Employer: Sullivan & Cromwell
Title and Practice Area: Partner, Litigation

What was the most valuable lesson you learned in your first year practicing law? Shorter legal writing is better legal writing. Judge [Raymond] Randolph required us to write what I thought were impossibly short bench memos. After spending hours making memos shorter, I learned I didn't understand an issue until I articulated my position in "impossibly" short terms.

Describe your biggest win or accomplishment in practice. Since 2017, I've helped lead the team defending Volkswagen against numerous environmental lawsuits filed by state attorneys general across the country related to the well-publicized diesel emissions matter. We have succeeded in getting almost all of those lawsuits dismissed as preempted.

Who is your greatest lawyer mentor and what has he or she taught you? My dad. Though he was not a litigator like me, he taught me what I still think is the most important lesson for any lawyer: that your reputation for integrity and honesty, before judges and clients, is your most valuable asset.

Please share a brief key to your success. I consider myself a generalist, and am fortunate to be part of a firm that prides itself on the generalist approach. I firmly believe the broader perspective I've gained from experience in a diverse range of practice areas makes me a better advocate for clients in any given case.