Defense Tech Associate

Whistler Partners; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Whistler Partners is assisting a leading national law firm hiring corporate associates in New York, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. The work centers on defense technology and other emerging sectors, handling venture financings, governance, and strategic transactions for founders and management teams.

The firm seeks mid-level and senior associates eager to take on more responsibility, with ownership opportunities and a path toward partnership.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active bar admission in good standing.
• Experience in venture financing and corporate transactions.
• Experience with defense tech or high-growth technology companies is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Represent defense tech and high-growth technology companies in venture financings and general corporate matters.
• Lead governance and strategic transactional work with founders and executives.
• Develop client relationships and take increasing matter ownership toward partnership.

Skills

Corporate law

Venture financing

M&A

Startup experience

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

Whistler Partners is working with a leading national law firm hiring corporate associates in New York, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. The practice represents sophisticated venture-backed companies across defense technology and other emerging sectors, advising them through financings, growth, governance, and ongoing corporate matters. This is an Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice at its core, with lawyers working directly with founders and management teams building some of the most ambitious technology companies in the market.

Job Overview

The firm is hiring across levels, with a significant need for experienced mid-level and senior associates who are ready to take on more responsibility. Associates will represent defense tech and other high-growth technology companies on venture financings, general corporate matters, governance, and strategic transactions. The work gives lawyers the opportunity to stay close to clients through multiple stages of growth rather than rotate in and out for isolated deals. The team is particularly attractive for associates who want more ownership. Lawyers can take increasingly meaningful responsibility for running transactions, working directly with founders and executives, and developing the client relationships that ultimately matter for advancement. Senior associates should pay particular attention to the opportunity. The practice is growing, the client demand is strong, and lawyers who can run matters and become trusted advisers have a meaningful path to partnership. The same platform also creates strong in-house optionality for lawyers who eventually want to join a defense or emerging technology company they have spent their careers advising.

About You

• Corporate associate with experience in emerging companies, venture financings, startups, or comparable transactional work.
• Experience with venture-backed technology companies, founders, or investors is valuable.
• Candidates from major firms as well as smaller technology and startup-focused practices will be considered.
• Mid-level and senior associates with meaningful deal responsibility are particularly attractive.
• Select corporate and M&A lawyers may be considered for a retool where there is a credible technology or growth-company story.
• Lawyers currently working in-house may also be considered where the prior law-firm experience is strong.

This is a chance to build a sophisticated corporate practice around defense tech and emerging technology clients while gaining more deal ownership, more direct client exposure, and a clearer path toward partnership.

Interested?

This search is being led by Allison Hill at Whistler Partners.

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.