Warren Usatine is co-chair of the litigation practice and deputy chair of the bankruptcy practice at Cole Schotz in Hackensack. According to the firm: “As part of Cole Schotz's mentorship program, Warren has accumulated more mentees than any other partner in the firm and has earned a reputation for being an actively involved mentor.” Usatine develops younger attorneys not only as practitioners but also as business generators, and “steers his attorneys toward beneficial events and organizations,” the firm said. “When attending events with Warren, his mentees know they always have a friend in the room. He takes every opportunity to introduce his team to valuable connections and ensures that his guests are getting the most from the event.” Usatine also has shown commitment to mentees' work-life balance.

Is the role of mentor one that you set out to take, or one you happened into?

It's a little bit of both—when my firm introduced our formal mentorship program, I was automatically paired with a mentee. The benefits of the program were immediate. Often while working with first-years and young associates, I can sense their hesitation to come forward with questions or ideas. However, within the parameters of the mentor program, young associates were significantly more forthcoming, and in return this created thought-provoking conversations. I knew this type of dialogue was crucial to the career development and retention of associates. Based on these experiences, I enthusiastically volunteered to take on an active role when the firm made the recent decision to expand its mentor program.

Why are mentors so important in the legal profession?

Mentors are an integral part in bridging the gap between theory and application of the law in practice. A number of our mentors at Cole Schotz have 20+ years of experience. That's over two decades of wins and losses involving clients from across industries and clients on cases with distinctly different needs. By sharing our experience, mentors can help mentees produce high-quality legal work and further assist them in developing the skills needed to merge what they've been studying in law school with the deals/cases they are now being assigned. This doesn't just benefit the associates, but the firm as a whole by creating strong teams that practice with a cohesive approach and are united through camaraderie.

Good mentors often have learned from good examples. Who are some people who have mentored you?

Spending my entire career at a firm like Cole Schotz has allowed me to benefit by learning from so many different attorneys, both inside and outside of my particular practice areas. Those relationships have guided me in developing my expertise as well as in universal areas such as dealing with clients, marketing, professional development and the business of law itself. I have been so fortunate to be surrounded by such inspiring colleagues that there are too many individuals to name.

Law is, for many, more than a full-time job. How does one create time for mentorship?

If you are invested in your firm's future and its growth, you have to invest in your associates. It has always been a goal of mine to reach a point in my career where I could dedicate real time to helping to advance the careers of younger colleagues. The younger generation will be responsible for pushing the firm forward, and so it is important to connect with them as lawyers and as people. It's an extra conversation or it's taking a moment to check in on someone. Even the busiest of attorneys can not only spare these few moments but will undoubtedly benefit from them as well.

How are the business and profession of law changing, and are New Jersey lawyers well-positioned for the future?

I think it's universally understood that increased competition for engagements and corporate counsel's increased accountability for outside legal spend have changed the business of law in many ways. I think New Jersey firms are well positioned to offer rate structures that can attract business away from larger, more expensive New York-based firms in that environment. The key is developing relationships that result in those New Jersey-based firms getting the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to handle the sophisticated engagements that historically led in-house counsel to rely strictly on so-called “big law.”