Fame
Defending multi-million-dollar Goliath corporations in their time of need can make you the legal community equivalent of a five-star general overnight. But because most corporate lawyers don't get to bask in the courtroom limelight, the bestsellers, the blockbusters, and hte showstoppers of this line of work keep score with how much money is at stake.
Usually, fame for corporate lawyers comes in sandwich form: The more lawyers find themselves between the merger of two big-name companies, like Disney and Pixar, the more their names will pick up SEO value as champions of the profession in Forbes or American Lawyer. Seeing your name or your firm's name by an eight-, ten-, or twelve-figure merger or acquisition can really put a spring in your step.