How I Made Partner: DLA Piper's Poonam Kumar

Poonam Kumar, 37, DLA Piper

Office: Minneapolis.

Practice area: Corporate, global cross-border transactions.

Law school: University of Texas, Austin, 2007.

How long have you been at the firm? 7 years.

How long were you an associate at the firm? 6 years.

Were you an associate at another firm before joining your present firm? After law school, I joined Linklaters in New York. Four years later I moved to Faegre Baker Daniels in Minneapolis and then moved to DLA Piper in 2012.

What year did you make partner at your current firm? 2018.

Poonam Kumar, DLA Piper.

What’s the biggest surprise you experienced in becoming partner? My biggest surprise was seeing how hard the partners have to work to develop strong and deep client relationships. As an associate, you do not fully appreciate how much non-billable time a partner spends on developing clients and managing client relationships. In my case, most of the clients are global Fortune 500 companies, so there are cross-border aspects of the relationship that have to be managed as well. I find it very humbling to acknowledge this aspect of becoming a partner—the skills that enable you to become a partner are very different from the skills that will make you a successful partner. For instance, as a partner, in addition to advising on transactions, you also have to manage the financial aspects of client engagements such as budgeting and efficiency. This takes some learning.

What do you think was the deciding point for the firm in making you partner? Rather than one factor, I think it was a combination of factors sprinkled with a dash of good luck. Firms are looking to promote individuals who show promise that they will succeed as a partner, too. In my case, I think it was my extensive experience of working on complex cross-border transactions, a client base of large Fortune 500 companies, my network within the firm, my leadership in the legal community and my collaborative personality (I hope!) that helped present a successful business case.

Describe how you feel now about your career now that you’ve made partner. I feel very energized and ready to embark on the next phase. Making partner at a large global firm is a career milestone, and it is certainly nice to be validated for all your hard work over the past few years. Before making partner, a lot of my gray cells were devoted to the pursuit of partnership, and now all of these have freed up, so I can grow the practice and work with clients on engaging in even more sophisticated work.

What’s the key to successful business development in your opinion? Keep in regular touch with your client contacts, and learn about their business. This helps to be a more effective advisor. Also share with your contacts a bit about the work that you do and the types of matters that you work on so they are aware of your particular skill set and expertise.

What’s been the biggest change, day-to-day, in your routine since becoming partner? I enjoy more autonomy and independence in my daily routine now. I don’t work any less, but I have a voice in my schedule now in matters such as setting up calls or meetings, and that has helped me to plan my days more efficiently. There is otherwise no change—I truly think you have to act like a partner before you become one. You should not experience any drastic changes in terms of the work you do or how you do it once you are promoted to partnership.

Who had the greatest influence in your career that helped propel you to partner? Kathy Ruhland, a senior partner at DLA Piper. Kathy has a large successful practice and I am fortunate to have her as my mentor. We have worked together for eight years, and she is a brilliant combination of a serious lawyer and one who is excellent with clients. She has a remarkable ability to find avenues to deepen client relationships. I learn so much from her every day, not only on the technical aspects of practicing law, but also client relationship management and growth of a global practice.

What’s the best piece of advice you could give an associate who wants to make partner? I have two pieces of advice. First, be intentional and strategic about your career. Do not just passively allow your career to unfold. Take a periodic assessment of your skills and experience and seek out opportunities to hone any new skills or gain experience. Second, learn and practice self-advocacy. Law firms are full of hardworking and very talented people, so in order to set you apart and grow, you need to learn to advocate for yourself in your own best voice. It can be the simple act of letting people know how you can add value to a transaction and a willingness to help. But you have to advocate for yourself because everyone else is busy managing their own careers.

 

Got a suggestion for a partner to profile in this column? Email jringel@alm.com.