However, these are some of the specialties for which our graduates can prepare themselves through the study of business and commercial law. Commercial Law Commercial lawyers are concerned primarily with the transfer of goods, services, or other value from one business entity to another. The sale of a piece of machinery is a commercial transaction. So too is the sale of a National Football League franchise. Commercial lawyers may work in-house with a business, may be solo practitioners, or may work for a law firm.
Some commercial lawyers practice with federal, state, or local government entities.
Commercial lawyers structure and document transactions, are concerned with how transactions will be financed, and sort out competing claims of creditors when transactions do not go as planned. Negotiation, counseling, and drafting skills are critical to the commercial law practitioner. The practices of corporate and securities lawyers range from representing a large corporation in a high-profile takeover battle played out on the front pages of The Wall Street Journal to helping an entrepreneur set up a local hardware store. Lawyers who practice in this area assist clients in forming business entities, structuring the relationships among investors and managers, raising capital through public or private offerings of securities or by selling assets, and resolving disputes related to management of business entities or the sale of securities. Intellectual Property Law Intellectual property lawyers assist clients in securing and protecting the client's intellectual property assets.