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New York
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Attorney Life
We are committed to providing a work environment, career development programs, professional guidance and support services designed to make working at Willkie a richly rewarding experience. We think that the most important ingredient in the quality of life at Willkie, however, is the unique collegiality that makes even the youngest associates feel that they are an integral part of the firm and its practice. We conduct our business in an informal atmosphere where jackets are usually off, doors are almost always open and first names are universally used.
 View full bio | SAMEER ADVANI
Associate
One of the things that stands out about Willkie is the attention paid to associates' professional development. From the moment you start, there is a definite sense that the firm is genuinely concerned about creating a work environment where every associate feels comfortable exploring the various practice areas available in the firm and later developing their interests in a particular area of law if they choose to. In the litigation department, the assigning system is particularly significant in this regard. The assigning partners take a very active role in ensuring that each junior associate is given the opportunity to work on as many different types of cases as possible in the early years of their career. At the same time, if an associate already had a preference for an area of law and wanted to further develop an expertise in that area, the system is flexible enough to accommodate such requests.
Given the firm's broad litigation practice, in my first two years I worked on several matters in various areas which included securities litigation, bankruptcy and international arbitration. In addition to being a great way to meet people, working with so many different attorneys on these cases also exposed me to different styles of practice, all of which I feel helped me to develop a style of my own. The variety of work also allowed me to have a better understanding of my skills and preferences and it was during this time that I developed an interest in the area of securities litigation. I shared this interest with my assigning partners who have since given me the opportunity to work on numerous securities cases, some of which were highly complex. In addition, in becoming more familiar with the legal issues I have been able to take on more responsibility and play a bigger role in the running of these cases.
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| DAVID DREWES
Associate
Since the day I arrived at Willkie as a first-year associate, it's been clear to me that the partners and senior associates in the Firm's real estate group view training and development as essential to the department's success. I have had the opportunity to learn about the fundamental elements of my chosen field by taking part in both the department's regularly-scheduled formal CLE seminars, and in less formal group discussions regarding deal-specific or emerging issues. My most significant strides, however, have resulted from being given the opportunity to do challenging work on complex matters for the Firm's sophisticated clients. The senior attorneys here are all eager to step back from the immediate task at hand to give pertinent background information and explain, for example, why a provision should look a certain way, or why a certain negotiating approach may be effective. For these reasons, Willkie has been the perfect place for me to develop my skills as an attorney.
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View full bio | CHRISTIAN ERCOLE
Associate
As an incoming associate in a large law firm, the first few weeks, and perhaps months, can seem daunting. Thankfully, I quickly discovered that countless co-workers at Willkie, from support staff to partners, are sensitive to this junior associate acclimatization period and every effort is made to ease the transition from law student to lawyer. A key aspect to this transition is the assignment of associate and partner mentors to each incoming associate. Upon my arrival at the firm, my mentors immediately reached out to me and have continued to guide me through my early career.In addition to the excellent formal mentoring and training programs in place at Willkie, the overall culture at the firm is one of collaboration and knowledge sharing. Indeed, while my “official” mentors have been invaluable resources throughout my years at Willkie, I have also found during the course of nearly every transaction on which I have worked, that there is a sincere interest on the part of my colleagues in my professional development. I have experienced first hand how a supportive and collaborative work environment serves to bring out each associates’ individual potential as well as help to maintain the firm’s top reputation. |
| CHRISTOPHER FREELAND
Associate
One would be hard pressed to find another firm with Willkie's combination of top-notch work and camaraderie. As an associate in the corporate group, my work often involves collaborating with a team of colleagues on complex transactions. The work can be intense at times, but the camaraderie, approachability, perspective, and good natured "in this together" attitude of my colleagues make any difficult situations result in rewarding experiences. Beyond the collegial environment, one reason I was attracted to the corporate group at Willkie is that it offers the ability to have a lot of responsibility early on. That doesn't mean being left to sink or swim. The responsibility has given me the opportunity to really challenge myself and the great thing about Willkie is that doors are always open. Willkie partners unfailingly treat associates with respect, both personally and professionally, and there is never any hesitation to drop by a partner's office with a question or for “real time” feedback. In addition, the firm has put a lot of emphasis on formal training programs, with CLEs offered in house on a regular basis. The exciting work, professional development opportunities and friendly environment at Willkie are really hard to beat. | 
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View full bio | ADANECH GETACHEW
Associate
I remember the day I had to pick “the firm” at which to start my law firm career as a second year law student. From all the firms I considered, I was determined to pick the one high caliber law firm that not only would give me the opportunity to develop and grow professionally, but one that would also consist of people that care about and support each other. Willkie has been just that firm for me. Not only do the partners and senior associates have tremendous talent and experience, they also take the time to mentor, teach and actually pay attention to the development of my career. Looking back, I could not have made a better choice. |
| SHAUNNA JONES
Associate
I believe that Willkie has an unparalleled commitment to developing its associates through formal and informal mentoring. That dedication is bolstered through every aspect of firm life, including the assigning system, the summer associate program and our firm committees. Attorneys in every department at Willkie work together on cases and deals to provide top-notch client service, which allows junior associates to interact daily with senior associates and partners across the firm. Even though I am an associate in the Business Reorganization & Restructuring Department, which is a smaller department, I have forged professional relationships with senior associates and partners in every department in the firm. The ability to learn from a wider array of experienced attorneys has broadened my ability to pinpoint issues and create solutions beyond my legal specialty. Additionally, associates can get involved in various aspects of firm life that provide more opportunities to develop greater rapport with colleagues. Associates and partners work together on numerous firm committees, play together on our sports teams, and come together for ad hoc projects to continually make Willkie a phenomenal place to work. Partners and associates are also very involved in the summer associate program, allowing associates to create relationships with more senior attorneys from the moment that one joins the Willkie community. It's no secret that being a successful associate in a premier law firm requires significant dedication and effort. At Willkie, I believe that an associate's commitment to her career is matched by commensurate time and attention from senior attorneys. Willkie partners believe that an associate's success is a success for the firm. Whether one calls it mentoring, an "open door" policy or a collegial workplace, the result is the same -- a better work environment and a better chance to grow and succeed as an associate. | 
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View full bio | MARTIN KLOTZ
Partner
Partners lead Willkie’s pro bono program by example. Many of our most important and unique pro bono relationships – Habitat For Humanity, Lincoln Center, inMotion, our extensive asylum work – started with partners who saw a public service cause that they wanted to contribute to and made the time for. My personal cause has been criminal justice, and I have represented dozens of indigent criminal defendants over the years. But my greatest pleasure comes from seeing young attorneys find a cause of their own – not necessarily mine – and making it part of their professional life. |
| KRISTIN PAULEY
Associate
I was initially attracted to Willkie because of the firm’s friendly culture and strong emphasis on training and mentoring. Since my first day as a summer associate, I have been continually impressed by the firm’s sincere effort to teach young litigators their trade. The assigning partners actively work to ensure that each junior associate is exposed to as many different types of cases as possible, while simultaneously accommodating associates’ requests to specialize in a particular area of the law. During my short career at Willkie, for example, I have worked on white collar defense cases, securities litigations, employment discrimination cases, antitrust matters, first amendment issues, and contract disputes. I have represented plaintiffs and defendants, and been a part of both large and small teams. Through each experience I have increased my knowledge of different areas of the law and gained a better understanding of my skills and preferences. I have also learned a great deal by working with different partners and senior associates, and observing their unique styles of practice. At Willkie, the partners and senior associates consistently take the time to give pertinent background information and explain how each assignment fits into the bigger picture. Willkie is truly a special place to practice law and I am thrilled to be a part of it. | 
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View full bio | STEPHEN VOGEL
Associate
I have been consistently impressed with the emphasis placed on pro bono work by Willkie partners and my fellow associates. Willkie attorneys recognize that pro bono matters provide junior associates the opportunity to work on important, interesting, and diverse cases, while also allowing them to perform high-level, substantive work that would otherwise be performed by more senior associates, or even partners, on cases for paying clients. This has certainly been my experience. As a second-year associate, I volunteered to help represent a client with a habeas corpus petition pending in the Southern District of New York. Our client, Jose Garcia, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was serving a sentence of 25-years to life in a New York prison for a murder which occurred in the Bronx in 1991. Mr. Garcia maintained (and had maintained since the day of his arrest) that he was innocent of this crime and, in fact, had been in the Dominican Republic on the day in question. Mr. Garcia’s trial counsel decided not to investigate the alibi or present it to the jury, despite his belief that it was truthful. Mr. Garcia was convicted and, after an unsuccessful appeal, spent years attempting to establish his innocence, without the benefit of counsel, but with the assistance of his wife who had returned to New York to help establish Mr. Garcia’s innocence. The Willkie team immediately began investigating this alibi by interviewing witnesses who could attest to Mr. Garcia’s presence in the Dominican Republic at or near the time of the murder. This process included travel to the Dominican Republic, the review of police records as well as the records of all flights between the Dominican Republic and the United States in 1991, all of which enabled us to establish that Mr. Garcia could not have been in in New York at the time of the murder.After a seven-day evidentiary hearing , the federal magistrate recommended that Mr. Garcia’s conviction be vacated, finding that his trial counsel had been constitutionally ineffective. The district court judge agreed and granted Mr. Garcia the writ of habeas corpus. Mr. Garcia was released from prison shortly thereafter when, in the face of overwhelming evidence of his actual innocence, the Bronx District Attorney opted not to retry him.Our representation of Mr. Garcia will always be one of the highpoints of my life – professionally and personally. Throughout the entire ordeal, Willkie was incredibly supportive. The firm invested a significant amount of money and resources to ensure that Mr. Garcia obtained the legal counsel that he deserved and needed. Additionally, Willkie constantly encouraged us in our efforts, even as the hours I billed on behalf of Mr. Garcia surpassed those related to any other client for whom I billed time in the year leading up to the evidentiary hearing. This was a truly extraordinary experience which Willkie made possible through its commitment to pro bono work. |
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