On episode 1 of our miniseries, “Pivots & Personalities”, we speak to Alex Su, the Head of Community Development at Ironclad, and the content creator aka “@LegalTechBro”.
Alex talks about his journey from BigLaw lawyer to legal tech, how and why he started producing content, what type of content resonates with his audience and what that suggests about BigLaw generally, “the Harvard Kid” and more.
On this episode of our miniseries, “Pivots & Personalities”, we speak to Brian H. Potts, a partner at Perkins Coie LLP & the Founder of The Legal Mentor Network
Brian is widely known as the Legal Mentor on Linkedin. He is also an inventor, a founder of several companies, and a published author. We talk about his journey from the first LinkedIn post he made to the movement that’s grown into the Legal Mentor Network, Brian’s networking tips, his experience founding companies while working as a lawyer, and why lawyers should lean into creative expression
On this episode of our miniseries, “Pivots & Personalities”, we speak to Matt Levine, the author of the popular Bloomberg financial newsletter, “Money Stuff”.
Tune in to learn about Matt Levine’s journey, from law school to practicing law, his transition to banking, and eventually to writing!
We also discuss Matt’s recent 40,000-word cover-to-cover essay, “the Crypto Story” and hear about his thoughts on this space.
Finally, on our advice to law students segment—Matt gives great advice for knowing when to get off the treadmill and spend the “optionality” you spend most of your early life and career amassing.
On this episode of our miniseries, “Pivots & Personalities”, we speak to Yvan-Claude Pierre (“YCP”)-Claude Pierre, a partner at Cooley LLP’s NYC & Chicago offices.
Yvan shares about the launch of Cooley’s Chicago office and all the considerations that go into such a decision. He also shares about his experiences ascending the ranks of Biglaw as a diverse lawyer, what firms need to do to encourage and retain diverse associates, and gives us excellent advice about what it takes to succeed in the profession!
On this episode of our miniseries, “Pivots & Personalities”, we speak to Mike Ghaffary, a General Partner at Canvas Ventures. Mike talks about his career, from founding startups like BarMax LLC & Stitcher, to doing deals at Yelp as a Vice President of Business and Corporate Development, becoming CEO of Eat24, and joining Canvas Ventures.
We learn about venture capital investments, including how VC investors evaluate potential investments, how they make investment decisions, and how to make a successful venture capital pitch. If you’re a law student or lawyer interested in joining the venture capital space one day, or a founder interested in what it takes to successfully secure funding, this episode is for you!
On this episode of our miniseries, “Pivots & Personalities”, we speak to Cece Xie, the content creator that many of you may be familiar with on Tiktok and youtube.
Cece shares about the experiences and motivations that inspire her work, her recent book announcement, and how she made her career pivot from big law to full-time content creator. Cece also shares a ton of insightful advice throughout this recording for law students and junior associates!
On this episode, we speak to Kristi Jobson, the Assistant Dean & Chief Admissions Officer of Harvard Law School.
We learn about Kristi’s journey from law school to her experiences clerking in both state and federal courts, her transition into Biglaw, and her pivot to leading admissions at HLS. Kristi discusses what clerking is and how her clerking experiences aided her legal practice.
Kristi also shares many things that will be of interest to law school applicants, including Harvard pulling out of the US News rankings, whether or not schools will go test-optional, how significant the LSAT is to your admissions chances, and what kind of personal statements make the best impressions!
On the FINAL episode of our, “Pivots & Personalities” miniseries, we speak to Justin Osofsky, the Chief Operating Officer of Instagram & Vice President of Meta
We learn about Justin’s journey, from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School, to his management consulting days at McKinsey & Company, to joining Facebook in 2008, and eventually stepping into his executive leadership positions today at Instagram and Meta.
Justin discusses what it’s like to run a global tech company, the important leadership lessons he learned over the years, how Instagram has evolved over time and the initiatives he’s most proud of, and finally the qualities he looks for in his legal advisors. This was such a great interview, packed with so many memorable stories and metaphors!
On this episode, we speak to Jason Kent, the co-chair of Cooley LLP’s Public Companies practice group. We pick up where we left off in season 1 and learn about public companies as they mature, years after the IPO event. Jason discusses what it’s like to advise such mature public companies, the types of legal issues mature public companies face as they encounter greater visibility in the public spotlight, and how lawyers help such clients navigate them. Jason also shares career advice for law students and junior associates interested in practicing in this space.
On this episode, we kickoff our Introduction to Emerging Industries miniseries with Yael Li-Ran Perl & Kristin Seeger, partners at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, who introduce us to legal practice in the EnergyTech sector.
Yael & Kristin discuss what issues clients in this emerging industry face and how lawyers help clients navigate them. If you are interested in working in the Energytech, Climatetech, or Cleantech spaces, this episode is for you!
On this episode, we begin our 𝐋𝐚𝐰𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 with Morgan Beller, a General Partner at NFX, and Jordan Roberts, a partner at Fenwick & West, who discuss dealmaking in a recession from the venture investor’s point of view.
Morgan and Jordan talk about how our current bear market has influenced deal terms and the evaluative process for venture investors, and how venture investors are approaching their portfolio companies. They also give advice on how lawyers interested in the venture capital space can position themselves to make a potential pivot into investing roles.
On this episode of our “𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 101” miniseries, Maneesha Mithal, a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, gives us a broad overview of legal practice in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) space.
Maneesha introduces us to some of the policy concerns emerging alongside this technology, its relevant regulatory frameworks, and the types of legal issues lawyers help clients navigate in AI. Maneesha also tells us about her experience working as a government lawyer and how it compares to her work in private practice today.
If you are interested in practicing in the artificial intelligence space, or what it might be like to transition from government lawyering to private practice, this episode is for you!
On episode 22, we speak to Mike Lincoln, the vice chair of Cooley LLP. Mike discusses how venture-backed companies are navigating the present economic environment, how such companies are responding to its pressures across different stages of growth, and how this cycle compares to previous downturns.
Mike also gives us excellent insight into what it takes to succeed as an Emerging Companies & Venture Capital lawyer. If you’re interested in practicing in this space and representing founders, this episode is for you!
On this final episode of our “Emerging Industries 101” miniseries, we speak to George V. John, a senior associate at Hogan Lovells LLP, about the practice of space law.
George gives us an introduction to what practicing space law looks like, some of the major regulatory frameworks that players need to be aware of, and the policy concerns arising at the frontiers of this exciting emerging industry.
If you’ve always had an interest in space law but just didn’t know where to look to start exploring, this episode is for you!
On the final episode of our “Lawyering in a Recession” miniseries, we interview Cullen Drescher Speckhart, the chair of Cooley LLP’s Business Restructuring & Reorganization practice and the partner in charge of its Washington, DC, office.
Cullen gives us an introduction to the bankruptcy and restructuring process, an overview of what some companies are facing in this cycle, and some of the various scenarios players encounter as they consider their options when managing financial distress. If you’re interested in learning more about bankruptcy as a practice area, this episode is for you!
On our season finale, we interview Jonah Perlin, the Georgetown University Law Center professor & Host of the “How I Lawyer” Podcast. We learn about Jonah’s story, his experiences running his podcast, and the major lessons learned from interviewing over 130 lawyers. Whether or not you’re a law student, a junior associate, or a lawyer well into the heart of your career, this episode is definitely for you!
Finally, we also say goodbye to our host & producer, Ben Ho, who gives his send-off in the closing credits.
Season 2 of the HLEP Podcast is proudly sponsored by Cooley LLP, Fenwick & West, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP