What was your route to the top? I started at the firm as a law clerk and learned early on that my desire to learn and master the ideas we work with would keep me constantly learning and developing. Working on things I loved and found interesting lead to being able to teach and speak about things that make me passionate about the work we do for our clients. The constant learning and the desire to always make everything better and more efficient gave me tremendous confidence which attracts a following and which inspires others to do their best work for the team.

What keeps you up at night? (i.e. What are your biggest business-related concerns?) I probably shouldn't say this, but I sleep pretty well. When I find myself wakeful, it is generally over trying to find a way to tell someone's story in the most effective way possible to achieve their goals in litigation or avoiding litigation. Business related concerns revolve around how best to adapt to changing environments in a way that accounts for all stakeholder sensitivities.

What is the best leadership advice you provided, or received, and why do you think it was effective? I received the best leadership advice I ever received from a partner named Robert Wilcher. He told me to spend every minute possible with our founder, Donald C. Schiller, because he is the most well rounded lawyer I would ever see in my lifetime. He was right because it expanded my practice to the bar association work and mentoring and teaching that help me stay at the top of my game and keep me excited about meeting challenges.

The best leadership advice I provide when asked is to listen because being a leader is akin to conducting an orchestra and good conductors listen to every instrument. The instruments in a law practice include everyone from the mail room to the assistants to the paralegal and the lawyers.

Looking back, what do you wish you had known when you started out in the legal profession? Looking back, I wish I had known when I started practicing law that practicing law is a business and not just a profession.

What is the most valuable career advice anyone has ever given you? The most valuable career advice anyone ever gave me was my godfather, Phillip Edward Robinson. He told me that in any work environment anywhere, if I went in and made myself indispensable, I would be a success anywhere.