Category: Interviews

The key milestones in my career have all involved taking some risk and not necessarily following the traditional path – trusting my instincts. The first of those moments was deciding not to be afraid to experiment, and even fail, for the sake of getting the right exposure. During law school, I explored different practices and environments, such as clerking for a federal tax prosecutor, an internship at a litigation firm and working in-house at a tech start-up. There was no mortgage to worry about, so I just went for it! These experiences have been extremely valuable not only because they broaden my perspective of what it meant to be a lawyer, but also helped me make a more informed decision about which path to take following graduation. After doing a little bit of everything, I realized that I was better suited to transactional work, which focuses on consensus building and a shared goal of getting the deal done.

Next was a move to Spain for my LLM, which led to a job offer in my firm’s Madrid office. As a Brazilian law-qualified attorney, the safer path would have been to join a local firm back home, but I had a gut feeling that working at an international firm and learning an entirely new legal system would be too interesting to pass up. I remember having a discussion with my parents about whether to take an offer in Spain or in Brazil, and they said something that I will never forget: “Opportunities come and go, and there is no such thing as perfect timing. Don’t miss out on the good ones as they might not be there tomorrow.” When I was later considering a move to New York, Spain had then become the safe choice. I remembered my parent’s words of wisdom and didn’t think twice about relocating to the US to help strengthen our Latin America practice. The key lesson I learned from these experiences, when I look back at the choices I’ve made, is that my most rewarding experiences always involved some risk and trusting my gut.

Regrets are equally part of the process. I don’t have many, but the ones I can think of involve choosing inaction over action, particularly not taking a stand. As a junior lawyer, I participated in a deal negotiation, during which a senior person on the other side spoke disrespectfully to me. I wanted to say something, politely, but completely shut down and later regretted not having the courage to stand up for my principles. Thankfully, my colleague, a senior partner, saw my discomfort. He stopped the meeting and demanded a more respectful tone as a condition of moving forward. Afterwards, he said to me, “I just won’t tolerate that kind of behavior.” He is a good friend and mentor to me to this day.

For those starting out, my advice is to trust your instincts, stand up for what you believe is right and take some risk every now and then, no matter how junior you are. Also, always seek out role models and mentors. It is key to have a good support network and people that you know will be there for you when you need them the most.

Self identity: a social construct

I wanted to be an adviser – I enjoyed talking to people and giving them advice – so it was no coincidence that I ended up as a lawyer who gives regulatory advice.

When I started in this career, I didn’t appreciate the importance of networking and spending not just time in the office, but social time with clients, industry representatives, journalists, and the whole ecosystem that comes with the profession.

That changed when I realized the importance of building a market profile. The area of law that I’m in is closely connected to political events, which made it even more important to be out there, and to be seen to be out there. When you are in the business of giving advice, people want to know the market view − not just your view.

You don’t have to meet everybody, but take the right opportunities such as speaking engagements or participation on panels. And if you make the effort to go along, make sure you say something.

A physical and mental workout

The primary skill that I’ve had to develop is resilience, and by that I mean both physical and mental resilience. You learn to operate when you’re feeling less than 100 percent well – things have to be done, and no one else is going to do them for you. It’s partly being a team player and not wanting to let others down.

In terms of mental resilience, you have to make tough decisions and deal with the consequences.

Know your “USPs”

Working on business and management skills as early as possible is really important; being a lawyer is not dissimilar to any other sales role. Ultimately, what we sell is legal advice. You can be the best technical lawyer in the world, but if you can’t sell your skills – your Unique Selling Points – you’re not going to attract clients. People find it hard to talk to clients about charges and ways to structure them so as to be cost-effective, but that’s a good skill to have.

Personal assistance

I was very lucky in that I had a great mentor. My advice to younger lawyers would be to identify somebody who can provide independent advice about your career. This is absolutely invaluable. It doesn’t have to be a lawyer, but someone prepared to give up a bit of time to chat through different challenges or issues when you’re at a turning point.

When building your career, your personal choices are as significant as the professional choices, because if your home life isn’t right, your work life is going to be challenging as well. Building a good and realistic support network is very important.

Believe in yourself

My overall advice is to have confidence in your own abilities, even when you go through stages – and we all do – when you have doubts about whether you’re able to meet a particular challenge. Believe in yourself, because if you don’t, no one else will.

Where you start is not where you finish

To be honest, when I was 18, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I loved reading and writing, and thought law might be a good option as training in analytical thinking as much as anything. Little did I expect it to turn into a career − one that I enjoy every day, not just for my love for words, but for all the other facets of the job that I never expected.

One thing I would say to my younger self is that the job you think you are going into is often not the same job you end up doing. You need to grow and evolve with your career. There are things that you start out being unsure about, but with practice and experience these challenges become fulfilling.

Pushing your boundaries

The only way to really succeed is to push through your comfort zone. If you’re not just a little bit uncomfortable, then you are not learning and achieving. Often, the best way to conquer fear is to face it. In my experience, when new tasks actually become part of your day-to-day job, fear is no longer an issue.

I’m not sure if some areas of discomfort ever go away − a bit like actors with stage fright. If you get too comfortable, you can disengage and miss things. I don’t ever want to be in that position.

Putting people first

When I was approaching partnership, I really had to focus more on the softer skills, such as networking and engagement. Networking can seem like a daunting concept at first – entering a room full of strangers and getting to know them. But that’s a narrow definition of networking. It’s really about understanding that opportunities for business development are all around you, ranging from classmates to former co-workers. A lot of it is about talking to people and making them feel comfortable; not just senior people, but peers as well. Start building your networks early – you never know where people might
end up.

Everyone has a different style of getting to know people. I like talking to clients about their families or holidays, and I remember things about people, such as their children’s names. For me, it’s not about holding court, but about having meaningful one-to-one conversations. People want to do business with those they know, like and trust. Clients are people first, and they are often looking to appoint someone they will enjoy working long hours with.

The business development aspects of a partner role include two key components. First, you must ask the right questions of your clients so you can address their concerns. And second, check your ego at the door. It’s not enough to impress them with your legal acumen; you really need to listen carefully to their issues and concerns. That’s a skill that will take you far.

I always loved the thought of becoming a technical expert in whatever choice of career I made – although I wasn’t sure what form that would take. It sounds a bit cliché, but I enjoyed debating, discussion and problem solving, so a career in law seemed a natural fit for me. I viewed it as a career track with prestige and an opportunity to achieve at the highest levels.

My first exposure to employment law was at university. It was a subject area I enjoyed, though I had always wanted to be a corporate lawyer. When I was on my training contract, I started in the finance practice before looking for my next step – something less transactional and more advisory-based. That led me into employment law, which was not at all what I expected. Because I work at a global firm, employment law affords me the opportunity to work very holistically – one moment it’s deals, the next litigation, the next advisory.

Coming out of law school, I would never have expected there to be such diversity of work and opportunity in employment law. That was a learning point for me: you need to really research what law firms do and understand that there are a lot of different roles. You aren’t limited to doing corporate or finance work – you can be specialist at the same time.

Confidence is something I had to work on in my career as a junior lawyer. I was confident socially, but it didn’t show at work, and the partners were worried that I was too shy. Somebody mentioned it to me, and I thought, “I need to do something about this.” I was very proactive, and at every opportunity for public speaking or presentations, I was the first to raise my hand. I did this for several years, and now it’s easier.

Another theme that stands out for me is the value of building relationships. Empathy is one of the most important strengths you can bring to relationships with clients and colleagues. As an employment lawyer, I deal with sensitive and personal issues, such as compensation and benefits, for some of our most strategically important clients. They want someone who can empathize with their needs and understand what’s keeping them awake at night. It’s also important to try to empathize with your junior colleagues and appreciate the pressures on partners.

My advice is to find something you are passionate about, and use that to inspire your career.

I am passionate about diversity. It’s important to all law firms and their clients, so it also just makes business sense. I joined the steering committee of our London Women’s Network, which has given me internal and external networking opportunities, developed my leadership skills and enabled me to influence firm policy. Last year, I co-founded our London BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) network. It’s been a great way of building my professional network while doing something really important.

Like many people, my original inspiration for going into law was probably the result of watching too many legal dramas on TV. Suffice to say, that meant I did not go to law school dreaming of being a project finance lawyer. I also never intended to come to the US, never mind spend nearly 20 years over here. Life can take you to interesting places if you are open to the challenge.

When I started out, I assumed that there must be one “right way” to be a lawyer. Fast forward more than 20 years and it’s clear to me that there are many ways to be a good lawyer. Different people have different styles and strengths. Some lawyers are most effective in a more adversarial arena, while others are strong consensus builders. My advice for those starting out is: find your own style, and find the practice and the clients your style is best suited to. Your style will appeal to some clients and not to others. That is true for all of us.

I would tell any young lawyer: don’t talk yourself out of challenges because they seem daunting. Many lawyers experience some form of “imposter syndrome” when they become partners – I certainly did. It’s easy to think you are not up to the job because you don’t know it all. I now know that no one knows everything. I am confronted with new issues every day. Often those who seem to know everything have just mastered the art of bluffing better than the rest of us.

Opportunity is the best gift a mentor can give. My first mentor was an old-school male partner who had no time for political correctness. Substantively, however, he was very progressive on women’s issues. He arranged for two senior women to share a job and was willing to assign difficult work equally to men and women. Talk can be cheap, and sometimes the best mentors are not the ones you would first expect.

It’s important to push yourself out of your comfort zone. For many, public speaking is nerve-wracking – but it’s a hurdle you have to get over. Carve out opportunities to handle just ten minutes of a meeting or an internal training session. Start small and then build your way up.

Many of the best women candidates for partnership self-select out of the process. They worry it is hard to have a balanced life as a partner and don’t give it a go. In some ways, it was easier to have children after I became a partner because I had more control over my schedule and could afford a good nanny. If you have a high-pressure job, you absolutely need help, and there is nothing to feel guilty about. It doesn’t matter who folds the laundry. 

Don’t look 20 years down the road and worry that it all looks too hard. Take it a year or two at a time and just give it a go. I have been doing that for 22 years now!

You know how they say you have to be very careful what you wish for? My burning desire, upon (someday) retiring from private practice, was to shape the legal landscape of my home country. That wish was granted much earlier than expected when the Dubai government asked me to leave my firm while still a young lawyer and build a suite of economic legislations to attract foreign direct investment and strengthen the legal infrastructure of the UAE.

Suddenly, I was in the public sector, and my client was the government. It was not just about being a lawyer, but about diplomacy and navigating various languages in serving the government and public sector. This is not the sort of skillset that you learn from a manual or an academy. But having worked at a top international law firm, I had the ability to think creatively outside the box, on the spot and under pressure.

I found myself working with people who had served in the government for 30 or 40 years, who had never worked with a woman before, much less a young woman. I was the only female voice. I had to work extremely hard just to prove that my work was credible, but through consistent, quality, sound advice, they soon got the message.

As a young lawyer in private practice, I was extremely shy about expressing my point of view. I had answers and opinions but was intimidated by senior lawyers and worried that my ideas would be rejected. I remember the shiver in my voice the first time I spoke up – but then saw positive looks across the table, which encouraged me. In those moments, my career progressed.

Women care deeply about being judged and often imagine career-ending consequences in speaking their minds. I’ve taken some very big risks in my career and simply didn’t care about consequences like that, so long as I was confident in serving the best interests of my client.

When I was in the government, everything had to be delicately managed. I couldn’t lean on anyone, yet a single decision could affect the entire economy. From day one, I realized what was at stake and knew I had to step out of my comfort zone and confidently rely on my professional judgment and expertise. I can’t say that I was right every time, but I always slept soundly knowing that I had given my best advice – and that’s what mattered.

My advice to young lawyers, irrespective of gender, is to push through your obstacles. As my father said to me: no dream is too big. But do make sure it’s your personal dream – one you will stay committed to even when things get difficult. No doubt, there have been challenging times in my career, but because this is my dream, I continue to persevere no matter how hard the winds blow against me.

I grew up in Ireland, in an educational system that does not have undergraduate schools. Instead, we were expected to select our graduate studies right after high school. Being so young, it was some time before my decision to study law took shape as a career path. But after a few years in private practice, I knew I wanted to be a commercial lawyer and a business person.

This combination of roles is exactly what attracted me to working in-house. I wanted to be integrated into the company and play a role in commercial decisions. I liked the international aspect of AEI – learning about a global business and traveling to places I wouldn’t typically go to on holiday. And I’m very glad to have been given opportunities in my private practice to work across several corporate disciplines, including M&A, private equity, securities, banking/finance and insurance. It was excellent preparation for in-house life because the spectrum of my daily work was extraordinarily broad.

Commercial awareness is the single most important skill for a lawyer in private practice, and that requirement is amplified by about 100 percent when you move in-house. As a legal adviser, you are there to make a commercial goal happen and be solutions-oriented. It is important to remember that your true role is not to point out the problem and talk about every issue of law, but rather to find ways to solve the problem.

Some people go in-house because they desire a more regular nine-to-five job without huge amounts of stress. Other in-house jobs are the complete opposite – they give you the chance to work in the trenches on large, complicated transactions, with the added challenge of managing multiple other matters relating to the ongoing business of the company. My job was definitely on that end of the spectrum, so I’ve reaped the benefits of developing good organizational skills.

Confidence is critical, but it’s also very important to know what you don’t know. No one wants to show weakness, but it’s better to ask for help than to forge ahead unprepared. Not only will you make mistakes but you will lose respect. Get to know people who can help, and then go to them when you are unsure. There’s nothing weak about that.

As a business leader, I have learned the importance of connecting with others and taking an interest in their lives. I’ve seen what a huge difference it can make to just stop by and ask, “How’s your day?”

I would urge my younger self to remember that all problems can be solved. When you’re young and something goes wrong, it feels like the end of the world. But really, all you have to do is sit down and think about how to fix it. Keep calm. There’s always going to be a solution, and nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

*Since publication, Maureen has taken a new position as general counsel of Atlas Renewable Energy.

The choices you make as a young lawyer are not final – and you may need to go through different phases during your professional development. But at all points, it’s important to think about what you want and where you imagine yourself a few years down the road.

When you are young, sometimes you think, “I have this fantastic opportunity to go there and I should go, even though I don’t feel naturally attracted to, say, finance law.” This is indeed one way of building your career: being open-minded about opportunities. But it’s equally valid and important to think, “What do I want?” I have found that you realize over time how important it is to do things with desire. It is important to define your passion about the job you are doing. What is it that fascinates you?

I had an incredible opportunity at the beginning of my career to be seconded to a client. Being seconded is a great way to better understand your clients, but it also made me realize that you don’t need to wait to become a partner to develop relationships.

When you are a young lawyer, you develop relationships at your own level with younger in-house lawyers; these contacts then rise through the ranks and, in turn, become senior lawyers. So begin building your own network very early. When starting out, your priorities center around being technically excellent, but it’s also important to start working on business skills early. If you don’t, it may be less natural and therefore harder to do at a later stage.

Lawyers are perfectionists, so they naturally work on improving their own skills. When it comes to managing others, having authority while maintaining very good relationships can be complicated. That was something I felt I had to consciously think about and work on to be able to progress to the next stage.

You need to put yourself in others’ shoes. Take into account the differences between people, and be sincere. When you tell people honestly what you think, and when you care for them, people trust you. My advice is to have your own management style, and listen to others. These skills don’t come in one day, but you must jump in the water.

It limits us to think, “I can’t do that. I can’t become that. That’s not for me.” The questions should be, “What do I want? Do I really like it?” Provided you have a positive answer, work in that direction, and really trust yourself. Anything is achievable.

My primary advice in seeking success is to be yourself, which will not necessarily mean that you look like the person sitting next to you. We each have our own bent, and we face our own difficulties, so it’s important to trust yourself as you are – not just fulfill a list of criteria.

From the minute I started my career, I loved it.

I began with a love of studying (Classics) and the desire to work as part of a team. The law had some interesting connections with Greek political theory in being focused on “problems in context,” so I went in that direction. Then I chose my firm because everyone seemed happy, and there was a straight-up atmosphere.

Drafting and negotiation quickly caught my interest – at first in the Banking practice and then, to my delight, in Corporate, where I’ve been ever since. I never had a set plan but found my path as I went. At any given moment, the only question I have ever asked myself was: Am I enjoying what I’m doing?
In building any client relationship, the important skills are listening and flexibility. Listening involves taking cues from individuals with unique personalities and businesses, and then extrapolating what they need so you can deliver the best product. Flexibility means you understand that great service will vary from client to client. Some want you to be the tiger, and others don’t. If you ask a few key questions and deliver against the answers, you’ll always be a step ahead.

While still in London, I became the relationship partner for a multinational client, doing outbound M&A. I was working with a woman I like to describe as fearsome and wonderful. She asked our firm Managing Partner to send me to New York. By this time, I was dating a New Yorker (now my husband and the father of our two amazing children), so everything came together – never underestimate the power of a little luck!

Courage, perseverance

In business development, you need courage. There are moments when you have to bite the bullet, reach out and do something that puts you outside of your comfort zone. Sometimes you end up with nothing, and sometimes you end up with something fantastic. Perseverance goes with courage, because sometimes you’re not sure how your actions are received. But keep looking for opportunities. Remember, it’s a long-term proposition.

Not everyone is a good salesperson, meaning outgoing and good at networking. And you can’t become what you are not. What you can do is play to your own strengths − be self-aware and be yourself. If you watch others, you’ll see that people achieve great things in different ways. Find a glove that fits. Importantly, build up your network within the firm. Walk around to other people’s offices. Give them a call. Create connections. Follow up. A little initiative can go a long way.

Love

I genuinely love what I do and am confident that my pride and enthusiasm show through. I go into every business development meeting utterly convinced that what I’m selling is really fantastic. It’s infectious.

I actually never wanted to be a lawyer − I applied to study Economics in the UK. Then my parents suggested applying for the Law faculty at the National University of Singapore – to save some money and because the law is such a solid profession. Asian parents are always quite practical!

Initially, my plan was to just study Law and then change direction. I am naturally better with numbers than with words, but I’ve grown to love using words. In my capital markets practice, a big part of what’s required is telling a story about the company in order to raise capital.

I’ve always been drawn to the business side of things and find it one of the most exciting aspects of my practice. My father ran his own business, so I grew up thinking about business, and I always imagined I would run one. As a result, I was quite prepared when it was time to take my practice to the next level. And that’s advice I would give to any aspiring attorney: think about law as business.

All businesses have internal and external clients. That’s quite an important realization for a young lawyer. The firm will talk about external clients, of course, but as a junior associate, you will more likely deal with senior associates and partners.

It’s important to understand the pressures a partner is under, as well as the dynamics in the firm. When you work together with partners, reach ahead of yourself. For example, when you are a trainee, work to think like an associate; when you’re an associate, try to think like a senior associate; and like a partner when you are a senior associate. Challenge yourself to get to a higher level of thinking, and you’ll likely accelerate the time it takes to get there.

I also think it’s important to gain perspective as you grow, and learn to show empathy. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes and consider why they are asking for certain deadlines and deliverables; don’t see a project just as a project, see the bigger picture.

When you’re younger, it’s natural to look at successful women and think, “They have everything.” But my advice is this: don’t be daunted by the idea that you have a lot of balls to juggle. You actually don’t have to focus on everything at full speed or 100 percent of the time. Pace yourself. You may decide to have a family and, at one point, you may need to focus more on family. But as the kids grow up, you may want a new challenge. Consider all your options, and look for a firm where you can discuss these types of issues openly, hopefully with a culture that is very supportive. I am grateful to my supportive partners and team who have helped me along the way.

In looking back, I am very glad to have kept an open mind. What you are good at when you’re 22 years old might not be the same later in life; I find that it’s best to go with the flow and be open to change.