SPECIAL SECTION NEWPARTNERS 2009 LIST P.24 THE THE STORY P.18 SURVEY P.20 THE NEWPARTNERS 2009 We sent our anonymous online survey to about 300 new partners. Excerpts of their answers follow. Forty-one responded: 44% percent are women and 56 percent are men; almost two- thirds are Caucasian; and one-fourth are Asian, Indian/South Asian or Latino/Hispanic (an- other 12 percent declined to describe their ethnicity). The size of their firms runs the gamut, from 1 to 25 to more than 1,000 lawyers. Their estimates of the associate-to-partner track at their firms also vary widely: The majority offered lengths of seven, eight or nine years, but the spectrum ran from three to four years at the low end to eight to 12 years at the high end. They represent more than a dozen practice areas. 1. What do you think was the most important factor in your IN THEIR making partner? “My ability to manage others” “My work ethic” “An excellent and supportive mentor” “Perceived value I could bring to the firm” “My specialty” OWN WORDS “One of the most important factors was having a profitable client” “Becoming the go-to guy in my practice area and development of client trust” “My business development skills and making my hours” “Performing at partner level while still an associate” “Relationships with supportive partners” “Solid all-around litigation skills” “Relationships (within and outside of firm) and personal skills and industry name recognition” Reflections from California’s “Being a necessary and critical part of the practice group” “Hard work; teamwork; commitment to the firm” “I became more knowledgeable than the partners in a few critical areas” new partners, from our “Longevity at the firm” “Quality of work and opportunities to work with many partners within the firm.” “Analytical skill” annual anonymous survey “Earning the trust and respect of my colleagues” “Attention to details” “Having an ‘ownership mentality’ every day as an associate” 2. What advice would you give about lateralling, or not lateralling? “Having a lateralling plan provides one with better bargaining power.” “Lateral if you are in a bad situation that is unlikely to improve. Don’t lateral to make a few extra bucks.” www.lieffcabraser.com Congratulations... to all New Northern California Partners! We are proud to offer the Northern California legal LIEFF CABRASER community the industry’s finest mediators and arbitrators. HEIMANN & BERNSTEIN, LLP Over 45 Neutrals Available! is proud to recognize the following new partners: JENNIFER GROSS New York Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. LEXI J. HAZAM Alfred Richard Richard Laurence Joanne San Francisco Chiantelli Flier Hodge Kay Parrilli (Ret.) (Ret.) (Ret.) (Ret.) (Ret.) KENT L. KLAUDT San Francisco Hon. Hon. Hon. Hon. Michael Bonnie Alex William Douglas Carbone, Sabraw Saldamando Stein Swager Esq. Representing Plaintiffs in Antitrust, Aviation, Civil (Ret.) (Ret.) (Ret.) (Ret.) and Human Rights, Consumer, Defective Product, Employment, Environmental, Personal Injury, and Effective Neutrals At Competitive Rates! Securities Cases. Dorene Kanoh, VP tel 415.772.0900 San Francisco • New York • Nashville ADR SERVICES, INC. 50 Fremont Street, Ste. 2110 fax 415.772.0960 San Francisco, CA 94105 www.adrservices.org 20 NEW PARTNERS NEWPARTNERS 2009 “For law students: Try to select a law firm where you could actually spend the next 10 years. So many folks select a firm that they only expect to spend a few years at and then, as a third year, they must research and shop all over again for a firm that is the right fit. If you are starting a family during that time (as many are) it makes the dislocation even more challenging.” “If you don’t believe in your law firm, your success will be hindered. Choose your firm and your partners carefully, and change firms if the fit isn’t right, even if the switch could delay partnership.” “I was a lateral to my firm. Discuss the realistic partnership track with your new employer before you accept the offer. This is not a good time to be making a lateral move with the economy and number of layoffs in the legal community.” “Do it in the first three years if it’s on your agenda, and make sure you do enough research to land at a firm that you could be happy working with through partnership.” “Make up your mind early in your career. The amount of time you’ve been at your new firm will be as important (if not more so) to the partnership decision than the amount of time you’ve been in practice.” “Lateralling is much harder after about the fourth or fifth year. By that point, you’ll want to be settled someplace.” “I was a lateral as a fourth year and it worked out fine. I think the key is not to move too early or too late in your career.” “The most important factor is whether the new firm will give you early oppor- tunity to work directly with [a] key client.” “Try to negotiate a long term deal (2 to 3 years) regarding salary and promotion prior to joining the firm.” “Make sure you understand the most you can about [the] culture and finances of [the] firm you are lateralling into.” “Go to a place where you are comfortable with their style of management. Don’t expect firms to change for you — you need to adapt to the firm.” “Know what you are getting into. It always helps to know people at other places that you are considering.” “Don’t overreach and don’t overpromise. It is better to underpromise and over- perform.” “Research either the busier areas of the prospective law firm, or plan to bring 4. What wisdom would you offer about choosing a practice area? your own work, to ensure you are busy.” “Lateralling was a great career decision for me, but can be a very difficult path. “Do not pick one too early. Give yourself enough time to figure out where you fit best, A lateral has to prove immediately that he/she is capable, hardworking and dili- not only today, but in 10 years.” gent. If these attributes are not shown very early on after a lateral has moved firms, “Choose early! Which means, as early as law school, start talking to folks about what then they can get lost in the firm and receive no recognition.” they do and discuss it with professors and career counselors.” “Determine early in your career whether you prefer litigation or transactional work. Finding out eight years after you’ve been litigating that you don’t enjoy the adversarial See SURVEY page 22 WE ARE PRECISELY WHERE YOU NEED US. (HERE, THERE, OR ANYWHERE.) Whether your depositions occur in one city or several destinations, the quality of West Court Reporting Court Reporting ServicesSM is universal. For every deposition, we will Legal Videography schedule our best local reporters, pin down the details, Case Consultation and leverage the latest technology to the nth degree. Logistics Management Gain the latitude to focus on your legal argument – Litigation Support we’ll handle the rest. To schedule a deposition, call 1-800-548-3668, option 1 or for details, visit westcourtreporting.com. © 2009 Thomson Reuters 100414/1-09 NEW PARTNERS 21 NEWPARTNERS 2009 A ;HH SURVEY M 7=IJ7<<; Continued from page 21 BBF 7 J J E H D ; O I system will be detrimental to your health.” “Choose a practice area about which you are passionate. You may make less money, VY[]bg]hghYbh\mYUf but you’ll be more successful and you, your clients and friends will be happier.” UbX “I would look for industries/clients that you find interesting and lawyers you love to ]gd`YUgYXhcUbbcibWY work with. Your practice area is secondary and will flow from these two things.” “Pick an area that interests you and not because it is ‘hot.’ Your career is [a] marathon 58F=5B>"G5KM9F and decisions should be made with a long-term horizon.” “Ask yourself, do I genuinely have an interest in this area, and is this a type of practice UbX that will continue to flourish in the industry or could it contract or even die out.” “Don’t be afraid to explore high-technology practice areas just because you’ve got a A=7<59@?"B; liberal arts degree.” “Intellectual property is by far the most interesting, rewarding area of the law. Espe- \UjYVYWcaYdUfhbYfg]bh\YZ]fa" cially patents. It is worth it to get a technical degree.” “Don’t forget to consider the lifestyle demands of a particular practice area. For example, Af"GUkmYffYWY]jYX\]g`UkXY[fYYaU[bUWia`UiXY consider the travel demands or predictability of [the] schedule and how they may or may Zfcah\YIb]jYfg]hmcZ7U`]Zcfb]U <Ugh]b[g7c``Y[YcZ not impact your lifestyle.” @Uk]b%---UbXgYfjYXUgU`UkW`Yf_hch\Y<cbcfUV`Y “Choose an area that you can excel at and demonstrate a special expertise.” K]``]Ua<"Cff]W_ >f" cZh\YIb]hYXGhUhYg8]ghf]Wh 7cifhZcfh\YBcfh\Yfb8]ghf]WhcZ7U`]Zcfb]U" 5. What single factor at work has had the biggest impact on your Af"B[fYWY]jYX\]g`UkXY[fYYWia`UiXYZfca <UfjUfX@UkGW\cc`]b&$$%" satisfaction level? H\YZ]faWcbh]biYghcYb[U[Y]bhf]U`UbXUddY``UhY dfUWh]WY Yad\Ug]n]b[WcaaYfW]U``]h][Uh]cb :]fgh 5aYbXaYbhaUhhYfg Yad`cmaYbhWUgYg WcbgiaYff][\hg UbXW`UggUWh]cbg" %$$GdYUfGhfYYh Gi]hY%,$$ GUb:fUbW]gWc 7U`]Zcfb]U-(%$) HY`Yd\cbY(%)'+%!,)$$:UWg]a]`Y(%)'+%!$)$$ D`YUgYj]g]hcifbYkkYVg]hYZcfUXX]h]cbU`]bZcfaUh]cb UVcihh\YZ]faUbXcif[fck]b[dfUWh]WY. www.kerrwagstaffe.com Burnham Brown is pleased to announce that DEREK LIM AND ROHIT SABNIS HAVE BEEN NAMED PARTNERS OF THE FIRM Mr.