I’ve enjoyed internal and external development opportunities during my time at Baker & McKenzie, starting with the New Associates' Meeting in Toronto when I joined in 2001 and now to partner and practice group development programs in Chicago and around the region. During my time as an associate, I participated in a future leadership development program which included intensive training by external specialists in client development and presentation skills that led to doing presentations to the Association of Corporate Counsel – Minnesota Chapter each year.   I have also had the benefit of two Baker & McKenzie mentors—Dieter Schmitz and David Malliband—who take the time to get down to brass tacks and help me understand the complexities of what we are working on.

Everything we do has an international bent to it. Very few of the transactions I have worked on haven’t involved other countries—the first deal I was given to run with was a joint venture between two US-based companies planning to manufacture their product in China. I have worked with colleagues in foreign offices and here in Chicago, and the access and insights you get from this exposure to other cultures is stellar. I’ve learned ways of doing things that I wouldn’t otherwise. I’ve experienced true respect for diversity, not as a platitude, but as a key part of the business model. Being truly global is diversity and for me it’s what keeps things very fresh in every transaction.

Globally, my network has grown mainly through the work I’ve been involved with. For example, one of my primary clients is the State Government of Sawarak, Malaysia—a connection made through a colleague in Singapore. And my recent work on a major deal kept me in close contact with colleagues in a dozen jurisdictions.

I was heavily involved with the Chicago office Diversity Committee for many years and as an associate, I was co-chair of the Associates' Committee. I now serve on the Recruitment and Professional Development Committee. Outside the office, I mentor a student for LINK Unlimited, a not-for-profit body offering educational services and mentoring to economically disadvantaged African American youth from the Chicago area. I have also worked with the Chicago Urban League, 100 Black Men of America and the Chicago Committee on Minorities in Large Law Firms.

Our global connections are what allow us to simplify global complexity. While other firms are often left hiring foreign law firms to fill in a gap or get advice, our people are on the phone to a colleague or friend in another Baker & McKenzie office getting the answers. Our advice is also delivered in a straightforward way. For example, in a deal our team has been working on, the client needed us to take a practical approach, focusing on the hot button issues likely to affect them. There was a lot of give and take, and a need to be able to act quickly when our client restructured the deal. The client was very pleased with our performance, a fact that I think reflects our ability to go beyond standard legal or even business analysis, focusing on a deeper understanding of the solutions needed.

As an associate, I was given the latitude to grow my practice into areas I am passionate about. One of the first transactions I worked on was a joint venture, and then I was offered a huge project for a key client that involved reviewing joint ventures. From that, we developed a system of best practices for evaluating joint ventures. This continued into the presentations I do each year for the Association of Corporate Counsel – Minnesota Chapter. As a recently elected partner, I will continue to express my interests and be willing to run with innovative ideas—knowing  the Firm will continue to be supportive.