Law Firms: What is the best way to transition from being a litigation associate into a transactional attorney?

Two pieces of advice:1. Consider in-house gigs. I was outside counsel for ten years (5 in big firms, 5 at a small firm), and recently went in-house at a relatively large company.  The practice area boundaries are a lot fuzzier in-house, at least in my experience (and in the experience of many of my colleagues).2. I sympathize with your opinion of litigation.  (I also had a brief foray into litigation, lasting maybe 2 years.)  However, it's often easier to find a job if you have a job.  I would strongly consider looking for a litigation job at a big firm, then transitioning into their transactional practice once you're in.  That's a lot easier to do than try to get hired as a transactional attorney with no relevant experience.

I am inclined to agree with .  Study your credentials, including things like foreign languages, and find a foreign office that will take you.  You can do plenty of transactional law in the Tokyo branch of an international U.S. law firm.   Not to mention Australia, India, the European Continent, England...   It might get you the corporate work you really want to do.