Employer: Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
Practice Area: Partner, Life Sciences

What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year practicing law? Try everything. I had planned to be a patent litigator—focusing on software. I had no idea life sciences transactions was a practice area, and I tried it only because a partner I respected asked me to. I love what I do and cannot imagine a different career path.

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice. Closing my first "first-chair" substantial transaction [of about $100 million] as a new counsel. [The firm] had never represented the client on transactional matters, but I convinced the relationship partner I could. After closing, the client referred me to his contacts; a significant portion of my practice has evolved out of that.