For each of Vivek, Heidi and my first flight in over a year, we battled our respective hometown airports and boarded airplanes bound for Arizona this past May. We converged on a hotel at the base of a mountain in Scottsdale and at our first gathering simply shared our one goal for the weekend. As usually happens, they all coalesced around one theme: building the infrastructure of the firm – creating the patterns and processes that will truly make our firm the best place to work. It was there, while hiking Camelback Mountain, that we collectively decided to put me in the seat of Jayaram’s first Managing Partner.
This means that while I get to work both outside the firm (I’m still working with clients, don’t worry!) and inside the firm (building teams, migrating data and vendors, opening a new office, hiring colleagues), I’m often holding several viewpoints simultaneously. The world moves so fast right now that I try to stay abreast on all areas of the firm so I can make quick decisions, while keeping the varying needs in mind. So many of our clients run their own businesses (or businesses within a larger business!), I know you can relate!
A half-year after taking on this role, I can safely say that while our goals are lofty, they are achievable. Amidst the grey that has been 2021, our rocket ship is emerging. We have a stellar team of attorneys and non-lawyers coalescing around our shared mission and values, clients tell us every day about how refreshing it is to work worth with us, and we are comfortably creating a support system that can carry us well into the unknown. I am humbled to be at the control center during this turbulent yet optimistic time. Thank you to each partner, client and colleague for entrusting me to drive!