Wendy Huff Ellard, 38, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz

Office: Jackson, Mississippi.

Practice area: National regulatory practice focused on disaster recovery, government contracting and public policy.

Law school and year of graduation: The University of Mississippi School of Law, 2007.

How long have you been at the firm? About 12 years.

How long were you an associate at the firm? I joined as a contract attorney in 2007, then I became an associate in 2010, so I was technically an associate for seven 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? That becoming a partner didn't shorten my days. I'm not sure that I expected that, but I think this may be a common misconception. Anyone who knows me will tell you I am a very hardworking person and extremely dedicated to my practice. I have always put in long hours to ensure that my clients are getting what they need. I work just as hard now as a partner as I always have, maybe even more so, as I now have additional responsibilities for maintaining the level of service and growth expected of my practice.

Wendy Huff Ellard, Partner, Baker Donelson.

What do you think was the deciding point for the firm in making you partner? My history with the firm is unique and a testament to the perseverance and dedication that I bring to my practice. I began as a contract attorney in a small cubicle. I was hired to work on one specific project; it was not intended to lead to any type of long-term relationship with the firm. The next year, I was promoted to lead a team. Two years later, I was made an associate—something I was advised would be very difficult because I had begun with the firm in a non-traditional position. But, I was always very intentional about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to take my career. I had identified disaster recovery as an area I enjoyed, and I wanted to make that work. By the time I was made a shareholder in 2017, I had strong metrics and had established myself as a key player in a very fast-growing industry. I was viewed as an important part of a new and unique practice area for our firm, but I was also unique in how I had worked my way up through the firm. I believe the firm identified me as someone with the necessary dedication to the work but also with the unique strategic focus and ability to continue to grow and help lead our disaster recovery team forward.

Describe how you feel now about your career now that you've made partner. It's amazing.  I truly have come a long way. I am from a small town and went to a small public school. I have worked very hard to get where I am. I love my work and have always wanted to be a part of something like this, but I can't say that I ever truly expected or knew it would happen.

What's the key to successful business development in your opinion? Becoming a trusted and well-respected adviser on a unique topic or area of the law. I am one of only a handful of attorneys in the country who regularly represents public entities and not-for-profit entities in getting and keeping federal assistance following a natural disaster. I get new business because of my unique experience and perspective, but great client service also means that those new clients then refer others. And it grows from there!

What's been the biggest change, day-to-day, in your routine since becoming partner? I feel a greater responsibility for the success of others now that I am a partner and a leader of our group. I work hard now to identify other business opportunities and am always thinking of ways to expand our current work and do what is best for the team. I do have to try harder not to take on too many things myself. I have a tendency to do that, so I have to remind myself to let things go to others to free myself up for things that are harder to delegate.

Who had the greatest influence in your career that helped propel you to partner? Stacy Thomas, a shareholder in our Jackson office. Stacy was one of the first people I met when I joined Baker Donelson as a contract attorney and my first supervising attorney. He introduced me to the firm and to what is now my practice. He was always patient with me as I learned, provided great positive and constructive feedback, and has always supported me as I transitioned to different positions in our firm. He was the person who first presented me as a consideration for associate and one of my biggest supporters in becoming a shareholder.

What's the best piece of advice you could give an associate who wants to make partner? It may sound cliché, but I would advise any associate who wants to have a long and successful career to work now to identify something you are truly interested in and passionate about. Often as a young associate, we are given opportunities to try many different things, different types of work, different teams, different supervising attorneys. Being a lawyer brings long hours. To be truly successful, you really have to be dedicated to what you are doing.  Bottom line, law is a service industry. If you enjoy your chosen area of the law and the people you are working with and for, you are inherently going to do a better job—and be happier doing it. That makes the long hours seem less so, and the work ultimately more worthwhile.

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