Senior associate in Biglaw practicing M&A in NYC and thinking of opening my own firm in the new year in a secondary market. I don’t have any of my own clients (and M&A might be impossible to practice solo) - any advice on where/how to start? Which areas of corporate law are easiest to practice solo?

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You can business formations, contract drafting/reviewing, do smaller scale M&A transactions. There are helpful CLEs on starting your own firm. Good luck!

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Which of those CLEs would you recommend? (if you remember the provider / course)

Look for PE clients that can keep you busy.

Good luck! I haven’t used it but I hear the My Shingle website is helpful. Check with your Bar or professional liability insurer on resources for starting a firm. Network as much as possible- if your state has a small firm or solo section, it can be a good resource. If you’re on Facebook, there is a group called Lawyer on the Beach that has great tech and other advice and resources - the admin of that group does family law, but she shares great info on systems, etc. I do everything from formation, contract drafting, M&A, and some commercial RE. You could also provide services as a contract attorney to other firms while developing your own client base - they will like your BigLaw experience. M&A as a solo is totally doable! Attorneys are great referral sources - if you go out on your own, tell everyone you know and all of your attorney friends - including those at BigLaw. I get referrals from friends in BigLaw when they have contacts who don’t want to pay the high BigLaw rates. Good luck!

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