Corporate Associate @ Tech Firm w/ Unicorn Clients (Los Angeles)

Overview

Whistler Partners is partnering with a high-growth, company-side venture practice that launched just three years ago and is already advising 20+ unicorn startups alongside a concentrated group of repeat founders.

The team is lean, deeply collaborative, and intentionally built around a founder-first, company-side model—no VC pipeline dependency, no volume-driven workflow, and no assembly-line deal execution.

This is a rare opportunity for associates looking to step into high-impact venture work with real ownership, direct client exposure, and long-term founder relationships.

Why this role?

This group operates differently from traditional venture or M&A teams.

Rather than relying on standardized NVCA-driven processes, the practice focuses on bespoke agreements for high-growth companies, often involving more complex structuring, longer negotiation cycles, and more strategic advisory work. Associates are brought directly into client conversations early—partners are hands-on, the structure is flat, and junior lawyers are expected to operate as true extensions of the client team. The culture is high-performance but highly human: strong internal cohesion, transparency, and genuine team connection (including annual offsites). And unlike many elite corporate groups, this team is built to be remote-first—not remote-tolerant.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise venture-backed companies and repeat founders across key growth milestones—from pre-seed through Series A and beyond.
• Draft and negotiate tailored venture and commercial agreements for unicorn and emerging unicorn companies.
• Serve as a strategic partner to founders and in-house teams, not just a deal executor.
• Work closely with partners in a flat structure with consistent inclusion in client-facing discussions.
• Build commercial judgment and client management skills through high-touch exposure and repeat founder relationships.
• Collaborate with a dedicated M&A support function as needed, without a requirement to specialize in M&A.

Top Requirements

• 3–5 years of corporate / ECVC experience.
• Strong drafting skills and solid corporate training foundation.
• Genuine interest in company-side work and founder-facing advisory roles.
• Comfort operating in a collaborative, conversational, and client-facing environment.
• High ownership mentality with a proactive, builder-oriented mindset.
• Background from a top corporate platform (or similarly rigorous training) strongly preferred—especially for candidates looking to transition into a more strategic venture advisory role.

Location / Flexibility

Fully remote-friendly, with an established and well-functioning distributed team model.

TL;DR

Remote-first venture group advising 20+ unicorns and repeat founders. Company-side only, flat structure, real client access, and higher-value bespoke work (not NVCA churn). Strong culture, high expectations, and meaningful long-term growth.

About Whistler Partners

Matchmakers, Not Headhunters

Whistler Partners is a boutique matchmaking firm focused on counseling the best and the brightest attorneys over the course of their careers. We believe that the right move comes from working closely with talent to curate their long-term career paths. When it comes to career advice, what matters is not the size of the agency but the strength of your individual recruiter. We readily admit that we are elite and only work with the best – after all, a little elitism is okay when it comes to your career.

Employers love us because we are picky about whom we represent, and attorneys love us because we get them their dream jobs.