Employer: Davis Polk & Wardwell
Title and Practice Area: Partner, Antitrust

What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year practicing law? In 2009, I found my footing by collaborating with my amazing friend Samantha Knox. Sam and I trained each other to build critical skills: listening with focus, respect and empathy; teamwork; and testing creative ideas without fear of failure. Everybody needs a Sam (but hands off my Sam!).

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice. Every deal feels "big"—and personal. For Aetna and Volkswagen, the "wins" were in integrating commercial and legal strategy effectively; and for Shire (and now Takeda), in unusually complex analyses.

Who is your greatest lawyer mentor, and what has he or she taught you? The antitrust lion Mike Sohn taught me nearly everything worth knowing: crafting antitrust solutions to business problems, delivering hard advice unflinchingly, and finding the best Brunellos. I've also been a diligent student of the chessmaster strategy of Tom Reid and the leadership of Howard Shelanski.

Please share a brief key to your success. To me, the greatest challenge in law is also its greatest imperative: using the tools of the law to meet your client's commercial objectives, and listening to your client and your team to meet those objectives.