PARTNER, COMPLEX COMMERCIAL LITIGATION NEW YORK LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION YEAR 2010 YEAR JOINED WEIL 2012 YEAR PROMOTED TO PARTNER 2020 HOMETOWN LOS ANGELES, CA What did you want to be as a child? When I was very, very young, Baywatch was a big deal, so I wanted to be a lifeguard! That never came to fruition. Then, starting from probably middle school or so, I thought about being a lawyer. Those are the only two things I ever really considered. I did not become a lifeguard but I did become a lawyer. If your younger self could see you now, what do you think her reaction would be? Before I applied and went to law school I did not understand the private practice of law and the work I am doing now. So I think she would be incredibly proud, but she would be also a little surprised by the path that I’ve taken. What was your first job? I was a receptionist for a doctor in Chinatown on the weekends when I was 15. My sister had the job before me, and she passed it on. I have three sisters, and we shared a bunch of jobs in high school. Knowing what you know now, what might you have done differently when you were starting out? I definitely would have spoken up more. It is easy to think that clients or partners do not really want to hear from you, but you have to add value, and part of adding value is contributing. That is what they are paying you for. It is important for people to learn how to speak up, especially women. Looking back, what did you stress over that was unnecessary? I have a tattoo on my wrist — it is very obvious. For a long time I would try to hide it with watches and wear long sleeves in the summer, but then after a while I just stopped caring and no one else seemed to care either! 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? I would not worry so much about credentials. Your law school is important, obviously, but the training you get here at Weil is what really shapes you into the lawyer that you eventually become. In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build yourself up? I would think about my parents, what it took for them to get here. They were immigrants. They came from nothing to a foreign country, and they sacrificed a lot. They could not give us everything, but they gave us a chance and an opportunity. Whatever I was going through would pale in comparison to what they went through. Now I think about my daughter, Ava, and the kind of world I want her to live in and the example I want to be for her. What is the best piece of professional advice you have received? Own your decisions. You have to be confident in the decisions that you make, especially when you are counseling and clients are looking to you for advice. What does success mean to you? How has your definition of success evolved over time? When I was younger, success was just having some financial stability because I didn’t grow up with much. But now, it’s evolved. I worked at a firm between law school and undergrad. There was a partner at this firm who gifted me her old laptop before I started law school. She said it was a privilege for her to be in a position to be able to give something back to somebody. For me, now, success is recognizing and understanding that I have an ability to give back. What is your greatest success? Well, partnership is up there, that is a big one! In addition, the pro bono trial we did in Arizona (challenging a statute that would have eliminated Mexican-American studies and then donating the fees to related nonprofits) with Steven Reiss and Jim Quinn was huge for me because I grew up primarily around Mexican-Americans. It felt like we were giving back to some very deserving people and we were correcting a wrong that should have never happened in the first place. And obviously my family too — balancing a family, a husband, a daughter, with partnership. I feel like all of that is hard, but it is a success. It is difficult for women to do, and we should be proud of it. What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made and was it worth it? I think the biggest sacrifice I made was moving away from my family in California. At the end of the day it was worth it, but it is difficult to be away from your parents and your siblings. Now that we are older, my daughter has cousins, and we just do not get to see them as often as we would like. I still miss my family a lot, but thank God for FaceTime! Anything else you want to share? I really hope that we women can forge a path for each other and support each other, because there are not that many of us across the legal industry. It is important for people to learn how to speak up, especially women. “ ” 2 · WEIL WOMEN’S WISDOM
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