CO-HEAD, U.S. ANTITRUST WASHINGTON, D.C. LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION YEAR 2006 YEAR JOINED WEIL 2006 YEAR PROMOTED TO PARTNER 2016 HOMETOWN ST. PETERSBURG, FL Who did you want to be as a child? I never honed in on one profession. Depending on the week, I would have said veterinarian, journalist, politician, attorney, marine biologist, or even musician (although that last one was never very realistic). I was fortunate to have parents who encouraged me to pursue any path and instilled in me the confidence to take on a bit of everything. If your younger self could see you now, what do you think her reaction would be? I would not have been surprised that I became an attorney – my grandmother predicted early on that I would be an attorney because of my ability to negotiate with my sister for what I wanted. But Washington, D.C. seemed very distant from Florida when I was growing up, and I hadn’t even heard the term “antitrust” let alone understood that I could build a career as an antitrust expert. I was fortunate to have had mentors early on that led me to Weil and antitrust as a practice area. What was your first job? My first regular job was working in the juniors’ department at JCPenney in high school. I remember how satisfying it was to earn my first paycheck and the feeling of independence that it brought. It was a great introduction to the working world because I interacted with so many different people over the course of the day and had to learn how to problem-solve in real time. Knowing what you know now, what might you have done differently when you were starting out? If I could go back in time, I would caution myself to be more patient and less serious. I was so anxious to start moving forward in my career that I did not always take time to appreciate the value of each experience. Describe a time when you had to make an important professional decision and how you went about selecting your course of action. I was not sure whether I wanted to go to law school after graduating from college so I took a job at the U.S. Department of Justice instead of taking the LSAT and going straight to law school. I thought it would help me to have a better understanding as to what it was like to be a practicing attorney – and worst-case it wouldn’t be a bad thing to have on my resume. It was the best decision I could have made because my time at the DOJ introduced me to the field of antitrust and wonderful mentors who put me on the path to Weil. What were some of your fears when you were starting out that you wish you could go back in time and tell your younger self not to worry so much about? I remember being reluctant to ask questions or voice comments out of fear that my ideas were obvious to more senior attorneys when I first started at Weil. I now rely on my ability to spot issues and raise questions that others haven’t considered, and I wish that my younger self had not been so hesitant to speak up. In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself up? We have a great support system within the Antitrust practice group at Weil that I rely on routinely. The other antitrust partners have a wealth of wisdom and experience and are very generous with their time. I am fortunate to work with such a fantastic network of mentors. It is one of the things I like best about working at Weil. What do you turn to when you need perspective or to unwind during a challenging time? It is helpful to have outlets outside of the office to help you maintain perspective. There is nothing better than a good workout or a long hike with my dog to help me get back on track. What does success mean to you? How has your definition of success evolved over time? There are multiple ways to define success. There is success as an individual in meeting the personal goals and milestones I set for myself each year. There also is success as a team in reaching a result together. Finally, there is success for our clients in helping them achieve their business goals. All are equally important and rewarding to me. What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made, and was it worth it? Working to balance client demands with time for my family and friends is a constant challenge. I have had many incredibly rewarding professional experiences working with clients on their most important, highprofile transactions, but it would not have been possible without the support (and patience) of my family and friends. I now rely on my ability to spot issues and raise questions that others haven’t considered, and I wish that my younger self had not been so hesitant to speak up. “ ” 30 · WEIL WOMEN’S WISDOM
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