Overview
Whistler Partners is partnering with a rapidly growing, company-side venture group that launched just three years ago and is already advising more than 20 unicorn startups, along with a tight roster of repeat-founder clients.
The team is lean, highly collaborative, and built around a founder-friendly, company-centric model. No VC referral machine, no high-volume churn, and no "form factory" workflow.
This is a standout opportunity for a corporate associate who wants sophisticated venture and strategic company-building work with real client access, meaningful ownership, and a fully remote-friendly platform.
Why this role?
This group is different from traditional venture and M&A platforms.
Instead of spending the day running standardized forms, the team focuses on custom agreements for unicorn and near-unicorn startups, with more nuanced provisions, longer negotiation timelines, and higher-value strategic work. Associates are embedded in client conversations early and often. Partners are deeply involved, the hierarchy is flat, and associates are treated like true extensions of the client team. The culture is demanding, but genuinely connected: strong camaraderie, transparency, and a real team dynamic. Unlike many elite corporate groups, remote preference is not a red flag here. The group is already built to operate successfully in a distributed model.
Key Responsibilities
- Advise high-growth, venture-backed companies and repeat founders through key inflection points, often starting before a first financing round and continuing through Series A and beyond.
- Draft and negotiate customized venture, commercial, and strategic agreements for unicorn and near-unicorn startups.
- Partner directly with founders and in-house stakeholders as strategic outside counsel.
- Work closely with partners in a flat team environment where associates are included in core client discussions.
- Develop strong deal judgment and client-management skills through high-touch partner involvement and repeat client exposure.
- Collaborate with a dedicated M&A support team when needed, without being required to become an M&A specialist.
Top Requirements
- 3--5 years of corporate or ECVC experience.
- Strong corporate foundation and high-quality drafting experience.
- Interest in company-side work and founder-facing advisory relationships.
- Comfort working in a highly collaborative, conversational environment with real client exposure.
- Proactive, high-ownership mindset and ability to thrive in a fast-paced setting.
- Candidates from elite corporate platforms, or similarly rigorous training environments, are strongly preferred.
- Associates looking to retool into a venture/unicorn advisory seat may be considered.
Location / Flexibility
Fully remote-friendly and already operating seamlessly in a distributed model.
TL;DR
Remote-friendly company-side venture group advising more than 20 unicorns and repeat founders. Strong fit for a 3rd--5th year corporate or ECVC associate who wants custom, high-value unicorn advisory work, real founder exposure, flat hierarchy, strong culture, and a path into a more strategic venture practice.
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.