Some lawyers who begin their careers in corporate practice find themselves drawn to disputes, litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution. Moving from the transactional world to the contentious one is a genuine shift, but it is achievable with the right approach. Your corporate experience can provide a useful foundation, particularly your commercial understanding, while disputes-specific knowledge and skills can be developed over time. Here is an honest, practical guide to moving from corporate to disputes.
Quick answer
Moving from corporate to disputes means shifting from transactional and advisory work involving deals, companies and commercial matters to disputes work involving litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution. The two areas differ in their nature, but your existing legal skills can provide a foundation for the transition.
Start by understanding why you want to move and whether disputes genuinely fit your interests. Identify the skills you already have, including drafting, attention to detail, analysis and commercial understanding. Then build the knowledge and skills required for disputes work, particularly legal argument, advocacy, procedural knowledge and disputes strategy.
You will also need relevant disputes experience, which may come through a move within your existing firm or organisation or through a role elsewhere. Position your experience well in your CV, applications and interviews, and be realistic about the learning curve as you develop disputes expertise.
Your corporate experience is not wasted. In particular, your commercial understanding can be a useful asset in commercial disputes, where the business context matters. With clarity, effort and patience, you can work towards a transition into disputes.
Understand the shift
Corporate law is primarily transactional and advisory, involving deals, companies, commercial matters, drafting and legal advice. Disputes work is contentious, focusing on resolving contested matters through legal analysis, argument and advocacy.
Moving from one to the other therefore means learning a different way of approaching legal work. Understanding this distinction helps you identify the knowledge and skills you need to develop and prepare for the demands of disputes practice.
Leverage your transferable skills, including commercial understanding
Corporate work develops valuable skills that can transfer to disputes, including drafting, attention to detail, legal analysis and commercial understanding. These abilities give you a foundation on which to build your disputes expertise.
Your commercial understanding can be particularly useful in commercial and corporate-related disputes. Familiarity with how businesses operate and the commercial context behind transactions may help you understand the issues involved in a dispute.
Recognise these strengths as part of what you bring to disputes practice. Your existing experience is not something you need to discard, but you will need to build the disputes-specific knowledge and skills that your new area requires.
Build disputes knowledge and gain disputes experience
Build disputes knowledge and skills
Develop the knowledge and skills required for disputes work, particularly legal analysis, argument and advocacy, procedural knowledge and disputes strategy.
Understanding the relevant legal principles is important, but disputes practice also requires you to understand how disputes are handled and how arguments are developed and presented. Building this knowledge will help prepare you for the practical demands of the work.
Gain disputes experience
Look for opportunities to work on disputes matters and gain practical exposure. Depending on your circumstances, this could involve moving to a disputes team within your existing firm or organisation, or pursuing a role elsewhere.
An internal move, where available, can provide an opportunity to develop disputes experience while building on your existing professional relationships. Other opportunities may also be suitable, depending on your experience and the roles available.
Building disputes-specific knowledge alongside practical experience is what helps turn your intention to switch into a genuine career transition.
Position yourself well, and be realistic and patient
When applying for disputes roles, demonstrate how your corporate experience is relevant to the work. Highlight your transferable skills, including drafting, analytical ability, attention to detail and commercial understanding. Explain your genuine interest in disputes and show the knowledge you have been developing in the area.
Your CV, applications and interviews should make the connection between your previous experience and your intended direction clear.
Be realistic about the learning curve. Moving into disputes may require you to develop new skills, particularly in advocacy and procedure. This is a normal part of changing practice areas, and it takes time to build confidence and competence in a different kind of legal work.
With preparation, persistence and a willingness to learn, you can build on your existing strengths and work towards the move.
YLCC ACTION STEP: To move from corporate to disputes, be clear about why you want to make the transition and whether disputes fit your interests. Leverage your existing skills in drafting, attention to detail, analysis and commercial understanding. Build disputes knowledge, particularly in argument, advocacy, procedure and strategy. Seek relevant disputes experience, including an internal move to a disputes team where possible. Position yourself well in applications and interviews, and be patient with the learning curve.
If this is you
If you want to move from corporate to disputes, understand the differences between the two areas, identify your transferable skills and build the knowledge and experience required for the transition.
If you worry that your corporate experience will not help, remember that drafting, attention to detail, analysis and commercial understanding can provide a useful foundation. Your commercial understanding may be particularly valuable in commercial disputes. Focus on developing the disputes-specific skills you still need.
If the advocacy and procedural aspects feel daunting, recognise that these may be important parts of your learning curve. Build your knowledge through learning and practical disputes experience, and consider an internal move to a disputes team where possible. Give yourself time to develop.
FAQs
- How do I move from corporate to disputes? Be clear about why you want to move, leverage your transferable corporate skills, build disputes knowledge in analysis, argument, advocacy, procedure and strategy, gain relevant experience, position yourself well and be realistic about the learning curve.
- Is moving from corporate to disputes a big change? Yes. Corporate work is primarily transactional and advisory, while disputes work focuses on contentious matters and involves legal analysis, argument and advocacy. The transition is achievable with preparation and a willingness to learn.
- Do my corporate skills transfer to disputes? Yes. Drafting, attention to detail, analysis and commercial understanding can provide a useful foundation. Commercial understanding can be particularly valuable in commercial disputes.
- How do I gain disputes experience? Look for opportunities to work on disputes matters, whether through an internal move to a disputes team within your current firm or organisation or by pursuing a role elsewhere.
- What is the main learning curve when moving from corporate to disputes? Developing disputes expertise, particularly in advocacy and procedure, can be a key part of the transition. Build your knowledge and practical experience, and be patient as you develop these skills.
