. The real value comes from properly producing all the relevant ancillary corporate documents, just as a lawyer would. This includes:

• Board minutes for all decisions

• Share certificates

• The company’s statutory registers (register of members, directors, PSC, etc.)

Once you’re set up, use your company to practice corporate law. Conduct all the different procedures a real company goes through. You can see a great list of services to try on this page (scroll down to “Explore all of our Corporate Lawyer Services”).

Set yourself a schedule—perhaps one new procedure per week or month, depending on your other commitments.

• Start simple: Transfer some shares to a sibling. Don’t just update Companies House. Do it properly. Draft the stock transfer form, hold (and minute) a board meeting to approve it, issue a new share certificate, update your statutory registers, and then file the necessary forms.

• Get complex: As you gain confidence, try more advanced procedures. Adopt a set of bespoke articles of association. Conduct a share buyback that is funded by a fresh issue of shares.

The key is to keep all the documentation. When you apply for training contracts, you can include this “LTD project” on your application. It’s a tangible demonstration of your initiative, innovation, and understanding of the exact work you’ll be hired to do.

Step 4: Submit your application and meet the SRA’s Character and Suitability Requirements

Once you have gained the QWE and successfully passed the SQE1 and SQE2, you are ready to submit your application to the SRA to be admitted as a solicitor. They will also conduct a Character and Suitability check to ensure you are fit to be admitted as a solicitor.

Your Next Steps

My advice is to start building your profile now, but make sure to gain real and valuable experience if you want to stand out. Reading the FT won’t be enough to get you a training contract. Go out there really give it your best, if this is indeed what you want out of your life.

Best wishes,

Malcolm Zoppi