Corporate Staff Attorney, Investment Management

Corporate Staff Attorney, Investment Management

Corporate Staff Attorney, Investment Management Legal Support Services, San Francisco Office

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with more than 900 lawyers across nine offices with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. Our clients look to us to bring a distinctively high degree of quality, intensity and creativity to resolve legal challenges effectively and cost efficiently. We believe in hiring talented and dedicated individuals as members of our administrative community. We draw on the strength of our culture and structure to deliver the best of our firm to our lawyers and clients through true collaboration.

We are recruiting for a full time Corporate Staff Attorney to join our San Francisco office who is interested in building a career as a valued member of our Investment Management practice. The successful candidate will take on substantive responsibilities throughout the fund formation process, apply legal judgment, develop specialized expertise, play an important role in client relationships and work closely with partners, associates, clients and other professionals in a collaborative and collegial environment.

What You’ll Do

• Manage crucial components of private investment fund formations, including fund launches, investor admissions and closings.

• Draft, review, revise and analyze fund formation documentation, including limited partnership agreements, subscription agreements, confidentiality agreements, transfer agreements and side letters.

• Identify and analyze legal, structural and documentation issues, exercising independent judgment and collaborating with senior attorneys for appropriate resolutions.

• Serve as a key point of contact for designated aspects of fund formation matters, coordinating with attorneys, clients, investors and their representatives.

• Prepare and review fund structure charts, board materials, side letter compendiums and other fund-related documentation.

• Assist with regulatory and compliance filings associated with fund formations.

• Oversee designated aspects of the closing process, including managing documentation, tracking deliverables and coordinating with relevant parties.

• Contribute to the development and implementation of best practices and process improvements within the practice.

• What You’ll Gain

• Specialized expertise: Deepen your knowledge of sophisticated private equity fund structures and formation through meaningful involvement in complex transactions.

• Lasting professional relationships: Build long-term working relationships with experienced attorneys, clients and other professionals within a leading global Investment Management practice.

• Substantive responsibility: Take ownership of important aspects of fund formation matters and assume increasing responsibility as your expertise develops.

• Innovation: Participate in initiatives involving generative AI, emerging legal technologies and process improvement to enhance the efficiency and quality of legal services.

• Knowledge sharing: Contribute to the practice's institutional knowledge through training, mentoring and the development of knowledge management resources.

• What We Seek

• J.D. from an accredited law school and membership in good standing with the California State Bar.

• Two to five years of experience working with private equity in an investment management or law firm.

• Strong legal drafting and analytical skills, including experience reviewing and negotiating fund formation documentation.

• Sound legal judgment, initiative and the ability to independently manage assigned responsibilities while collaborating effectively with senior attorneys and other team members.

• Enthusiastic interest in developing expertise in private fund formation and contributing to a collaborative investment management practice.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills and attention to detail.

• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and an interest in learning and using emerging legal technologies.

• Flexibility to work hours needed to complete assignments and travel as business needs require.

• About the Practice

• The Investment Management practice comprises more than 200 attorneys in our nine global offices and advises leading private fund sponsors and institutional investors throughout the full lifecycle of an investment fund.

• Notable for its combination of scale and market experience, the practice has acted for sponsors or investors in over 3,300 funds representing more than $4.3 trillion of committed capital.

• Awards and rankings:

• Chambers USA and The Legal 500 (US) have ranked the practice top tier in 2025 for Private Equity Fund Formation.

• Chambers USA recognized the practice as leading law firm in 2025 for both Investment Funds: Investor Representations and Investment Funds: Regulatory & Compliance.