Tag Archives: advancement

Career Advice with Eve Saltman, General Counsel at GoPro

job seekers,
  • We’re pleased to provide another  chance to delve into the career journey of a successful lawyer in the field. Our latest interview of the series is with Eve Saltman, who has had an incredible 28 years in the industry and many more ahead of her with a multi-faceted role at GoPro.

 

Career Stats
Name: Eve Saltman
Current role: Head of Corporate/Business Development, General Counsel and Secretary, GoPro
Law School: Georgetown Law School
First job: First job out of law school: Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, San Francisco
Years of experience: 28

  •  Tell us about your career path and how you got to be where you are today? 

The path I took to get to GoPro has allowed me to succeed in delivering sound counsel for a brand that is thriving, and that people know and love. I began my career at a law firm in San Francisco, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, where I worked as a litigator and also in the trademark registration practice. After seven years there, I wanted to go in-house to have a broader focus and be part of a business. Back then it was harder to find an in-house role, but I was lucky to find a recruiter that saw my skills were transferable to a role at Autodesk. I had to learn on the job how to do things like draft contract provisions and negotiate deals, but I was resourceful and figured it out. From there I went to a number of companies, taking on new areas to advise and manage – and learned how to build a high-performing teams. All of my career experiences and leanings have helped shape the exciting team I lead at GoPro today.

  • What qualities do you think make you successful in your role?

I value collaboration and strong relationships – enthusiasm for both these, along with some fun along the way, has helped make me successful at GoPro. There is nothing better than working with a great team, which I have in my current role. I also try to approach my work with compassion and thoughtfulness.  It’s important to understand where people are coming from and to be open to their point of view. At the end of the day, getting things done that ladder back to GoPro’s forward looking plan is what makes me a successful counselor and leader.

  • What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out your legal career?

It might take longer in your career to get where you want to be.  It’s easy to get fixated on title, reporting structure, and comparing yourself to others. If you like what you are doing, and you work hard to keep learning, you will learn and progress. There are variables to that, but if you start with a role that you enjoy you will be able to navigate them easily.

  • What causes are you personally invested in (eg. diversity, politics, environment, mentorship)?

I’m passionate about career development and mentorship. Building a high-performing, engaged team is incredibly rewarding and that’s what we are focused on at GoPro. I also enjoy providing career advice to others – helping people connect with others who can help them. Separately, I’m on the board of a non-profit called Lexicon of Sustainability, which brings a new perspective to educating people on sustainability consumption habits.

  • Beyond work, what are you most passionate about?

I’m passionate about spending time with family and friends, staying connected to what people I care about are doing. I love that I can mix my work and passion – capturing moments with my GoPro enables me to provide encouragement for their activities as well as keep friends and family updated on what I’m doing too! Recently, my daughter and I did a mother’s day hike with our dog, and we collaborated on a short video that we both love.

See our in-house counsel openings and start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.

Career Advice with Roger Juan Maldonado, Partner at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP

job seekers, ,

 

Career Stats

Name: Roger Juan Maldonado
Current Role: President, New York City Bar Association; Partner at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP
Law School: Yale Law School
First Job: South Brooklyn Brooklyn Legal Services
Years of Experience: 37

 

Tell us about your career path and how you got to be where you are today?

I began my legal career as an attorney in the Housing Unit of South Brooklyn Legal Services (“SBLS”). We handled the entire spectrum of litigations, ranging from hold-over and non-payment eviction proceedings, actions against landlords to remedy housing code violations, administrative proceedings on behalf of public housing residents, appeals in State and federal courts and class actions on behalf of applicants for and recipients of Section 8 benefits.  The Project Director at SBLS also asked me to assist him in the class action brought or behalf of students requiring special education services and to focus on the needs of English-Language-Learners.  Believe it or not, I am still working on enforcement proceedings related to the Consent Judgment entered in that case (the “Jose P.” litigation).
 
When my wife became pregnant with our second child, she decided that she wanted to take some time off from her medical career, which necessitated my moving to private practice.  I joined Teitelbaum & Hiller (“T&H”), a small firm whose named partners had represented English-Language-Learners in a different class action and who welcomed my bringing the Jose P. litigation with me to the firm.  At T&H, I obtained my first major client (the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico — the “GDB”) through contracts from college, law school and Kathy Wylde, whose former agency SBLS had sued in actions challenging a planned major development on the grounds that it would accelerate the displacement of low-income residents in the surrounding areas.  Fortunately, Kathy did not carry a grudge — in fact, she reached out to introduce me to the GDB as soon as she learned I had entered private practice.
 
In 1996, T&H dissolved and I joined what became Balber Pickard Maldonado & Van Der Tuin, PC (“BPMV”), where I brought the Jose P. litigation and several actions on behalf of the GDB with me.  At BPMV — through the same college friend who helped me obtain the GDB as a client — I began representing Spanish-speaking musicians in copyright infringement cases brought against the major record labels and music publishers (My friend knew I was fluent in Spanish and would be able to communicate directly with my clients).  I also began representing Latin American companies and Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs in commercial litigations and arbitrations brought in New York, Puerto Rico and Florida.
 
In February 2017, BPMV merged into Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (“SGR”), where I continue to represent musicians, independent record labels and publishing companies in copyright infringement actions and matters involving payments of royalties and enforcement of contracts relating to the music and publishing industries.  I also continue to represent Latin American companies and Spanish speaking business-persons in commercial litigations and arbitrations, and the Jose P. class of students who require special education services.  In November 2017, I was nominated to serve as President of the New York City Bar Association.  I began my two-year term as City Bar President on May 15, 2018, and just one week later had the privilege of introducing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the annual lecture on Women and the Law that the City Bar hosts in her honor.

What’s the biggest challenge in your current role, and how are you handling it?

Right now, my biggest challenge is balancing the pressing requirements of my litigation and client matters at SGR, while also attending to my duties as City Bar President, where I must meet with each Chair of the City Bar’s 150 Committees and Task Forces, review all reports drafted by these entities, participate in many meetings as the City Bar’s representative and serve as host for many functions sponsored by the City Bar.  Fortunately, my wife (who has returned to work on a full-time basis) has agreed to shoulder even more responsibility for keeping up our home, and our two children are grown and have embarked on their own legal careers.  I would not have been able to accept serving as City Bar President, however, without the support of my partners and colleagues at SGR, who already have begun to assist me with and take over certain of my litigations and client matters.

Where Do You Go For Career Advice?

As always, I look to my colleagues at my firm for advice on complex strategy decisions in my litigations and matters, on how to deal with difficult clients and whether and how to take on a new client or matter.  I have the benefit of now having many more colleagues at SGR, including my former BPMV colleagues, whose counsel I can and do seek.  With respect to my duties at the City Bar, I consult the excellent staff of the City Bar on all decisions I must make as City Bar President, and also turn to former City Bar Presidents for advice on matters with which I know they have greater experience than I do.

Tell us more about your focus as City Bar President:

I’ll preface this by saying that every former City Bar president I’ve spoken with has made clear that it will be necessary to respond to the issues of the day as they come up, separate and apart from the agenda items I may wish to pursue. That said, I believe that it’s important for the City Bar to engage other institutions and organizations in a collective effort to better understand the appropriate role of law in society.  We need to work together with the communities in which we live and work and those with which we interact – here in New York, across the U.S. and abroad – to ensure that the rule of law operates to serve all members of these communities and not just those with the resources to access the courts and petition government.  The Committees and Task Forces at the City Bar should continue to analyze and comment upon the current legal framework pertaining to immigration, access to justice, women’s rights, housing, education and health services, to name just a few of the issues we are likely to be called upon to confront one way or another by external forces.

Beyond work, what is most important to you?

My family is the single most important thing in my life.  Fortunately, my wife, children, parents, brothers and other close family members always have taken great interest in the other two things that matter to me — my career as a lawyer and my service to the community through the City Bar and other non-profit organizations.  For many years I have served as the City Bar – designated Board Member of the New York Community Trust (the “NYCT”), which provides grants to non-profits in the greater New York City area and, at the request of certain of its donors, throughout the United States and the rest of the world.  Recently, I was asked by Kathy Wylde – the same former agency official who introduced me to the GDB — to serve as an advisor for a fund established at the NYCT to provide much-needed financial support to Puerto Rican organizations undertaking hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.  Prior to becoming City Bar President, I chaired the City Bar’s Task Force on Puerto Rico, which has focused its work on legal issues involving Puerto Rico’s efforts to recover from its long-standing fiscal crisis that was compounded enormously by the destruction wrought by Hurricane María.  As City Bar President, I will continue to work with other organizations on efforts to assist Puerto Rico.

See our law firm openings and start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.

Career Advice with Sasha Kalb, VP Compliance & Risk, American Express Global Business Travel

job seekers, , ,
  • In our second instalment of our interview series with successful lawyers in the field, we’re excited to bring  you Sasha Kalb, sharing her insights and tips on how she established and maintains a growing and successful career.

Career Stats
Name: Sasha Kalb
Current role: VP Compliance & Risk, American Express Global Business Travel
Law School: Brooklyn Law School
First job: Attorney Advisor, US Customs and Border Protection
Years of experience: 11 1/2

 

  • Tell us about your career path and how you got to be where you are today?

When I finished law school, I knew I wanted to work in the area of International Law, but didn’t quite know what that meant. I was given some good advice by a fellow graduate from my law school who worked at Customs and Border Protection (CBP). He suggested that it was a good place to start because I could get some real, practical experience in my first year out of law school. And he was right – it was a great place to start. I started to understand what it meant to build an internal customs/international trade program. From there, I broadened my role into general corporate compliance.

  • What’s the biggest challenge in your current role, and how are you handling it?

Managing time zones. I live in Hong Kong and cover all of Asia-Pacific.  Given all of the varying time zones in the region, this means that my clients start work at 5-6am and finish work at 10:30 my time.  In addition, many of my team members are based in Europe and the U.S., which makes the days even longer.

  • What’s the best piece of career advice you were given? What’s the worst?

I was offered a wonderful career opportunity when I was five months pregnant with my first child. I was scared about taking the opportunity and considering turning it down.  But someone I trust very much told me to take the job because great opportunities don’t come along very often.  I did and it worked out really well.

  • How is technology impacting your role?

To some degree, it is making my role easier. Recently, I was able to avoid a long-haul journey away from my family by scheduling a video conference in lieu of an in-person meeting.  On the other hand, technology means that we are always connected…and available to work.

  • How are you balancing work and your personal life?

I have a family and a job that requires very long hours. So managing work and my personal life is a constant balancing act.  I don’t think I will ever get the balance quite right, but I will keep working on it.

 

 

See our law firm openings and start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.

 

James Goodnow, Fennemore Craig

Career Advice with James Goodnow, Managing Partner, Fennemore Craig

job seekers, , ,

In the first of our interview series with successful lawyers in the field, we’re delighted to bring you some great career advice from James Goodnow, one of the youngest lawyers to run a large American law firm.

Career Stats
Name: James Goodnow
Current role: Managing Partner, Fennemore Craig
Law School: Harvard Law School
First job: Summer File Clerk, Fennemore Craig
Years of experience: 18 in law; 12 as an attorney

  • Tell us about your career path and how you got to be where you are today?

Law runs in the family.  My dad was a lawyer, first for the government, and then later as an in-house attorney.  I knew from a young age I wanted to follow in his footsteps, even if I didn’t fully have an understanding of what being a lawyer meant.  I got my first job in the legal world as a summer file clerk at Fennemore Craig.  I returned to Fennemore during law school as a summer associate, got hired full time after graduation, made partner, joined the management committee, and now serve as the committee’s chair.  I’ve been privileged to make this firm my home for my entire career, and have held positions at every level.  That’s allowed me to see the firm from the inside out and understand it in unique ways.

  • What’s the biggest challenge in your current role, and how are you handling it?

We’re facing many of the same challenges that are plaguing the legal industry as a whole.  The market for private legal services is contracting generally, as bigger players are moving more and more work in-house.  The clients that remain are pushing for lower rates and commoditized practices, which at a certain point aren’t sustainable.  Non-traditional legal service companies are stepping in and taking up market share. We’re working to stay ahead of these challenges by encouraging innovation, rethinking the law firm model, keeping overhead low, and providing reminders to our clients that the quality of legal service they get from a firm like Fennemore isn’t something that you can go out and replace tomorrow with an off-brand copycat.

  • What qualities do you think make you successful in your role?

More than anything, I think it’s how much I enjoy interacting with people.  The modern legal practice is hugely centered around interpersonal communication.  I feel joy when I get to know my fellow attorneys and legal professionals, learn about their interests, get to know their families.  Those kinds of connections help me do my job better.  I understand the needs of the firm’s people better, and I hope it also helps them trust me when I come up with proposals for the firm.

I’ve also benefited from being an unapologetic tech nerd.  My practice sits at the intersection of law, business, and technology.  We use tech to connect with clients, prepare cutting-edge video demand packages, track and analyze our numbers, and position ourselves online.  Being an “elder Millennial” puts me in a sweet spot to be young enough to embrace technology, while still being able to work with people of different generations – including those who aren’t ultra-tech savvy.

  • What’s the best piece of career advice you were given? What’s the worst?

Best: “There’s no substitute for hard work.”  Simple, but true.

Worst: “Friends are friends, business is business.”  I’ve never liked this one.  I’ve typically heard people use this when they’re trying to justify hurting someone they care about.  It strikes me that you don’t say this unless you know you’re doing wrong by somebody important to you. On a more practical note, for supposedly being pro-business, this advice can be a bad business move. Business is about relationships, and once you’re known as someone who can hurt those you’re close to, every relationship you have is going to suffer.  I’m friends with the attorneys in our firm, and I aim to treat them with respect.  Sometimes, tough decisions have to be made.  That doesn’t mean you can’t make those calls compassionately, and in a way that allows everyone involved to maintain their dignity.

  • What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out your legal career?

Whatever stress you’re dealing with today probably isn’t going to matter in five years.  There’s always another emergency around the corner, another fire you’re going to have to put out, so save your energy and don’t stress yourself out over every little snag you hit.  Take the long view, stay calm, and keep things in perspective.  Whatever you’re facing, you will handle it.   Billions of people on this planet are having a worse day than you are.  Take a breath, keep moving, work hard, and everything will be better soon.

  • Where do you go now for career or work advice?

I’ve been blessed to have had more mentors over the years than I can name in this space. I’m grateful for all of them.  Recently, I’ve really come to rely on the two former managing partners at our firm that are still practicing.  I meet with them regularly for insight and guidance as I transition into the new role.  More than anything, though, my close friend and firm partner Marc Lamber has been an invaluable mentor to me through my entire career.  I wouldn’t be the lawyer I am today without his advice, and I’ll continue to sit under his learning tree as long as he’ll have me.

  • How is technology impacting your role / organization / industry?

Every way possible.  Law is now a 24/7, global business.  Clients expect constant communication, and cloud-based document storage means that being out of the office is no longer the impediment to working that it used to be – for better and for worse.  Tech-based competitors like LegalZoom are eating up market share, keeping traditional law firms on our toes.  Tech-enabled virtual law firms like FisherBroyles are also challenging the traditional model.  Insurance companies and major corporate players are using Big Data analysis techniques to quantify and commoditize the practice of law.  My own firm is experimenting with AI-based legal research.  Law is heading for a massive tech disruption, and we aim to be on the leading edge of those changes.

  • What causes are you personally invested in?

I care deeply about developing diverse representation within the firm.  Prior to becoming chair of the management committee, I chaired the firm’s Diversity and Retention Council, which was charged with bringing in and keeping diverse attorneys.  The legal industry as a whole has struggled to bring in diverse attorneys, and more importantly to keep them on track to partnership.  The entire industry loses far too many diverse attorneys as they climb the associate ladder.  Encouraging diversity isn’t about touchy-feely, political correctness; it’s about developing a major competitive advantage.  The research is clear that diverse teams are stronger, smarter, more efficient teams.  The legal industry can’t afford to continue letting strong, bright attorneys fall through the cracks.

  • How are you balancing work and your personal life?

This is the single biggest challenge I face.  I’m blessed to be married to my high school sweetheart, who’s a businesswoman in her own right as the CEO of the college admissions consulting firm Going Ivy, and together we have two beautiful kids.  I’d gladly spend every minute I had with them, but my practice entails long hours, short deadlines, and a lot of travel.  And that was before I became chair of the firm’s management committee.  These days I take my kids to school every morning and do my best to be home by 7 pm to tuck them in and give them a goodnight kiss.  I catch up with my wife after the kids’ bedtime, and then usually have to hit the computer again to catch up on emails before bed.  I work hard to keep as much of the weekends free as possible and to carve out the odd lunch date or school trip wherever I can.  It’s not easy, and it’s something I’ve long been working on being better at.

  • Beyond work, what are you most passionate about?

Working out is a big part of maintaining my wellbeing, both for physical fitness and mental.  Given how little time I have for family already, workouts are even harder to fit in, but I try to find the time.  Workouts function as “me time,” which everyone needs at some point.   I grew up a competitive cyclist, and I lament the fact that my bike mostly collects dust.  These days, I typically get up early, around 4:30 AM and work out in my house before the kids get up for breakfast.  I also recently splurged on a treadmill desk for my office, which is perfect for tapping out emails on an iPad or handling phone calls.

See our law firm openings and start your job search with Lawjobs.com today.

Fast Forward: A 2018 Lawyer Life Strategy Guide in 4 Simple Steps

job seekers, ,

The following guest post is written by Joseph E. Ankus of Ankus Consulting, and does not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Lawjobs.com and ALM Media.  Visit Lawjobs.com to start your job search.

Welcome to the end of 2017! As we wind down a rather eventful year, our thoughts naturally wander to what we want to accomplish in 2018.

January 1st will be here before we blink – so let’s get ready NOW.

The reality is that many well intentioned New Year’s plans are made in late December and summarily discarded by mid-January. This blog gives you a workable (and attainable) formula to maximize your personal productivity.

These four simple steps are all you need to get started:

1. Be Honest: Do a “head to toe” assessment of your 2017 overall performance. This is meant to be global in scope and brutally honest in appraisal- critically review your professional performance (quality of your work, your hours billed, your base compensation, your bonus compensation, your business development, your relationships with your colleagues, your professional development, and your charitable/pro bono work). At the same time, critically review your personal performance (physical health, mental health, spiritual health, financial health and relationship health). Use a simple A-F “grading” system to have a uniform basis for comparison for each category listed above. Anything under a “B” deserves priority attention in 2018.

2. Identify Areas For Improvement: If you faithfully complete your assessment, you will have areas that you want to, or will need to, improve in 2018. None of us are exempt from betterment and there is no “wrong time” to start. Be realistic- if you aren’t satisfied with your career then consider making changes (by either improving circumstances in your current position or leaving for another opportunity) and if you aren’t satisfied with your personal performance then consider making changes that will have lasting and elevating effects. It has been proven that professional performance correlates directly to personal performance. If you aren’t doing well outside of work, you will not be able to do as well at work. Success starts with YOU and your own well being. It sounds callous to say that the world owes you nothing but It’s the truth. You, and only you, can take the steps necessary to improve. No one else will do it for you.

3. Commit To A Plan: For this step, you MUST write down ALL of your REALISTIC AND ATTAINABLE goals. You can’t just have random goals or half-made plans existing only in the ether of your mind. You must have a clearly worded and written “contract” with yourself that you promise to enforce. Keep a copy on your desk at work and another one taped to the mirror in your bathroom. Start modestly- success is best achieved incrementally and small, measurable steps are the way to start. Reward yourself as you make progress and don’t berate yourself if you slip up. Both will happen to you.

4. Share Your Plan: After you create your plan, please don’t put it on Facebook or tweet it on Twitter.  Oversharing creates unnecessary stress. On the other hand, I recommend confiding in one or two close people you sincerely trust and who will support you. To this end, I am a proponent of “measured accountability”. Encourage your supporters to keep tabs on your progress and to gently remind you to “pick up the pace” if is necessary. Remember that the primary reason some people don’t accomplish their New Year’s goals is because they set unrealistic targets and lack adequate support. I don’t want that to be you!

Best of luck as we all enter 2018.

AUTHOR:
Joseph E. Ankus, Esq.
President/Founder
954.862.1738
Ankus Consulting, Inc.
[email protected]
www.ankusconsulting.com

How to Stand Out as a First-Year Associate

job seekers, , , , , ,

Most law school graduates become first-year associates, but few will rise through the ranks to become partners in established law firms. If this is your goal, you need to appreciate that your legal career begins the moment you accept a first-year associate position and your success requires a plan to stand out from the crowd.

Understand your role. Your job is to complete assigned tasks fully, effectively, and timely. Treat the partner or supervising attorney as if he or she is your client. Anticipate problems and suggest solutions. Become an asset and resource, not a problem.

Learn. No one expects you to know everything; part of your job is to learn how to truly practice law. Take notes regarding legal strategies and processes, and ask questions at a suitable time. This initiative will be noticed.

Say “no” when appropriate. As a first-year associate it is tempting to say yes to everything because you want to be viewed as someone who can get the job done. However, if your work quality is diminished because of your overburdened schedule, you will get a reputation as someone who can’t deliver. Stand out from the crowd by reviewing each work request, measuring it against your current workload, and accepting or passing accordingly.

Demonstrate personal integrity.  Take ownership in your projects by meeting deadlines and delivering what you promised. Take initiative and look for work during slow periods. Take responsibility for mistakes and correct them when possible. Show that you are trustworthy and responsible in all areas of your professional career.

Share credit. If another associate, paralegal, or assistant helped you complete a project that is recognized for its quality, be gracious. Even though you did the majority of the work, acknowledging that others contributed will show that you know how to lead a team to accomplish a task, which is a fundamental skill of a successful lawyer.

Understand the case. Most of your assignments will be discrete portions of a larger case. Take time to understand it so your work will seamlessly mesh with other documents and activities. Anticipate problems and present a plan to address them, which can lead to more work and a bigger role on the team. You will demonstrate your understanding of the integration of the aspects of the project and your willingness to support its goals.

Be resilient. You will have losses as well as wins; learn from them and move on. Dwelling on past mistakes will distract you from current efforts, so the sooner you let the mistake go, the sooner others will as well.

Embrace the partner’s goals. The law firm’s partners have a vision for the practice and have set priorities accordingly. Make those priorities your own and become a team player committed to the firm’s success.

Becoming a stand-out first-year associate is one of many challenges you will face as you define your legal career. The quality of your work, willingness to be a team player and understanding of the law firm’s goals are keys to rising above the rest.