Do you live in or around New York City? And do you like to drink (responsibly, of course)?
If so, here’s an event you might want to check out: the Caskers Craft Spirits Celebration, taking place on December 6 in downtown Manhattan. Guests will be able to sample amazing craft spirits — like a cacao-infused rum, and honey-infused vodka — from over 15 small-batch distilleries, and enjoy signature cocktails made by each distillery. In addition, guests will be able to participate in a live, hands-on cocktail making class taught by Steve Schneider, principal bartender at Employees Only.
Caskers, by the way, was founded by two lawyers (and Harvard Law grads). Steven Abt worked at Wachtell Lipton and Moiz Ali worked at Simpson Thacher, before their Biglaw jobs drove them to drink.
If you’re interested in the event, there’s a discount for Above the Law readers. When you go to buy your ticket on the website (affiliate link), just enter the coupon code “ATL10.” Enjoy!
P.S. Speaking of fun events, Above the Law’s usual holiday party has been turned into a party to usher in the new year (so as not to conflict with the proliferation of law firm holiday parties next month). Save the date: Wednesday, January 16.
Lawyers tend to overindulge in the finer things in life — things like designer clothes, fast cars, and luxurious lawyerly lairs. Unfortunately, lawyers also tend to overindulge in alcohol. In fact, according to the ABA, about 13 percent of lawyers qualify as alcoholics. Keeping that in mind, practicing law may be fine preparation for a new career in the wine bar business.
Meet Elizabeth Banker. This former in-house lawyer for Yahoo! and current counsel at ZwillGen is putting her legal career aside to follow something she’s been passionate about since her college days: wine. (Despite sharing a surname, apparently she’s not a fan of Banker’s Club vodka.)
Back in the day, Banker drank gallon-sized jugs of Chablis. Since then, her “tastes have evolved,” and now she’s more of a high-class sommelier. Let’s learn more about Banker’s new business, and find out when opening day will be….
When you talk to a prospective lateral about your firm during their first meeting, the conversation can go deep, sideways, and in circles. There is so much to share and discuss. What path of a dialogue can you follow to get better odds of a favorable conclusion?
Consider this template as a model you can use to discuss your firm’s opportunity. This simplifies the conversation and gives you a mental framework so the discussion is meaningful, relevant and moves things forward.
The Four P’s
In my transition from retained corporate executive search to legal search, I saw that there were many levels of complexity in the move of a partner transitioning from firm A to firm B. In placing an executive in a corporation, it was simple because of the linear nature of relationships in corporations. In a law firm, because of the multi-layered aspect of the interdependent relationships that each partner must manage with others, the dialogue is much more involved.
As part of its mission to provide lawyers with a better starting point, Practical Law offers free, on-demand webcasts that you can listen to at your convenience. Some of the topics available include:
Drafting Contractual Fiduciary Duties in LLC Agreements – New Developments and Best Practices>> Listen Now
Essentials of Software as a Service (SaaS) Contracts: What to Include and What to Leave Behind>>Listen Now
Hiring from a Competitor: Practical Tips to Minimize Litigation Risks>>Listen Now
The Privilege: Educating Management and Employees on Attorney-Client and Work Product Protection>>Listen Now
Developing Informed Litigation Budgets>>Listen Now
Best Practices in Contract Management: Techniques to Make Lawyers More Effective>>Listen Now
Ed. note: The Asia Chronicles column is authored by Kinney Recruiting. Kinney has made more placements of U.S. associates, counsels and partners in Asia than any other recruiting firm in each of the past six years. You can reach them by email: asia@kinneyrecruiting.com.
We currently have a very exciting and rare type of in-house opening in China at one of the world’s leading internet and social media companies. Our client is looking for an IP Transactional / TMT / Licensing attorney with 2 to 6 years experience. The new hire will be based in Shenzhen or Shanghai. Mandarin is not required (deal documentation will be in English) but is preferred. A solid reason to be in China and a commitment to that market is required of course. This new hire will likely be US qualified (but could also be qualified in UK or other jurisdictions) and with experience and training at a top law firm’s IP transactional / TMT practice and could be currently at a law firm or in-house. Qualified candidates currently Asia based, Europe based or US based will be considered. The new hire’s supervisors in this technology transactions in-house team are very well regarded US trained IP transactional lawyers, with substantial experience at Silicon Valley firms. The culture and atmosphere in this in-house group and the company in general is entrepreneurial, team oriented, and the work is cutting edge, even for a cutting edge industry. The upside of being in an important strategic in-house position in this fast growing and world leading internet company is of the “sky is the limit” variety. Its a very exciting place to be in China for a rising IP transactional lawyer in our opinion, for many reasons beyond the basic info we can share here in this ad / post. This is a special A+ opportunity.
The traditional job application and interview process can be impersonal, and applicants often struggle to present themselves as more than just the sum of their GPAs, alma maters, and previous work history. ATL has partnered with ViewYou to help job seekers overcome this challenge. ViewYou NOW Profiles offer a unique way for job seekers to make a personal, memorable connection with prospective employers: introduction videos. These videos allow job candidates to display their personalities, interpersonal skills, and professional interests, creating an eDossier to brand themselves to potential employers all over the world. Check it out today!
Raise a glass to this emerging trend: lawyers entering the alcoholic beverage industry. Some have gone into brewing beer, like Bailey Spaulding of Jackalope Brewing in Nashville and the three guys behind Black Acre Brewing in Indianapolis (whom we recently mentioned). Some have gone into wine, like Elizabeth Banker, proprietor of Slate Wine Bar in D.C. (previously profiled here).
