BigLaw Deal Sheet Guide: How to Compile and Present Your Transaction List

For experienced transactional associates and counsel applying to lateral positions at Am Law 100, Vault 100, or Am Law 50 firms, the Deal Sheet (also called a Transaction List or Representative Matters list) is often as important, if not more important, than your resume. It is the document that proves your experience, demonstrates the sophistication of your work, and shows partners exactly what you have done and what you can do for their clients.

In the context of lateral hiring, a Deal Sheet is not a term sheet for a business transaction. It is a curated, attorney‑side record of your most significant corporate and finance work product, designed to help hiring partners quickly assess whether you are a fit for their practice.

What is a Deal Sheet for Lawyers?

For transactional lawyers, a Deal Sheet is a structured list of the key transactions you have worked on, organized to highlight your role, the type and size of the deals, and the complexity of the issues you handled. It is the transactional counterpart to a litigator's Representative Matters list.

A strong Deal Sheet for lateral recruiting should:

Identify the types of deals (M&A, capital markets, finance, fund work, etc.) you handle.
Provide enough detail for partners to gauge deal size, sophistication, and client type.
Make your personal contribution clear, what you actually did, not just what the team did.
Be formatted so that someone skimming for 30 seconds can understand your "deal story."

Because it goes beyond the high‑level bullet points in your attorney resume, your Deal Sheet often becomes the anchor document partners use when deciding whether to interview and how to staff you if you join.

Why Deal Sheets Matter for Lateral Moves

When a partner reviews a lateral corporate candidate, the core questions are straightforward:

Experience level: Have you worked on deals of similar size and complexity?
Practice fit: Do your transactions match the firm's focus (e.g., sponsor‑side PE, strategic public M&A, high‑yield, leveraged finance, venture work)?
Sophistication: Have you seen the kinds of structures, regulatory issues, and market terms their clients expect?
Client base: Are you used to representing public companies, sponsors, portfolio companies, PE funds, banks, startups, or a mix?
Role and responsibility: Were you running workstreams or just doing diligence and ancillary documents?

Your Deal Sheet answers these questions in a way a resume cannot. Well‑drafted bullet points help, but only a transaction‑level list shows, with concrete examples, the scale and complexity of your work and how your responsibilities have progressed over time.

A polished Deal Sheet is also a marketing tool. Like a public "Representative Matters" section on a partner's bio, it conveys thoroughness, judgment, and pride of ownership, traits partners and clients both look for in experienced lawyers.

What to Include in Your Deal Sheet

Your goal is to give a clear, accurate, and impressive snapshot of your core deal experience. For each transaction you include, try to cover the following elements in a concise format.

1. Transaction Type

Use consistent labels and group deals by type so partners can quickly see what you do. Common categories:

Mergers and acquisitions (public and private M&A, divestitures, carve‑outs)
Capital markets (IPOs, follow‑ons, high‑yield, investment‑grade debt, convertibles)
Private equity and leveraged buyouts
Venture capital and growth equity financings
Fund formation and co‑investment structures
Joint ventures and strategic alliances
Restructurings and distressed M&A
Real estate and project finance transactions
Other corporate transactions (reorganizations, recapitalizations, minority investments)

2. Deal Size / Value

Deal size is one of the fastest heuristics partners use to assess sophistication.

Include deal values when publicly disclosed or clearly non‑confidential.
Use ranges when you cannot give precise numbers (e.g., "$500M–$1B," "sub‑$100M," "multi‑billion‑dollar").
For middle‑market practices, descriptors like "upper middle‑market" or "lower middle‑market" can be helpful when exact values are not public.

3. Your Role

You are not just listing what the team did; you are showcasing what you did.

Use specific descriptors: "Lead associate," "Primary associate," "Key associate," "Supporting associate."
Indicate when you ran a workstream: e.g., "Led due diligence," "Primary drafter of credit agreement," "Ran disclosure and 10b‑5 process."
Be precise and honest; experienced partners can sense inflation and often know the counterparties or people involved.

4. Key Responsibilities

A few concise bullets should explain your substantive contributions:

Drafting and negotiating core documents (e.g., purchase/merger agreements, credit agreements, indentures, disclosure documents, joint venture agreements).
Managing due diligence and coordinating specialist teams.
Running signing/closing checklists and overseeing conditions precedent.
Handling regulatory or disclosure components (e.g., HSR filings, CFIUS issues, securities law compliance).
Leading client communications on specific streams or issues.

If a transaction involved unusual or complex issues, briefly flag them—without turning each entry into a mini case study.

5. Client Description

Protect confidentiality while giving enough context for the reader to understand the client profile:

Client type: "Public technology company," "Middle‑market PE sponsor," "Global financial institution," "Growth‑stage SaaS company."
Sector: "Healthcare," "Energy and infrastructure," "Fintech," "Consumer and retail."
Side of the deal: "Represented the buyer/seller/issuer/underwriters/administrative agent."

Avoid using names on non‑public matters. For public or widely reported deals, it is generally acceptable to use party names if your firm already markets the matter on its website or press releases.

6. Deal Status

Not every transaction closes, and that is fine—as long as you are clear:

"Closed [month/year]"
"Announced but not yet closed"
"Transaction launched but terminated prior to closing"

For lateral hiring, closed deals usually carry more weight, but high‑value or instructive "broken" deals can still be worth including if they show relevant experience.

7. Notable Features

Selective use of "notables" helps highlight sophistication:

Cross‑border or multi‑jurisdictional elements.
Complex regulatory overlay (e.g., CFIUS, FDI regimes, sector‑specific regulators).
Novel structures or market‑leading terms.
Accelerated timelines or crisis‑driven deals (e.g., distressed, COVID‑era financings).

Use this sparingly. One short sentence is often enough: "Notable: Cross‑border transaction with CFIUS and multi‑jurisdictional merger control clearance."

How to Organize Your Deal Sheet

There is no single "correct" structure, but it must be logical, scannable, and aligned with the roles you are targeting.

Chronological (Most Recent First)

Best for: Lawyers with a relatively focused practice (e.g., nearly all sponsor‑side M&A or leveraged finance).

Pros: Shows progression and keeps the most recent deals at the top.
Cons: Mixed deal types can make it harder for partners to find specific categories relevant to an opening.

By Transaction Type

Best for: Lawyers with diversified or hybrid practices.

Pros: Easy for partners to jump directly to, say, "Capital Markets – High‑Yield" or "Private Equity – Buyouts."
Cons: Timeline and progression are less obvious unless you include years and arrange each category in reverse chronological order.

By Deal Size or Profile

Best for: Lawyers whose value proposition is very large‑cap or "headline" deals.

Pros: High‑impact matters are front‑loaded and immediately visible.
Cons: Can underplay smaller but responsibility‑heavy matters that show leadership.

Hybrid Approach (Recommended)

For most experienced transactional associates and counsel, a hybrid format works best:

Group by transaction type (e.g., "Mergers & Acquisitions," "Capital Markets," "Private Equity / Venture Capital," "Financings").
Within each category, list deals in reverse chronological order with year (and month where helpful).
Consider brief sub‑groupings if you have sufficient volume (e.g., "M&A – Strategic" vs. "M&A – Private Equity").

This lets partners quickly find what they are looking for while still showing how your responsibilities have grown over time.

Formatting Guidelines for Experienced Lawyers

Experienced readers subconsciously interpret your formatting as a signal of your work product.

Length: For mid‑level associates, 2–4 pages is typical. Senior associates and counsel may have longer lists, but if you are pushing beyond 5–6 pages, consider creating tailored, shorter versions for specific applications.
Consistency: Use one style for headings, dates, and bullets throughout. Inconsistent dashes, date formats, or indenting signal poor attention to detail.
Readability: Use clear headings, subheadings by deal type, and bullet points. Avoid long, dense paragraphs under each entry.
Alignment with resume: Match fonts and general styling to your lateral associate resume and cover letter so the materials read as a unified package.

Sample Deal Sheet Structure

You can adapt the following structure to your own practice:

[YOUR NAME]
DEAL SHEET / REPRESENTATIVE TRANSACTIONS

[Optional 2–3 sentence intro: practice focus, years of experience, primary client/industry focus.]

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

Acquisition of Technology Company by Private Equity Firm | 2024
Client: Middle‑market private equity sponsor (buy‑side)
Deal Size: Approximately $750 million
Role: Lead associate representing the buyer
• Drafted and negotiated the purchase agreement, including complex earn‑out provisions and working capital adjustments.
• Managed due diligence across three jurisdictions, coordinating with local counsel and specialist teams.
• Advised on CFIUS and antitrust issues and coordinated regulatory filings.
Notable: Cross‑border transaction with compressed 60‑day signing timeline; multiple regulatory clearances.

[Next M&A deal…]

CAPITAL MARKETS

[Deal description] | [Year]
Client: [Issuer/Underwriters; sector]
Deal Size: [Amount or range]
Role: [Your role]
• [Key responsibility 1]
• [Key responsibility 2]

PRIVATE EQUITY / VENTURE CAPITAL

[Deal description] | [Year]
Client: [Fund/sponsor/company]
Deal Size: [Amount or range]
Role: [Your role]
• [Key responsibility 1]
• [Key responsibility 2]

OTHER TRANSACTIONS

[Deal description] | [Year]
Client: [Description]
Role: [Your role]
• [Key responsibility 1]
• [Key responsibility 2]

Quality Over Quantity: Choosing Which Deals to Include

The instinct, especially for experienced lawyers, is to list everything. Resist it. Your Deal Sheet should read like a curated highlight reel, not a time sheet.

Prioritize:

Deals where you had meaningful responsibility (ran a workstream, drafted core documents, solved key issues).
Transactions that mirror the work you want to do going forward.
Matters that show increasing autonomy and progression.
Recent deals (last 3–5 years), especially in your target practice area.

Consider including:

Smaller or mid‑market deals where you were effectively the "lead" or ran major workstreams.
Pro bono or non‑billable transactions if they demonstrate directly relevant skills.
Selected "broken" deals if they were significant and you did substantial work, clearly labeled as not closed.

Generally exclude or compress:

Matters where you had minimal substantive involvement.
Very old deals that no longer reflect your current level (unless they are marquee matters).
Long runs of nearly identical deals, summarize them (e.g., "Represented a major bank in more than 20 syndicated lending transactions totaling over $X billion").

Confidentiality and Ethical Considerations

You must respect client confidentiality and firm policies while still giving useful detail.

Public deals: If the matter is public and your firm already markets it (e.g., on the website or in press releases), it is usually acceptable to use party names, deal size, and public terms.
Non‑public deals: Describe clients generically ("a global pharmaceutical company," "a middle‑market PE fund") and use ranges for deal size. Avoid including details that would allow a reader to easily deduce the client.
Firm policies: Some firms have specific guidance on how associates may describe matters in marketing materials or job applications; when in doubt, ask or err on the side of generic descriptions.
Dual versions: Many lateral candidates maintain:
- An "external" Deal Sheet with scrubbed, non‑identifying descriptions.
- A private, more detailed version used for interview prep so they can confidently discuss issues, structures, and challenges they handled.

Common Mistakes Experienced Lawyers Should Avoid

Even senior associates and counsel make avoidable errors that undermine otherwise strong deal histories.

Exaggerating your role: Partners can and do verify roles through internal and external networks. Overstating responsibilities is a fast way to lose credibility. If you were a supporting associate on a $2B deal say so; that is still impressive.
Listing every transaction you have ever worked on: A 10‑page, uncurated list suggests poor judgment and makes it harder for partners to see your best work. Focus on 10–20 representative transactions (more for very senior candidates), and consider targeted versions for different roles.
Vague, generic descriptions: Entries like "Worked on M&A transaction" or "Assisted with financing" tell the reader nothing. Be specific about deal type, client type, deal size, and your concrete responsibilities.
Inconsistent formatting and sloppy proofreading: In transactional practice, details matter. Typos, inconsistent date formats, and misaligned bullets send the wrong message about your drafting and closing skills.
Outdated or misaligned content: A Deal Sheet filled with out‑of‑practice‑area work or deals that ended five+ years ago without more recent matters invites questions. Make sure the list reflects the work you are doing now and want to continue doing.
Ignoring deal values where you can share them: When disclosure is possible, include deal values or ranges. Without them, partners have to guess at the scale of your experience.
Mismatch with your resume and writing sample: If your resume claims extensive sponsor‑side work but your Deal Sheet is dominated by issuer‑side capital markets, or your writing sample comes from a completely different area, partners will notice the inconsistency.

Tailoring Your Deal Sheet for Specific Lateral Applications

Experienced lawyers should rarely use a single one‑size‑fits‑all Deal Sheet. Instead, treat it like a modular document you can adapt for different opportunities.

By practice focus: For a sponsor‑side PE role, move private equity and leveraged buyouts to the top and expand those entries. For a public‑company M&A team, foreground strategic M&A and securities‑disclosure heavy work.
By firm type and size:
- Large international firms may prioritize cross‑border, large‑cap, or highly structured transactions.
- Elite boutiques or smaller firms may care more about direct client exposure, autonomy, and the breadth of your experience.
By geography: Emphasize deals in the target market and any cross‑border work touching that region. Note local counsel coordination if it demonstrates relevant regional experience.

Think of each tailored version as a targeted "pitch deck" for your candidacy in that specific practice.

Habits and Workflow: Building Your Deal Sheet Over Time

The easiest way to have an impressive Deal Sheet when you need it is to build it continuously, not in a panic when a recruiter emails you.

Update as you go: After each significant signing or closing, add an entry to a running Word document with full details (including confidential information for your eyes only), then create a scrubbed version when needed.
Capture your role while it is fresh: Jot down exactly what you drafted, negotiated, or led. Months later, those details are much harder to reconstruct accurately.
Use it as a career audit tool: Periodically review your list to see patterns. Are you getting enough lead opportunities? Are you light on public M&A or high‑yield if that is your target? Use that information to steer staffing conversations.

Frequently Asked Questions for Experienced Transactional Lawyers

How many deals should I include?

For mid‑level associates, 10–20 strong, relevant deals is typical. Senior associates and counsel may have 20–40, but even at that level, curation is critical. If a matter does not advance the story you want to tell, consider cutting or compressing it.

Can I include deals from my current firm?

Yes, subject to confidentiality and firm policy. Use generic descriptions if you cannot use names or precise values, and avoid disclosing sensitive information.

Should I list deals that did not close?

Yes, when they show meaningful, relevant experience. Clearly mark them as "terminated" or "announced but not closed," and prioritize closed deals where possible.

Can I include law school or clerkship transactions?

For experienced lawyers, focus on post‑qualification practice work. The exception is highly unusual or directly relevant pre‑practice transactional experience, but even then it should not dominate the list.

How should I submit my Deal Sheet?

Typically as a separate, consistently formatted PDF, submitted alongside your resume and, where requested, your legal writing sample. Some firms ask for it upfront; others will request it later in the process—have it ready from day one.

A well‑crafted Deal Sheet is more than an administrative attachment; it is the core proof of your value as an experienced transactional lawyer. If you invest the time to curate, format, and update it thoughtfully, it will not only help you secure interviews but also give future partners and clients a clear picture of what you can deliver.