Launch Program for Corporate and Life Sciences Associates

Propelling you immediately into working on a wide range of corporate and life sciences transactions, our Launch Program is specifically designed for associates in our Palo Alto and San Francisco offices.

Launch delivers challenging work, broad exposure to attorneys at all levels, and the opportunity to work with clients in different industries and life stages.

One-on-One Support and Coaching

When you join our corporate and life sciences practices in Palo Alto and San Francisco, you’ll join our Launch program. From the Bay Area, you’ll have access to our dynamic tech and life sciences client base.

We value teaching and learning at every stage of your career. And as a first-and second-year associate, we understand that navigating Big Law can be challenging.

In your two years in Launch, a Career Development Specialist will meet with you regularly to discuss your goals, workload, and who you enjoy working with to ensure you are reaching your fullest potential. Additionally, the Career Development Specialist will gather informal feedback from your supervising attorneys and provide you coaching to address it so that you can course-correct and continue growing your skillset.

“One of the unique things about being a junior associate here at Wilson Sonsini, is that in the corporate department, you have an opportunity to work on a wide range of matters. This allows you to figure out what you’re best at, what you enjoy working on, and who you enjoy working with.”
Liz Blong
Director of Career Development

Build Client Relationships That Can Last a Lifetime

Through Launch, you’ll have the opportunity to work with innovative early-stage start-ups on general corporate matters and transactions that give your clients stability, expanded reach, and access to new markets.

These clients are eager to grow their business and will lean on you for support. By guiding founders every step of the way, you’ll gain insight into their concerns and build rapport that can grow into long-standing attorney-client relationships.

You’ll also get the chance to work with the biggest global companies in tech and life sciences, giving you an incredible range of experience and opportunity to build client relationships.

This is a level of exposure, responsibility, and experience you won’t find anywhere else in Big Law.

Align Your Assignments with Your Interests

Launch features a dedicated Career Development Specialist who will allocate work that aligns with your passion and career interests—a level of support unusual among Big Law firms.

For example, if you’re interested in gaming companies or have always wanted to work with female founders, the Career Development Specialist will connect you with partners and associates working on clients that meet those interests.

“The Launch program gave me the opportunity to explore my interests by working with clients and attorneys across the wide variety of corporate matters handled by Wilson Sonsini. Launch provided me with a broad skillset and a solid understanding of the different challenges our clients face throughout their lifecycle. This allowed me to find what I’m most passionate about and develop a practice tailored towards those areas. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities that Launch afforded me and the connections I developed through the program.”
Gordon W. Grafft
Corporate Associate
Palo Alto

Direct Mentoring from Associates and Partners

When you join Launch, you are paired with a partner mentor for the duration of the program. Partner mentors act as a sounding board and meet with you to discuss how you’re doing, what you’re working on, and any questions you may have. You can also seek guidance from a group of highly-regarded associates, most of whom graduated from the Launch program, and cultivate an informal mentoring relationship with them.

Gain Experience in a Variety of Corporate Work

In Launch, you are encouraged to work on a variety of matters and are not limited to working with one team or corporate practice area.

By engaging in a range of corporate matters, including company formations, private financings, public offerings, public company reporting, mergers and acquisitions, debt transactions, structured finance, licensing, commercial transactions, and corporate governance, you’ll gain substantive legal expertise and client counseling skills across the board.