Corporate law is the body of laws, rules, regulations and practices that govern the formation and operation of corporations. It’s the body of law that regulates legal entities that exist to conduct business. The laws touches on the rights and obligations of all of the people involved with forming, owning, operating and managing a corporation.

The laws and the rules that governs corporations keep all corporations operating on a level playing field. Corporate law is meant to be friendly for business. It’s not meant to make it harder to get things done. The laws exist to make it easier for corporations to do business. Rules that govern forming a corporation and rules for how to take corporate actions are meant to help business and make things fair for everyone. They make sure that corporations act in predictable ways that others can rely on. Most corporate lawyers work for medium or large law firms. That’s because the legal needs of the corporations of appreciable size are significant. A corporation may need advice and help with a diverse set of issues. A large law firm typically has the resources and attorneys with diverse skill sets in order to meet whatever needs the corporation might have. A corporation might call on their lawyers to know every aspect of the laws that might impact the corporation including the formation of the corporation, governance, contracts, shareholder activity and making the appropriate reports to the Security and Exchange Commission.

Corporation leaders typically prefer to have one-stop shopping for their corporate needs. They also tend to prefer a long-term relationship with the attorneys they work with. Medium and large law firms allow large corporations to meet their needs conveniently through a long-term relationship with their law firm.

With corporations throughout the United States and the world, corporate lawyers work everywhere. It’s also one reason why large firms might have multiple offices throughout many jurisdictions in the country and in the world. Lawyers who focus on corporate law must know the subtleties that might apply in the various jurisdictions where the corporation has offices or conducts business.

Corporate lawyers help companies conduct business. They help corporations do business better. Lawyers who like to read and write might enjoy corporate law. Lawyers in this area of practice have to understand and use a complex body of rules and regulations. For lawyers with great reading and reasoning skills, corporate law can be a challenging fit.

A corporate lawyer may represent a corporation throughout the lawyer’s entire career. They might see the corporation through many years of business. Lawyers who prefer a long-term client base might appreciate the long-term working relationships that can form with corporate leaders in this area of practice.

Corporate law is a foundation of economic activity. Corporate lawyer help corporations form and help them do business. A lot of their work is foreseeing problems before they start and helping the corporation take steps to avoid things that can be problematic. Practicing corporate law offers a challenging and sound career for attorneys who can tackle complex concepts and exercise sound judgment. The term refers to the legal practice of law relating to corporations, or to the theory of corporation. Corporate law often describes the law relating to matters which derive directly from the life-cycle of a corporation.  It thus encompasses the formation, funding, governance, and death of a corporation.

Whilst the term company or business law is colloquially used interchangeably with corporate law, business law often refers to wider concepts of commercial law, that is, the law relating to commercial or business related purposes and activities. In some cases, this may include matters relating to corporate governance or financial law.  When used as a substitute for corporate law, business law means the law relating to the business corporation (or business enterprises), including such activity as raising capital, company formation, and registration with the government.