Saish Setty | From BigLaw To a Startup – How To Make the Transition

The Lawyer's Edge

Saish Setty is the General Counsel at Parallaxes Capital, an emerging alternative asset manager focused on TRAs (Tax Receivable Agreements) and esoteric assets. As a senior member of the company’s deal team, he spearheads the development of TRA strategies, a complex alternative asset class. Parallaxes has deployed more than $250 million across its various funds.

After graduating with a BA in economics from Princeton, Saish earned his JD from Harvard Law School. Before joining Parallaxes, Saish was an Associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and began his legal career in the restructuring and finance department at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

As an authority in the legal industry, he has been featured in Fitch Solutions’ LevFin Insights, the Reorg Radio podcast, and Forbes. Saish has spoken at events and conferences, including ones sponsored by the Practicing Law Institute and the CFA Society’s High Yield Bond Master Class. Having transitioned from corporate law to a growing startup, he can instruct junior associates on making the shift.

In this episode…

Some lawyers are content in their roles at private practices, whereas others want to make a more significant impact. These driven professionals are often attracted to startups, where they can contribute to long-term growth. However, transitioning from BigLaw to business is not a hasty decision, as substantial career changes can be a difficult adjustment. Before trading your law firm duties for a fast-growing startup, what should you consider?

With more impact comes additional responsibility, which Saish Setty experienced firsthand after moving from BigLaw to an emerging alternative asset startup. You may be required to lead pivotal decisions for growth and innovation, undertaking projects in new disciplines without prior experience. Before making the shift, Saish says to uncover the origin of your interest in the legal business. This helps you identify potential doubts and adjust your mindset to prepare appropriately. If your drive is authentic, acquire skills, experience, and knowledge in sales by joining client pitches and attending networking events.

Tune in to this episode of The Lawyer’s Edge Podcast as Elise Holtzman sits down with Saish Setty, Parallaxes Capital’s General Counsel, to talk about transitioning from BigLaw to the startup space. Saish addresses the functional and cultural differences between business and BigLaw, how a background as a private practice lawyer translates to a general counsel role, and investors’ interest in TRAs.