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Adam Harris, 37, Ropes & Gray

Office: New York.

Practice area: Securities and corporate litigation.

Law school and year of graduation: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, 2007.

How long have you been at the firm? Since January 2016.

How long were you an associate before becoming partner? Three years. 

Were you an associate at another firm before joining your present firm? I was a litigation associate at Fried Frank in New York from 2007 to January 2016.

What year did you make partner at your current firm? 2019.

What do you think was the deciding point for the firm in making you partner? Early on as an associate, a partner told me that, in order to make partner, I needed to think like a partner. That meant taking ownership of my cases, thinking strategically in a "big picture" way, anticipating challenges before they happened, building relationships internally at the firm and relentlessly focusing on client service. I took this advice to heart and actively worked on developing these skills.

It also helped that I really love what I do. In high school and college, I competed nationally in debate, extemporaneous speaking and trial advocacy competitions. I've always been drawn to the challenge of trying to digest complicated information and communicate effectively in order to persuade others, and that passion comes across in my work as a litigator.

Describe how you feel now about your career, now that you've made partner. It is extremely gratifying to have achieved a challenging professional goal that I worked hard to attain for many years. Now it's time to set new goals. I'm looking forward to continuing to build my practice and strengthen client relationships. I'm also excited to focus on certain areas that have become important to my practice, such as handling securities and commercial cases for life sciences companies, while at the same time continuing to stay a litigation generalist.

Who had the greatest influence in your career that helped propel you to partner? I joined Ropes & Gray as an associate with two partners from my prior firm, Gregg Weiner and David Hennes, who have both taught me a great deal about being an effective litigator and gaining clients' trust. I'm also fortunate that one of my long-time mentors, Lisa Bebchick, joined us at Ropes & Gray in 2017. Lisa has offered me a trusted ear and sound advice since I was a first-year associate, and lucky for me, that hasn't changed.

What's the best piece of advice you could give an associate who wants to make partner?  The best piece of advice I could give to a junior lawyer starting out is that your job is to try to make the lives of your clients, and those of the partners you work for, easier. So it is good to spot problems, but it is even better to think through potential solutions. I would also add that it's never too early to bring value beyond your class year: think strategically and speak up.

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