Q: What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first
year practicing law? A: Answer the phone and say "yes."
As a result, I ended up second chairing a multimillion-dollar trial
as a second-year associate with one of the firm's toughest
litigators. And again later in my career it resulted in one of the
closest, most important client relationships I have.
Q: Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in
practice.
A: I represented a private equity firm in its CEO's divorce and
working closely with his personal counsel, we were able to
successfully negotiate a settlement of less than 10% of the
client's multibillion-dollar net worth—with no break-up
of the business or any share or control in the business.
Q: Who is your greatest lawyer mentor, and what has he or she
taught you?
A: David Breach, former Kirkland partner and now COO of Vista
Equity Partners, [a client of the firm,] encouraged me to sit back
and let things work themselves out the way they're supposed
to.
Q: Please share a brief key to your success.
A: Becoming an expert in whatever matters most to the client. Great
heels help, too! In all seriousness, being confident in what you
know and confident enough to get an answer when you don't know
something is also key—and if great heels help you have that
confidence, go for it!