Summary
- Nolan describes ABA membership as a rocket ship to leadership opportunities for young lawyers.
- He advises that young lawyers must seek out the experiences and opportunities to enhance their careers.
TortSource
When I Was a New Lawyer: Chris Nolan
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What inspired you to become a lawyer? And what did you do before becoming a lawyer?
My grandfather, Benjamin F. Nolan, was a state court judge in the Bronx, NY, and his neighborhood engagement and public service were inspiring. If you go to the Morris Park section of the Bronx, there is a four-block radius on Williamsbridge Road marked “Judge Benjamin F. Nolan Way” in honor of his representation of the four local church parishes and efforts at a two-lawyer firm taking on projects in the community.
How did you become involved with the ABA?
A colleague of mine asked if I would be able to assist with an ABA TIPS admiralty committee newsletter when I was a sixth-year associate. Three years later, I was chair of the committee. That simple, initial act of newsletter assistance set off a chain reaction that redirected the trajectory of my career from a professional development and business generation standpoint.
What is the benefit of a new lawyer becoming active with the ABA?
It is a rocket ship to leadership opportunities that will give you the opportunity to meet lawyers for referrals around the country, let alone contact in-house counsel at companies. This opportunity is simply unrivaled, and TIPS fosters these experiences. It’s in our DNA.
What early career practices led to your success?
Before finding my specialty in transportation law, with an emphasis on shipping, I sought out every type of commercial litigation experience I could find. It meant a lot of extra hours and weekend work to manage it all, but it gave me confidence in my ability to handle all types of commercial disputes.
What early career mistakes did you make, and what did you learn from them?
I should have engaged in bar association and business development activities sooner. I was too involved in the billable work, putting off extracurricular industry work too long. This meant I had much catching up to do as a senior associate.
What is your advice for dealing with difficult partners, colleagues, or counsel?
Mentors at a law firm or within the industry are critical. My mentor as a junior associate, Loren Zeilter, provided critical advice when maneuvering the rocky shoals of practice group management at a firm. Take that leap of faith to find a valued friend and sounding board, and it will help you talk through life’s big decisions.
What is your advice for a new lawyer seeking to acquire, retain, and nurture client relationships?
For a new lawyer practicing in a midsize or large firm, the client for your purposes is the senior associate and partner. Focus on doing the best work with them, and the client engagement will flow from it. For solo or small firm engagement with clients, I can only share what I have seen with TIPS colleagues; leadership in bar association activities or CLEs shows an independent confidence that will benefit their company. Embrace these opportunities.
What challenges you the most?
Balancing the incredible client needs that come with a flourishing practice with family life and professional bar activities. Thankfully, my wife, Trisha Rich (a completely voluntary TIPS member, just as I am a completely voluntary member of the Chicago Bar Association to support her efforts as an officer), family, and bar association friends are loving and rewarding relationships that help with client needs and demands.
What gives you the most satisfaction?
Building a team of legal assassins as co-chair of the transportation and infrastructure group at Holland & Knight LLP, over 220+ strong, in maritime, aviation, road, rail, and infrastructure, to handle all sorts of interesting opportunities throughout the United States and into Central and South America.
What are your future ambitions for the next five to ten years?
To get more sleep!
What would you most like to accomplish as TIPS chair?
I have the power of appointments for this 2024-2025 year, which allows me to enhance the professional development of lawyers within our 29 committees at TIPS. Bolstering our leadership ranks with new members and engaging existing members with specific programming excites me.
What themes will you focus on for 2024–2025?
I’ll note here: The first program held this ABA year featured our newest Task Force on Referrals and Business Generation (RBG), led by TIPS members Michael Vercher (chair) and Megan Coluccio (chair-elect). Why do we need RBG? Because our TIPS members have been clear about what is important to them when budgeting for the year or discussing their TIPS experience with law firms: Help me explain the business proposition. With the most in-house insurance professionals in any Section (not surprising as we are THE insurance Section), we give our members an unrivaled opportunity to meet and build relationships with in-house professionals. To kick off this initiative, we held a Zoom on August 14, 2024, featuring two of our TIPS Members who are part of the corporate counsel committee: Stephanie Penninger, Associate General Counsel, Supply Chain, at Wayfair, and Casey O’Brien, Corporate Counsel, Global Mile, Amazon. Stephanie and Casey led a discussion about selecting small, midsize, and large firms for particular matters, the types of issues they handle, what stands out in preferred or panel counsel, and the role TIPS plays in their business. A recording of the 30-minute chat can be found on our TIPS YouTube page here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FpErZY9r7k. Stay tuned for more RBG programming throughout the year for our members in person and virtually.
What advice/words of wisdom can you offer new lawyers?
When I was a first-year associate, the head of the associate evaluation committee, and now the head of the entire Litigation Section at our 2,200 lawyer firm at Holland & Knight LLP, Chris Kelly provided advice I have always remembered: You need to manage your career aggressively because if you leave it up to the firm, they will @!#% it up. Thankfully, he provided a translation. A young lawyer can’t expect the firm to look out for you all of the time in terms of your professional development. You must seek out the experiences and opportunities to enhance your career. This guidance served me well, and I will pass it on to you.
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