After many years of working in-house at law firms I have developed a deep respect for the legal profession.  Law is one hard working profession, and the lawyers I know put in long hours to help their clients succeed. 

I remember when I first learned this.  It was during my first year working at Freshfields in Beijing, watching a young associate work day and night for his client.  He’d attend meetings all day and then into the evening.  At close to midnight he would return to his office to begin writing up the deal, then he’d return to the boardroom the next morning with the documents ready to go.  I wondered, “how does he do it?”  “How does he stay awake?!”

And it doesn’t stop with associates.  Partners work just as hard, or harder still. 

The lawyers I have worked with over the years are careful, thoughtful, meticulous people who sweat the small stuff so that their clients don’t have to.  They will work late into the night thinking about how they might better structure a deal, or what might serve as the best defence the next day in court.

Thank you to all the lawyers I know for the work you do.  Thanks for the consideration you have shown me over the years.  You’ve taught me to think clearly, build a strong case, watch the details, think ahead, and work hard for my clients.  I greatly appreciate our many years of working together. 

Wishing you all a very happy and restful holiday!

(Last night after supper I was thinking about the importance of appreciation (easy to do with a belly full of good food) and I decided to do an “appreciative” blog post or two in the morning.  I awoke to discover that many of the bloggers I admire have shared this thought.  Thanks to Julie Fleming Brown of Life at the Bar and Stephanie West Allen of Idealawg who chose to end 2006 by encouraging ”a flurry” of appreciation in the legal blogosphere.  Gerry Riskin followed with an appreciative post of his own and I am delighted to take part as well. So, I now will past the baton on to three more bloggers.)