What are some of your proudest recent achievements? From a professional perspective, serving in my role as Akerman’s office managing partner for New York and serving as the leader in recruiting, I am extremely gratified by the success in our efforts to grow Akerman’s New York office from 35 lawyers to 125. We have built a balanced, diverse office in the most competitive legal market in the country featuring world-class talent who embrace the firm’s collaborative culture. And our work continues. From a philanthropic perspective, I am proud of contributing to improving the lives of children in the foster care system in New York and nationally through CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). We make a real difference in the lives of children, which is incredibly rewarding.

What does it mean to be a leader? Being leader means having a clear vision of the future, articulating that vision, and rallying the stakeholders to not only buy in to the vision but to fully embrace it and take ownership in making it a reality. The key is clarity on the future path: You have to know where you are going for people to follow you. This applies to counseling clients as well. In many respects, they have the vision, but they need lawyers to help them chart a path to achieving it.