Karen Makes Lists

End of the fiscal year means not only a last push towards the billable requirement finish line but also the obligatory self-assessment for annual reviews. In my junior associate years, I found myself looking back through time sheets and emails in an attempt to reconstruct a year’s worth of work. This process took a considerable amount of time and in the world of billable hours, time is scarce and precious. I quickly learned that the key to a smooth self-assessment process was advanced preparation by maintaining a deal sheet.

What is a Deal Sheet?

A deal sheet lists the transactions which a lawyer has worked on. It is typically used in a job search to accompany one’s resume and provide greater details on experience, but it can also be used to take stock of one’s experience for annual reviews and general self-evaluation.

Deal Sheets: What to Include

I find it easiest to create a deal sheet in Excel, with one tab for each year. Here are the categories I typically include in my deal sheet:

• Date the transaction closed
• Type of transaction (ex: venture financing, M&A, securities offering)
• Description of transaction (ex: acquisition of private company by public company, Series C follow on financing)
• Value/Consideration of transaction (ex: $200M of which 50% was paid in cash and 50% paid in buyer’s common stock)
• My role and examples of work done (ex: lead associate, drafted initial merger agreement and all major ancillary agreements, participated in all negotiations alongside partner in charge)

Maintaining a deal sheet can be challenging, especially when the work flow is heavy but I have found that setting aside a few minutes to update my deal sheet after completing each transaction is a far more efficient use of my time rather than engaging in a time intensive reconstruction process at the end. This method also ensures that I can reference details in my self-assessment to showcase my contributions to the firm.