Junaid Chida, Partner, O'Melveny & Myers

What are some of your proudest recent achievements? I don't ever use the word "proud"; I'm very grateful over the course of my career to have been blessed with the opportunity to serve the highest caliber of clients, in every way that one could possibly hope for and to work with an amazing team of lawyers at my side. The latter allows us to be at the side of the world's biggest and most sophisticated institutions in transactions that are reshaping the world in which we live, in particular in the renewables and clean energy space. To be a part of this is something that I am grateful for every single day.

What does it mean to be a leader? A true leader knows that it is never about herself or himself—it is always about serving our clients with the highest standards of professionalism and dedication, and addressing their most complex problems in ways that allow them to achieve their objectives in the best manner possible. And after that, it is always about the team—about ensuring that everyone on the team feels valued and respected and gets the experience and opportunities that they have a right to expect. Nothing embodies leadership to me more than General Washington's journey across the Delaware on that fateful night. Washington didn't say to his men, "Boys, I know it's cold and we're all hungry, but before we fight, I need to make sure that I eat first and that I have the warmest coat and the best ammunition and, after that, if there's anything left, I'll take care of you." A leader always puts her or his team first. Imagine where we would be today if Washington had not been a leader like that.

Name a lawyer or mentor whose leadership inspired you. I was blessed to have worked with some of the giants of the profession when I was a young lawyer; to name one would be to slight the many others that were equally inspirational.

How are the business and profession of law changing, and how should lawyers adapt for the future? While there have been changes in the profession in the course of my career and the "business" and "profession" aspects have merged to a far greater degree than in the past, what has not changed is that it is always about the clients—first, second, third, fourth and fifth. If lawyers always keep that mantra in mind, they will adapt to whatever changes the profession brings and will thrive.

What is the best advice for someone considering a career in law, or someone already in the profession who is seeking to make a greater impact? See my response to the prior question. That, plus never lose your inner compass and show no compromise when it comes to questions of integrity, whether your own personal integrity or that of the institution of which you are a part. That is the one non-negotiable in life and in the practice of law.