Belinda
Schwartz
(courtesy
photo)
With
bonus
season
in
the
rearview
mirror,
many
Biglaw
associates
may
find
themselves
considering
making
a
move
to
a
smaller
firm,
perhaps
a
midsize
firm.
These
lawyers
may
wonder
what
their
lives
at
a
midsize
firm
will
look
like,
and
how
they
can
make
the
most
of
this
new
experience.
So,
why
should
midsize
firms
give
attorneys
pause
when
making
career
choices?
I
recently
had
the
pleasure
of
chatting
with
Belinda
Schwartz,
executive
chair
of
New
York-based
Herrick,
Feinstein,
to
get
her
thoughts
on
some
of
the
immediate
benefits
associates
will
be
able
to
realize
at
a
midsize
firm
as
opposed
to
a
Biglaw
firm.
Schwartz
is
the
first
woman
to
lead
the
Am
Law
200
midsize
firm
in
its
long
and
storied
history.
Here
is
a
(lightly
edited
and
condensed)
write-up
of
our
lively
conversation
on
how
lawyers
can
build
meaningful
careers
at
a
midsize
firm.
Staci
Zaretsky
(SZ):
What
are
some
of
the
biggest
benefits
an
associate
can
expect
to
see
at
a
midsize
firm
in
terms
of
culture?
Belinda
Schwartz
(BS):
While
culture
is
specific
to
each
firm,
the
hope
is
that
being
at
a
midsize
firm
you’re
part
of
a
tight-knit
team,
and
therefore
there’s
more
of
an
emphasis
on
interpersonal
relationships.
The
nature
of
a
team
where
you
know
everyone
very
well,
know
their
strengths,
know
their
clients
and
their
deals,
enables
you
to
do
more
and
to
do
it
quickly.
This
benefits
clients,
of
course,
but
also
benefits
the
management
of
practice
groups
and
the
development
of
individual
attorney
skills
and
practices.
At
Herrick,
we
pride
ourselves
on
being
flexible
and
nimble
in
the
marketplace.
Because
we
have
a
closely
collaborative
attorney
team
and
a
responsive
and
informed
Executive
Committee,
the
firm
is
able
to
make
moves
that
some
larger
firms
may
simply
take
longer
to
make.
We
have
less
“red
tape”
than
other
firms,
and
that,
combined
with
the
true
entrepreneurial
nature
of
our
partners,
makes
Herrick
a
unique
and
well-positioned
midsized
firm
in
the
crowded
market
of
New
York
City.
SZ:
Work-life
balance
is
always
something
that
associates
are
searching
for
in
their
careers.
Is
a
midsize
firm
a
good
place
to
find
it?
BS:
To
have
the
typical
lawyer
answer,
“It
depends…”
It
depends
on
what
the
individual
lawyer
is
striving
for
in
their
career
–
and
that
can
certainly
change
over
the
years.
There
are
times
in
an
attorney’s
career
when
a
big
firm
may
work
better.
For
example:
if
you
want
to
grind
out
the
hours
and
keep
your
head
down,
or
if
you
aren’t
as
interested
in
developing
business
and
would
rather
be
a
worker
bee.
These
are
valid
and
workable
choices
for
many
associates.
Often
at
a
midsize
firm
there’s
more
opportunity
to
craft
the
career
that
you
want
and
find
a
balance
between
your
foot
on
the
gas
and
managing
your
life
outside
work.
I
like
to
use
the
analogy
that,
at
times
in
your
career,
you
get
“on
or
off
the
bus”
depending
on
what
your
life
looks
like.
Individual
timelines
can
look
very
different
over
an
entire
career,
but
attorneys
can
get
to
the
same
place
–
it
just
may
take
a
bit
longer.
There
are
pros
and
cons
to
firms
of
all
sizes,
and
associates
need
to
find
what
works
for
them
in
their
particular
stage
of
life.
SZ:
Do
you
think
that
associates
will
be
able
to
gain
more
hands-on
experience
earlier
in
their
careers
at
a
midsize
firm
than
at
a
Biglaw
firm?
BS:
There’s
no
doubt
that
associates
have
more
hands-on
experience
and
direct
client
interactions
at
a
midsize
firm.
Generally,
deals
are
staffed
more
leanly,
and
client
contact
is
encouraged
and
necessary.
At
a
midsized
firm,
associates
often
have
the
opportunity
to
work
in
many
different
sectors
of
their
practice,
so
they
are
constantly
learning
and
stretching
beyond
the
work
they
are
used
to
doing.
For
example,
in
Real
Estate
at
Herrick,
associates
may
work
on
leasing,
financing
transactions,
and
purchase
and
sale
agreements
all
at
the
same
time.
The
ability
to
grow
professionally
can
be
very
appealing
for
associates,
and
while
some
choose
to
pick
a
focus
and
pursue
a
specialty
niche,
a
“generalist”
can
be
very
valuable
to
clients
and
often
lead
to
deeper
and
more
lasting
client
relationships.
Additionally,
associates
can
work
with
and
learn
from
many
different
senior
partners
at
a
midsize
firm.
This
exposure
to
different
styles
and
experiences
enhances
the
deal
work
and
teaches
much
more
than
how
to
be
a
good
technical
lawyer.
These
skills
of
how
to
run
a
deal,
how
to
handle
challenges
on
a
transaction,
when
to
collaborate
with
others
at
the
firm
in
different
practices
all
come
with
experience
and
the
knowledge
of
our
team’s
skills.
I
have
always
found
that
these
critical
“soft
skills”
are
learned
earlier
and
with
more
diverse
voices
at
a
midsize
firm.
SZ:
What
advice
do
you
have
for
an
associate
who
may
be
considering
a
lateral
move
to
a
midsize
firm?
BS:
There
are
pros
and
cons
for
all
choices
in
life,
and
the
place
you
choose
to
work
and
practice
law
is
no
different.
It’s
a
given
that
you
must
have
a
baseline
skillset
and
be
an
excellent
technical
lawyer;
that’s
the
case
anywhere
you
choose
to
practice.
However,
the
decision
of
where
you
practice
and
who
you
collaborate
with
really
matters.
I
encourage
younger
associates
to
think
about
what
they
envision
for
themselves
as
a
lawyer:
Do
you
want
to
be
out
there
interfacing
and
bringing
in
clients,
do
you
prefer
to
stay
away
from
that
and
focus
only
on
working
on
matters,
or
do
you
prefer
to
be
somewhere
in
the
middle?
A
firm
like
Herrick
can
be
an
excellent
place
for
associates
to
find
the
middle.
Whatever
an
associate
chooses,
mentorship
and
perhaps
more
importantly,
sponsorship,
is
also
to
be
considered
and
valued.
Finding
a
mentor
you
respect
and
can
learn
from
is
crucial,
and
I
encourage
all
attorneys
of
all
levels
to
have
many
evolving
mentors
during
their
careers.
But
a
sponsor
is
someone
who
will
advocate
for
you
and
your
career
advancement
within
your
organization.
The
focus
on
developing
the
next
generation
of
leaders
is
so
important
to
many
managing
partners
and
firm
chairs
–
myself
included.
This
is
hugely
important
in
terms
of
diversity,
inclusion,
and
belonging,
but
also
in
terms
of
good
client
service
and
in
succession
planning
as
well.
On
behalf
of
everyone
here
at
Above
the
Law,
we’d
like
to
thank
Belinda
Schwartz
for
taking
the
time
to
help
answer
some
pressing
career
questions
for
prospective
midsize
associates.
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on
X/Twitter
and
Threads
or
connect
with
her
on
LinkedIn.