PARTNER, COMPLEX COMMERCIAL LITIGATION NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION YEAR 1987 YEAR JOINED WEIL 2014 YEAR PROMOTED TO PARTNER 2009 HOMETOWN CARTERET, NJ, THEN EDISON, NJ What did you want to be as a child? A professional tennis player. I played in college, which was fun, but I was not good enough to go pro. When did you decide to go to law school? I was a liberal arts major, and wasn’t sure what to do next. My college best friend’s mother was from Puerto Rico, and her mom would talk about how lawyers were so important in protecting people’s rights and freedoms. My friend was hell-bent on becoming a lawyer. She basically dragged me along for the LSATs. We both ended up lawyers. If your young self could see you now, what do you think her reaction would be? Get a life! I think most of us were a lot more fun when we were younger, and it seems like we work a lot, but the work is fun. What was your first job? My aunt did the books for a few car dealerships. So she found me a job where I worked with mechanics, keeping the maintenance records. From there, I had a string of the usual retail jobs – a counter girl at Dunkin’ Donuts, waitressing, cashier at Marshalls and a drugstore. When I was in college I worked summers in customer service as a file clerk at Johnson & Johnson. I also was a secretary at Johnson & Johnson. I may have been the worst secretary they ever had. Representing the folks at Johnson & Johnson in my recent trial, in the county where I grew up and in the courthouse where I had my first trial – down the street from where I was the file clerk – brought me full circle. It was a great experience. Knowing what you know now, what might you have done differently when you were starting out? I would have relaxed and enjoyed the ride more. All of a sudden you blink your eyes and wonder, what happened? Where did all the time go? Describe a time when you had to make an important professional decision and how you went about selecting your course of action. This is a life lesson: take chances. I had practiced at Dechert for a long time. I was a partner, a leader in their litigation department and on the management committee. But I took a chance to come to Weil fairly late in my career. It was a difficult decision because I loved Dechert and had many friends there, but from a career standpoint it was good to take the chance. Looking back, what did you stress over that was unnecessary? As a young lawyer you are so concerned with making your career and being successful. So you stress constantly about being a great associate, generating business and winning cases. It’s normal, but it’s amazing how fast it goes, and you should take time and enjoy it. And take more time to interact with people on a more personal level, which is something I relish doing even more now as I realize I have many more practice years behind me than in front of me. What were some of your insecurities or 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? There was a general fear of being homeless or not being able to pay the bills if I could not make it work! In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself up? “Go for it” has been my motto. Have courage, take risks, strive to be the best. What do you turn to when you need perspective or to unwind during a challenging time? Certainly family and friends. I have a crazy extended Irish family, and they ground me. What’s the best piece of professional advice you received? Be excellent. Everything will follow. Also seek out opportunities to make sure you are getting the experience you need. What does success mean to you? How has your definition of success evolved over time? Friends, family, happiness and good health for you and your loved ones – at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. ‘Go for it’ has been my motto. Have courage, take risks, strive to be the best. “ ” Has learning from a mistake ever led you to success? There are going to be times when cases don’t go the way you want them to go or you lose a client. You have to learn to shake it off and move on to the next case or client. When you are young, every misstep or loss seems magnified. What is your greatest success? Professionally – I’ve tried and won a few big cases that were critically important to clients. Personally – I am fortunate to have great friends and family that are there in good times and bad. And I have fabulous coworkers. There are younger lawyers who are terrific, and I continue to learn from them. And there are more senior lawyers who taught me along the way. To all of them, I am indebted. In particular, my career break came when most women were not trial lawyers. Almost 30 years ago, the breast implant litigation was the biggest mass tort in the country. Those clients were looking for female trial lawyers. I was not a partner yet, but I became a part of a great network of female trial lawyers. A handful of more senior women from around the country had managed to become first-chair trial lawyers when almost no women were, and they helped me learn the craft. Some of them are still close friends of mine. I try to pay their kindness forward to the next generation of young trial lawyers. What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made, and was it worth it? Most lawyers would say time away from the people you love. Was it worth it? Probably. 48 · WEIL WOMEN’S WISDOM
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