Tell us about your top U.S. Supreme Court or federal appeals court victory over the past year and how you and your team achieved the win.

Mayer Brown has been a pioneer in helping business clients implement arbitration provisions and enforce them as an alternative to costly, time-consuming judicial resolution. This past Supreme Court term, Mayer Brown argued and won Lamps Plus v. Varela—making it less likely that businesses will be subjected to unwanted class arbitration. Lamps Plus is the fourth significant victory that Mayer Brown has earned over the last eight years before the Court on arbitration issues arising under the Federal Arbitration Act.

How did your firm approach appellate success over the past year?

Breadth and depth: We had eight cases in the Court last term, across a wide variety of substantive areas. In each case, we put together the best team from within the firm and dug in to the facts and the law to present the best possible case through the briefs and oral arguments.

What is the most satisfying element of appellate practice in your opinion?

It's especially rewarding to handle cases with real-world impact. It feels good to work hand-in-hand with clients to solve some of their most pressing problems.

What's the most valuable lesson you learned as a young lawyer?

Don't cut corners. To do a good job on a case, you need to put in the time and do the work. That was the approach my colleagues and I always took in the Office of the Solicitor General, and it is the same approach our appellate lawyers take at Mayer Brown.

Submitted by Nicole Saharsky, partner and co-leader of the Supreme Court and appellate practice at Mayer Brown.