Danielle Spinelli, with WilmerHale.

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.

Among our three [U.S.] Supreme Court victories was Mission Product Holdings v. Tempnology, a highly significant Chapter 11 case. Mission held that trademark licensors cannot terminate licensees' rights to trademarks by rejecting a license agreement in bankruptcy. The decision resolved a fundamental confusion that has persisted for decades over the meaning of "rejection," a central bankruptcy concept, holding that rejection is the equivalent of a nonbankruptcy breach and cannot eliminate rights that would survive such a breach. Our reading of the Bankruptcy Code prevailed because it was grounded in the text and made sense of the code's overall structure and history.

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

Mission illustrates how we combine our top-notch appellate capabilities with deep substantive knowledge of specific practice areas—bankruptcy and intellectual property, among others—to achieve compelling advocacy on complex and specialized issues before a generalist bench.

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

The opportunity to solve clients' most difficult problems while playing a role in advancing the coherence of the law nationwide makes this one of the best jobs there is.

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

There are many: Stretch beyond your comfort zone [and] don't hesitate to take the lead even if the leaders you see don't look like you.

Submitted by Danielle Spinelli, a partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.