via
Getty)
Ed.
note:
This
is
the
latest
installment
in
a
series
of
posts
on
motherhood
in
the
legal
profession,
in
partnership
with
our
friends
at MothersEsquire.
Welcome
Jeanine
M.
Donohue
back
to
our
pages.
Click here if
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MothersEsquire.
The
traditional
rainmaking
model
assumes
someone
else
is
handling
dinner,
homework
and
bedtime:
Golf
at
1
p.m.
on
Fridays.
Cocktail
receptions
that
begin
at
6:30
and
stretch
well
past
the
point
of
diminishing
returns.
Weekend
conferences
in
attractive
cities
that
are
functionally
inaccessible
unless
you
have
extensive
backup
at
home.
I
did
not
have
this
kind
of
back
up
as
a
Single
Mom
By
Choice
to
twins.
For
working
mothers
like
me,
that
model
is
not
merely
inconvenient.
It
is
structurally
misaligned
with
reality.
The
quiet
truth,
though,
is
this:
it
is
also
outdated.
Business
development
has
never
truly
been
about
proximity
to
a
bar
cart.
It
is
about
trust,
relevance,
and
consistency-all
factors
of
relationship
building
which
take
time
and
patience.
Working
mothers
who
understand
that
distinction
are
often
better
positioned
to
build
sustainable
books
of
business
than
their
peers
who
equate
visibility
with
value.
Redefine
What
Counts
As
Business
Development
Many
firms
still
reward
performative
networking
—
the
optics
of
constant
attendance,
the
mythology
of
the
rainmaker
who
is
everywhere
at
once.
But
clients
do
not
hire
lawyers
because
they
attended
the
most
receptions.
They
hire
lawyers
who
solve
problems
and
who
are
responsive
both
to
their
needs
and
to
their
complaints.
Business
development
is
not:
-
Attending
everything. -
Being
the
last
person
standing
at
an
industry
event. -
Saying
yes
to
every
invitation
in
the
name
of
“exposure.”
It
is:
-
Strategic
relationship
cultivation. -
Industry
fluency. -
Follow-up
discipline. -
Becoming
synonymous
with
a
particular
type
of
solution
and
most
importantly, -
Being
good
at
what
you
do.
Working
mothers
tend
to
develop
sharper
time
discipline
out
of
necessity.
Getting
a
motion
filed,
driving
car
pool,
and
attend
that
PTA
meeting
all
require
planning
and
execution.
That
discipline
is
not
a
limitation;
it
is
a
competitive
advantage.
When
you
cannot
afford
to
waste
three
hours,
you
prepare
more
intentionally
for
the
one
hour
you
do
have.
The
Power
Of
The
Midday
Meeting
Lunch
is
the
most
underutilized
rainmaking
tool
in
the
profession.
General
counsel
and
executives
are
busy.
They
often
prefer
efficient,
focused
conversations
during
the
workday
over
evening
events
that
compete
with
their
own
family
obligations.
A
well-prepared
lunch
—
with
a
clear
agenda
and
thoughtful
follow-up
—
routinely
accomplishes
more
than
three
cocktail
receptions. A
fabulous
business
development
coach
I
hired
suggested
Zoom
lunches
where
I
offer
to
have
a
lunch
delivered
to
the
person’s
office
or
send
delivery
gift
cards
to
them
ahead
of
the
lunch
for
them
to
order
their
favorite
lunch.
This
out-of-the-box
idea
has
been
a
hot
one
for
networking
and
business
development
as
it
shows
respect
and
consideration
for
the
person’s
very
valuable
time.
Preparation
should
resemble
litigation
strategy:
understand
the
client’s
industry
pressures,
recent
developments,
insurance
coverage
landscape,
regulatory
shifts,
or
transaction
trends.
Arrive
ready
to
discuss
something
useful,
not
merely
to
“catch
up.”
Ask
questions
about
what
are
the
biggest
issues
and
problem
the
person
is
facing. Offer
to
help
if
you
are
able
or
offer
to
connect
them
to
someone
who
can
or
even
someone
else
in
their
industry
who
may
be
experiencing
the
same
issues.
Then
follow
up
with
substance
—
an
article,
a
case
update,
a
practical
checklist
relevant
to
their
business.
One
targeted,
value-driven
interaction
builds
more
credibility
than
repeated
superficial
contact.
Working
mothers,
already
accustomed
to
optimizing
limited
time,
often
excel
in
this
format.
Efficiency
reads
as
respect.
Thought
Leadership
As
Scalable
Visibility
If
traditional
networking
is
built
on
physical
presence,
modern
business
development
is
built
on
intellectual
presence.
An
article
can
reach
hundreds
of
potential
clients
without
requiring
an
evening
away
from
home.
A
panel
scheduled
during
business
hours
can
position
you
as
a
subject-matter
authority.
A
short,
practical
post
explaining
a
legal
development
can
reinforce
your
expertise
to
both
current
and
prospective
clients.
Thought
leadership
is
scalable
rainmaking.
It
allows
you
to
build
recognition
without
relying
on
constant
in-person
attendance.
More
importantly,
it
attracts
the
right
clients
—
those
seeking
competence
and
clarity
rather
than
social
familiarity.
Working
mothers
often
underestimate
the
cumulative
power
of
consistent
writing
and
speaking.
One
article
does
little.
Ten
over
two
years
build
a
brand. And
believe
me,
I
get
that
one
has
a
million
things
on
their
to-do
list,
but
this
is
an
investment
in
you
and
your
future.
Visibility
does
not
require
exhaustion.
Internal
Business
Development:
The
Overlooked
Lever
External
networking
receives
most
of
the
attention,
but
internal
positioning
within
a
firm
is
equally
critical.
If
you
are
the
lawyer
everyone
calls
to
“help”
when
a
matter
becomes
difficult,
ensure
that
you
are
also
visible
when
new
matters
arise.
Competence
can
quietly
become
a
tax
—
particularly
for
women
who
are
perceived
as
reliable
fixers.
Internal
business
development
means:
-
Communicating
clearly
about
the
work
you
want. -
Protecting
your
rate
integrity. -
Being
explicit
about
your
expertise. -
Ensuring
credit
structures
align
with
contribution.
Working
mothers,
already
balancing
multiple
demands,
cannot
afford
to
invest
significant
time
in
matters
that
erode
their
long-term
positioning.
Strategic
selectivity
is
not
selfish;
it
is
sustainable.
As
one
good
friend
lawyer-mom
advised
me,
the
future
you
are
creating
is
so
that
ultimately
you
can
control
how
you
spend
your
time
—
both
at
work
and
at
home.
Boundaries
As
A
Strategic
Signal
There
is
a
persistent
myth
that
availability
equals
commitment.
In
reality,
scarcity
often
enhances
perceived
value.
When
you
attend
selectively,
speak
deliberately,
and
focus
your
energy,
you
signal
that
your
time
is
meaningful.
Clients
do
not
need
their
lawyer
at
every
event.
They
need
their
lawyer
when
it
matters.
Boundaries
also
filter
clients.
Executives
with
families
frequently
appreciate
working
with
counsel
who
understand
time
constraints.
Efficiency
and
respect
for
schedule
resonate
across
industries.
Exhaustion
does
not
build
confidence.
Competence
does.
Playing
The
Long
Game
Working
mothers
often
build
business
differently.
Less
flash,
more
durability.
Fewer
shallow
contacts,
more
substantive
relationships.
Because
time
is
finite,
relationships
tend
to
be
intentional.
Because
commitments
are
real,
reliability
becomes
non-negotiable.
Over
time,
that
steadiness
compounds.
Books
of
business
built
on
trust,
expertise,
and
consistent
value
survive
economic
downturns
more
effectively
than
those
built
on
social
proximity
alone.
The
traditional
rainmaking
model
was
designed
around
a
professional
who
had
structural
freedom
at
home.
That
model
is
neither
neutral
nor
inevitable.
It
is
simply
one
approach.
Working
mothers
do
not
need
to
replicate
it
to
succeed.
A
smarter
model
exists:
-
Midday
strategy
over
late-night
visibility. -
Substance
over
volume. -
Thought
leadership
over
performative
attendance. -
Boundaries
over
burnout. -
Long-term
positioning
over
short-term
optics.
Sustainable
rainmaking
is
not
about
being
everywhere.
It
is
about
being
indispensable
to
the
right
clients.
And
that
is
a
model
working
mothers
are
uniquely
equipped
to
master.
Jeanine
M.
Donohue
is
a
member
of
Buchalter’s
Litigation
Practice
Group
and
Wineries,
Vineyards
and
Breweries
Practice
Group.
She
practices
in
the
firm’s
St.
Helena
and
San
Francisco
offices.
With
over
30
years
of
experience,
Jeanine
is
a
big
picture
strategist
who
quickly
appreciates
the
30,000
foot
major
issues,
while
also
being
attentive
to
the
nuances
and
important
details
of
each
matter
she
handles.
Jeanine
maintains
a
broad
litigation
practice
that
includes
insurance
recovery,
commercial,
real
estate
and
products
liability.
Since
2013,
Jeanine
has
served
as
Outside
General
Counsel
to
four
active
524(g)
settlement
trusts
with
over
$1
billion
in
assets.
She
manages
all
outside
trust
litigation
including
insurance
coverage
litigation,
bankruptcy
and
adversary
proceedings.