This former general counsel is helping lawyers live happier lives

I went into Big Law because I felt that’s what high achievers did. But a few years in, I realized I could be good at work that wasn’t personally rewarding. So I hopped off the partnership track, resigned and travelled the world for six months with my partner. What came next was in-house at Indigo, then a general counsel role at a global tech portfolio. It wasn’t until I walked away from that and I started coaching lawyers that something clicked. I realized that the thing I care most about, more than any title or role I’d held, is helping other lawyers find what I found through a lot of trial and error—a career that fits who they are. That’s what gets me up in the morning.

Lawyers are exceptional at executing instructions. But over time, we lose track of what we find individually motivating. What I talked about at TEDx is a simple exercise: ask three people what they see you naturally do to lift others, without incentive, without being asked. You’ll likely hear the same words from all three. That’s your natural gift. Crafting your career around that gift is core to feeling more fulfilled—in law or anywhere else.

Fear is loud. Contentment is quiet. If alarm bells are going off, that’s worth paying attention to. But the answer isn’t always a lateral move to the same thing in a new place. I’d say: write down the values that matter most to you right now and stack-rank them. Without that exercise, it’s almost impossible to evaluate a new opportunity honestly. Lawyers I’ve coached would tell me they were excited about something new, and then we’d hold it up against their stack rank—often, it wouldn’t hit a single top value. That’s how you end up doing the same thing for another five years somewhere else.

We connect some of the most accomplished in-house talent in the country with companies that would love to have them, structured in a way that works for both sides. For me personally, it’s the perfect expression of everything I care about. I’m a matchmaker for lawyers and career opportunities. Understanding what you want, what you need, what excites you and how you want to make a difference.

There’s a print of fish, all swimming in one direction, with one fish swimming the opposite way. I’ve felt like that fish most of my life. And I think it’s emblematic of lawyers who are considering their next move. The good news is that more and more fish are turning around. But it still takes courage to do something new. I love helping lawyers find that courage.