Employer: Jenner & Block
Title and Practice Area: Partner, Complex Commercial Litigation

What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year practicing law? I was fortunate to start my practice at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau during its very early and very heady days. Folks liked to quote Tim Geithner: "a plan beats no plan." That resonated as we were constructing a nationwide enforcement agenda from scratch.

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice. In 2018, I was part of a team that obtained a major settlement for SoundExchange. After years of litigation, Sirius XM agreed to pay $150 million in withheld royalties. As a former struggling musician, this win was personal; I knew how much those royalties meant to artists and rights owners.

Who is your greatest lawyer mentor and what has he or she taught you? Integrity can't be faked and it's not just a matter of words. You either have it or you don't. Chief Judge Merrick Garland taught me that. I try to live up to the example he sets for our profession.

Please share a brief key to your success. I've handled 30 or so depositions in private practice, and with each successive one I talk less and listen more. Attentive, empathetic and critical listening is the key not only to handling witnesses, but also to building strong case teams and earning clients' trust.