What do transactional lawyers do and how do they do it? The course focuses on the lawyer’s role as an advisor to a privately-owned start-up company and its owners. We will explore how legal issues and business objectives overlap, the role played by the transactional lawyer in the transaction and soft skills such as client relations/communications and co-worker relationships. This course will examine the life cycle of a hypothetical company, focusing on sample transactions from three major stages of the company’s life cycle: choice of entity, formation and obtaining capital; ongoing operations; and exiting or sale of the company. Much of the class work will involve working in teams simulating an actual transactional practice. Using hypothetical business scenarios and actual deal documents, students will represent the company, its owners, or third parties and will analyze, structure and negotiate selected deal components, and, on a limited basis, draft portions of the relevant deal documents. This capstone course is designed to broaden the student’s knowledge in a number of substantive areas, help students learn to focus on a client’s business objectives rather than just addressing legal issues, and to begin the process of bridging the gap between law school and practice. The course will be taught by John Herbert, outside general counsel of a Houston-based energy company and formerly a division general counsel of a Fortune 30 energy corporation. Business Enterprises is a prerequisite. Grades will be based on periodic written team and individual exercises, a personal journal, and a final written project. There will be no final exam. (2 Credits)