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Congratulations to Jane Pryjmak and Beth St. Clair, UW School of Law second-year students, who were named national semi-finalists in the 7^th Annual Transactional LawMeet. Fourteen teams competed in the national championship, which had students negotiate a merger of two emerging technology companies.

The first stage of the competition took place over two months, with students drafting term sheets, interviewing their clients, and marking up opposing teams’ drafts. This portion of the competition culminated in a regional meet with live negotiations.

The ������Ƶ team, coached by Steve Ellis, retired partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, was among two teams selected from the region to advance to the national rounds, hosted by Sullivan & Cromwell in New York on April 1.

“They did wonderfully and we’re very proud of them,” said professor Anita Krug, associate dean for research and faculty development and faculty advisor for the team. “They hit the ground running and were very energetic and eager to learn.”

Pryjmak enjoyed how the experience simulated the environment that future transactional attorneys could expect. “Being scored against other teams representing our side (rather than the teams we were directly negotiating with) encouraged us to have a more open attitude toward making a deal instead of a ‘winner take all’ approach as in litigation. [The competition] really affirmed that this is what I want to do with my legal career, and I learned a ton about M&A in practice.”

Krug emphasized the instrumental role and value for the team in working with an expert like Ellis, and how the experience supplemented in-class learning.

"I absolutely loved participating in the LawMeet,” said St. Clair. “I learned a ton, I feel a new confidence from the practical experience and insight I gained, and my business law classes make more sense. I would do it all over again."

������Ƶ has entered teams in the competition since 2012 and placed in the quarterfinals of the national championship that year.