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NAME: Patricia Glaser, Esq.
FIRM: Christensen, Miller, Fink, Jacobs,
Glaser, Weil & Shapiro, LLP
ADDRESS: 10250 Constellation Boulevard,
19th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90067
PHONE: (310) 553-3000
E-MAIL: pglaser@chrismill.com
PRACTICE AREA: Trial Lawyer –
Business Litigation
Interviewed By: Sharon Davis
Nominated By: Carole Levitt
Most successful/Favorite Rainmaking tip:
Love what you do. If people find something that they
are really good at doing they will be very successful.
The best marketing tool for attorneys is to get good
results for their clients. Clients need to know you
and trust you. When you tell a client that something
will happen, it should happen. Accurate advice breeds
success and success gets new business.
Biggest influence on career/best career advice:
My best career advice is “Be a great lawyer”.
Not just winning cases, but really “partnering”
the case to get the results the client expects and then
exceeding those expectations.
Percentage of time devoted to marketing:
100% of my time is devoted to “marketing”
in the sense that I market my practice by doing the
best possible job I can for every single client.
Proudest accomplishment:
On a personal level, my proudest accomplishment is
my 2 ½ year old step grandson.
Professionally, I have had great success at trial and
am very proud of that. I am successful not because I’m
smarter than anyone else, but because I work harder.
I want opposing counsel to know that whatever I tell
them, they can take that to the bank. But I also want
them to wake up every morning with a knot in the pit
of their stomach knowing that they are going to have
to deal with me.
Knowing what you know now, if you were starting
out as a lawyer today, what would you do differently?
I am not sure that I would do anything differently.
Tell me about one rainmaking strategy or tactic
that you initially thought would work, but it failed.
Why did it fail?
I can’t think of anything.
Tell me about one rainmaking strategy or tactic
that you initially thought would fail, but it was a
great success. Why was it successful?
My business development efforts have never been a function
of a separate, distinct marketing process. Business
development has been an integral part of my practice
of law and there is little or no boundary between what
I do as an advocate and what I do to increase business.
What has been your greatest frustration about
trying to get new business or new clients?
I cannot think of anything.
If you were mentoring a young woman lawyer,
what advice would you give her regarding rainmaking?
If you join an organization, do so because you want
to join it, not because it’s good for business.
Otherwise you will end up bored and spending time with
people and issues that you don’t enjoy –
that is not productive. Do it for the right reason and,
as a bonus, it will yield business.
Would you say you ever had a mentor that made
a genuine difference in how your career turned out?
If yes, please describe.
Yes, I was very fortunate to clerk for a federal judge
and learned a great deal from him.
I also had several wonderful mentors. In different forums,
they each served as mentors by way of example. Greg
Bautzer, a phenomenal old line lawyer to the stars (including
Howard Hughes), taught me a great deal about client
relations. Greg Bautzer no longer tried cases by the
time I worked with him, but his attention to clients
and his willingness to "sell" me was simply
invaluable to my career. And, as a young lawyer, I was
fortunate enough to do trial work with Frank Rothman,
a truly fabulous trial lawyer. Working closely with
him on a number of matters which went to trial taught
me everything from how to prepare for trial, the importance
of trial themes, and how success at trial is dictated
by preparation and some talent. Also, Mariana Pfaelzer,
who is now a federal judge, demonstrated that a woman
attorney could accomplish anything. What you learn from
the Franks, Gregs and Mariannas of this world is that
you can't fake it, there is no substitute for talent
and hard work. Marianna was a managing partner of the
firm when I joined and unquestionably made it easier
to be successful as a woman attorney because she was
there first. She was (and is) bright, clear, focused
and demanding and the men were used to a woman leader
by the time I came along.
Think about when you started out as a lawyer.
Now think about the new female lawyers just starting
out. What is different now compared to when you started?
The practice of law is much easier for women today
because it is much less paternalistic and there is a
greater general acceptance of women in the profession.
Many women now serve on the judiciary and are employed
as general counsel and law firm partners. That has certainly
made things a little more comfortable.
How would you like others to describe you:
Loyal to a fault and a great lawyer.
This interview was conducted by Sharon Davis, Director
of Legal Staffing at Strategic Staffing Associates,1350
17th Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80202. Sharon’s
phone number is 303-407-1496 and her e-mail address
is: sdavis@ssapeople.com
Top
ABA Women Rainmakers is a national forum enabling women
to network and develop business opportunities. By understanding
how to develop business, women can exert greater control
over their careers and integrate their personal lives
successfully with the practice of law. For more information
on LPM Women Rainmakers, visit www.womenrainmakers.org.
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