Kathleen Ceglarski Burns, 37, Nixon Peabody

Office: Boston.

Practice area: Complex commercial disputes, SEC enforcement defense and government investigations.

Law school: Northeastern University School of Law, 2007.

How long have you been at the firm? Twelve years in September.

How long were you an associate at the firm? Nine years.

Were you an associate at another firm before joining your present firm? No.

What year did you make partner at your current firm? 2017.

What's the biggest surprise you experienced in becoming partner? Immediately upon becoming partner, I felt a heightened sense of responsibility toward the partnership as a whole and toward all of my colleagues.

Kathleen Ceglarski Burns.

What do you think was the deciding point for the firm in making you partner? I've spent my entire legal career at Nixon Peabody, and my colleagues and partners know I am an extremely hard worker. One lesson I learned early on is that while it's obviously important as an associate to focus on the task at hand—whether it's document review, research, or drafting pleadings, whatever the case may be—it's critical to always keep in mind the overall strategy and goals of the client so that everything you do is in furtherance of those goals. I took this to heart and took ownership of my cases early on, and I think that demonstrated I had the mindset to be a successful partner.

Describe how you feel now about your career now that you've made partner. In many ways, I feel my career is just getting started. The work I put in as an associate gave me a strong foundation, but I know I need to constantly improve and continue learning to provide the best possible service to our clients. One aspect of being partner that I really enjoy is participating in associate development. I am particularly committed to supporting associates who pursue alternative work arrangements such as part time and flextime, as I have done. I made partner when I was expecting my fourth child, and I think my example shows them there is no one-size-fits-all path to being a successful lawyer and achieving successful outcomes on behalf of our clients.

What's the key to successful business development, in your opinion? There is nothing more satisfying than being given the opportunity to do additional work for, or receiving a referral from, a satisfied client. Developing new business really starts with listening to people. I love meeting new people and hearing about their backgrounds, what keeps them busy, their successes, and the challenges they're facing. As litigators, we seek to be problem solvers, and finding innovative, practical ways to solve client problems is at the core of what we do. By talking to clients, friends and acquaintances about the challenges their businesses are facing, we show our clients that we care about their business and problems as much as they do. That really resonates.

What's been the biggest change, day-to-day, in your routine since becoming partner? As my career has progressed, I have gone from spending a lot of time working independently to attending and observing meetings, to participating in meetings, and ultimately to leading meetings. Everyone's time is valuable, so I try to make sure every meeting is as efficient and effective as possible.

Who had the greatest influence in your career that helped propel you to partner? There are so many people in my village who have supported me and made it possible for me to get to this stage in my career. Nixon Peabody partner Steve LaRose was my mentor as a summer associate and has been my most reliable sounding board and sponsor ever since then. Working with Steve and former Nixon Peabody partner Tim Mungovan on a number of complex, challenging cases provided me with excellent training in a very demanding environment. The increased responsibilities they gave me as I proved myself was very motivating and helped build my confidence. My friends and fellow partners Ruth Silman and Sarah Connolly, as well as former Nixon Peabody associates Deb Burton and Christine Colmey, have been role models who showed me it is possible to have a successful career while raising young children and encouraged me to follow my own path.

What's the best piece of advice you could give an associate who wants to make partner? Two pieces of advice that I have gotten over the years have really resonated with me. First, be a sponge. Learn from everyone around you—colleagues, clients, friends—observe and ask about their successes and their missteps, both big and small, and learn from those experiences. Second, be intentional about the path you are taking. Be sure to take a step back and assess and reassess what you are doing, and make sure that even in the small things, you are being true to yourself and furthering your goals. If something you are doing works, keep doing it, and if it doesn't work, change it! We are all a work in progress—if you can learn something new every day and take a baby step in the right direction, it adds up.