What's the key to successful business development in your opinion and how do you grow professionally while everyone is navigating working remotely? Business development must be a priority. I think that the natural inclination is to allow it to fall to the bottom of the list due to the pressures of getting deals done. During COVID, I made an effort to stay in contact with my clients. In addition to inviting them to our firm-sponsored virtual events and keeping them abreast of market changes, I called them to see how they were doing and to offer a helping hand, both personally and professionally. I even got to meet with some in person in outdoor venues.

What lessons, if any, did you learn in 2020/2021 (the years of COVID-19)? I learned to be flexible and to adapt. I would never have thought that I could close multimillion-dollar complex transactions working out of my bedroom. I also realized the importance of community. The firm had photo contests and live virtual performances by some of our more talented colleagues to bring people together and, within the real estate group, my partners and I made sure to touch base with associates and nonlegal staff on a regular basis just to see how they were doing.

Who had the greatest influence in your career that helped propel you to a partner in real estate? When I arrived at Stroock in 1996, just having completed my first year at another firm, Peter Miller, who was then a partner at Stroock and is now a partner at Greenberg Traurig, immediately took me under his wing. In addition to teaching me the legal substance, he introduced me to his clients, made me part of their team, and helped me gain their trust and confidence. Over time, they saw me as an extension of him and I became their "go-to" lawyer. As I moved up the ranks, I used the skills that I had learned in servicing these existing relationships to obtain new clients and develop my own successful practice.

Instant Insights /

Pay It Forward: "I Have Always Had a Thirst for Knowledge and an Incredible Work Ethic"

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