ANALYSIS: Securities Lawyers Wage a Tug of War Over Legal Tasks

Securities and capital markets lawyers disagree strongly about whether in-house counsel or law firms are better suited to perform certain tasks, according to results of Bloomberg Law’s recent survey of lawyers in those practice areas. While the survey details much agreement among practitioners, it also reveals several areas that may benefit from deeper conversation between companies and their outside counsel.

Law firm and in-house attorneys generally agree about whether certain transactional and regulatory tasks most common in capital markets and securities practices should be completed in-house or externally. But due diligence request lists, terms sheets, ancillary agreements, and closing checklists ...