Lucas’ Career Story

I can’t say enough about the culture here. My coworkers are the most brilliant, thoughtful and caring individuals, and it is a pleasure to work with them every day. I am proud and honored to be a Kirkland attorney because I get the opportunity to be among people who strive every day to be their best selves while simultaneously empowering others to be their best selves. I am surrounded by not only the brightest individuals, but also the kindest, and that is a special combination. I appreciate that I can come to work every day and be my true and authentic self.

The Boston office is very tightly knit. You truly get to know every individual in the office, regardless of whether that person works in your practice group. Everyone keeps their office doors open, which in turn leads to a lot of collaboration and catching up with each other. The most surprising thing about Kirkland to me is how seamlessly our teams interact across offices. Sometimes it seems as if we are all under one roof working together.

Having lateraled to Kirkland as a second-year associate, I was given the opportunity to draft my first credit agreement within my first month of being here. I jumped on the opportunity. I had been used to seeing mid-level associates taking the lead with the credit agreement, so this was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. At Kirkland, you will get these opportunities early if you seek them out.

I truly feel like a valued team member here, and the Firm is dedicated and invested in my success. The Firm proves this investment in me every day. I also love that I get to work with the best clients on the most sophisticated matters with the brightest minds in the field.

Every chance I get to participate in a formal training, I try to attend. I think of these trainings as investments in myself. Even though we all may be busy, I have found that one hour to improve on my skills is always worth the time. LearningLink, our online platform of training videos, is one of the most valuable resources we have. We have recorded training sessions on everything that you could want to learn in your particular practice area.

There is no replacement for on-the-job learning. I think learning by doing is the most effective way to learn. Through my deal work, I have gained a handful of mentors that I can go to with questions, whether they’re involved in the transaction or not.

On the pro bono front, I am proud to work with the Roxbury Innovation Center, where we’ve been able to listen to business ideas from entrepreneurs in the Boston area and try to find ways to assist them from a legal standpoint. Pro bono work has been meaningful to me because I am able to assist others in making their dreams become reality, and that is incredibly rewarding.

At Kirkland, my professional growth on all fronts has been exponential. My knowledge and ability to lead are on totally different levels now from when I started here. While I still have areas to improve on and skills to learn, in looking at where I was to where I am now, I am extremely proud. The key to this growth has been taking every opportunity that has come my way.

From a personal standpoint, I feel that I have also grown tremendously. I’m becoming who I am meant to be. I’m more confident in myself and in my abilities, and I have become more patient in developing others. One of the most fulfilling things to me is seeing junior associates coming into their own after having done multiple deals with them.

The open assignment system helps Kirkland attorneys excel because it fosters an environment in which attorneys can seek the professional experiences they want. If any opportunity is available to a Kirkland attorney, there is nothing stopping them from getting it.

The best advice I received about the open assignment system is to maintain the connections you build with a particular team. These connections will make your day-to-day much more fulfilling.