This morning we again turn our attention to the newly-minted Big Law litigation partners who discussed their professional journeys with our Law.com colleagues over the past year as part of the "How I Made It" series. We've already highlighted lawyers from Am Law 100 firms, with separate columns for firms 1-50 and 51-100 in the rankings. Today we're focusing on the litigators who shared some insight about their paths to partnership in Second Hundred firms—a cohort that saw demand tick up ever so slightly (.4%) last year while demand for litigation services from larger Am Law 100 firms was off by 2% year over year.

Let's start with Patricia Brum who was elevated to the partnership at Snell & Wilmer (#113 in the Am Law 200) in March 2022. Prior to making partner, Brum spent three years as a commercial litigation associate at Snell after previously practicing for four years at a litigation boutique in Los Angeles. She said part of what led her to join Snell was the firm's commitment to helping her develop her own clients. "It is rare for large law firms to encourage associates to build their own book of business because that business is initially small," Brum said. "I wanted to join a firm that valued and encouraged those small matters because they provided me with the opportunity to develop my skills as a lawyer."