Eagle Robinson, partner, Norton Rose Fulbright

Experience:

• Norton Rose Fulbright, 2008-present
• Dunlap Codding, 2006-2008

Education:

• University of Oklahoma College of Law, 2008
• University of Oklahoma, 2004

What drew you to a career in law?

The TV show Boston Legal, and my own short attention span. William Shatner's Denny Crane and James Spader's Alan Shore, fictional as they were, made being a lawyer seem like an entertaining and challenging way to earn a living. Also, during a year of working as an engineer before law school, the projects on which I worked were similar enough to feel repetitive. That was probably a function of my inexperience, but it was enough to make me crave variety. I've been fortunate in that the law has not disappointed on either front.

Have you set a specific goal that you want to achieve in the next year?

My goal this year and every year is simply to serve clients' legal needs better than anyone else is willing or able to serve them. That translates into smaller goals, for each project, which I generally consider to have been met each time a client trusts our team (instead of another firm's) with an additional project. The rest of my professional goals align with clients' goals, in both substance and timeline.

What has been your proudest career moment and your biggest hurdle?

My proudest career moment has been making partner at Norton Rose Fulbright. The firm includes many highly successful partners, and it was a tremendous honor to be invited to join their ranks. My biggest hurdle has been balancing my tendency to work too much, with my need to spend time with my family. My inability to say “no” at work is a defect of my character that has made it particularly difficult to make a habit of reserving and defending that family time.

Where do you fit on a 1-10 work-life balance scale with 10 being nirvana? Please explain.

Either 6 or 8, depending on the day. Outside of travel and a few exceptionally busy weeks here and there, I make it home by 6 pm to have dinner with my kids, help put them to bed, and spend time with my better half before she goes to bed. My biggest challenge is quieting the part of my brain that never stops thinking about whatever problem is most pressing, which sometimes makes it difficult to be fully present during non-working hours.

What is the top quality that you've used to succeed in the profession?

Humility. While a certain level of self-confidence is a must, overconfidence breeds strategic mistakes. For example, underestimating an opponent can lead to underestimating (and under-thinking) their arguments. Humility means setting aside any snap judgments or impressions of an argument or opponent to fully consider the merits, without which any response can miss critical points. In my mind, humility also means listening carefully not only to client problems but also to the level of solution each client thinks appropriate. The alternative is overworking a problem and sending a solution and a bill that the client didn't foresee or want.

Who is your favorite mentor and why?

All of them. Each mentor I've been fortunate enough to know has shared some bit of wisdom I try to live by. A few of my favorites include: quality is never negotiable; service is servient; presentation is everything, but never enough; clients ask 'yes' questions; and practicing law is a marathon of sprints (I might've tweaked that last one).

What's the best advice anyone has ever given you?

“You should have been fired.” At the age of 16, I was slightly insubordinate to the manager of the pizza place where I worked. He had done something unfair to a co-worker and I took a stand that seemed principled to my idealistic young mind. When I told the story to my stepmother that evening, she quickly disabused me of any high-minded misimpressions, and explained that what seemed unfair was trivial and better for the business. In refusing to pull any punches, she made it crystal clear that I served at the pleasure of my employer and, when on the clock, my frame of reference should align with my employer's. That lesson underscores what seem to me the keys to success in the practice of law: the willingness to selflessly prioritize not only client needs, but also each client's perception of how its needs are best served.

What trends are you observing in the profession that you're excited about?

The development of technology that reduces the amount of time spent on repetitive or formulaic tasks. For example, there is now software that will generate from a draft set of patent claims a detailed description for a patent application. Likewise, software can now perform an initial review of a set of contracts and flag key contract provisions for detailed review. These types of advancements help lawyers focus their efforts on critical issues and increase value for clients.

What is the greatest challenge you see for the legal profession?

The inherent tension between “Type A” personalities and the legal profession being one of service. Lawyers seem to go awry when they forget that any lawyer's relevance depends more on being trusted by clients than on any other factor. No matter how brilliant, a lawyer who prioritizes their own desires over those of their clients will eventually find themselves with nothing to lawyer.