What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year of practice? Mistakes happen, but if you make a mistake, it is critical to tell someone and to have a plan to resolve the issue.

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice. Being trusted to lead Kroger's $2.5 billion acquisition of Harris Teeter Supermarkets was one of the most memorable accomplishments. The transaction posed a number of overlaps giving rise to serious antitrust issues, but I was able to devise a strategy that allowed the transaction to proceed without any divestitures.

Who do you consider to be your greatest lawyer mentor? I was really lucky to spend a number of my associate years working directly with Debbie Feinstein [who rejoined the firm as partner and antitrust group leader after serving as the Federal Trade Commission's top antitrust enforcer] . [She] taught me how to take a practical approach to issues [and] how the antitrust authorities think about issues.