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NAME: Kristen L. Mix, Esq.
FIRM: Snell & Wilmer, L.L.P.
ADDRESS: 1200 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1900,
Denver , Colorado 80202
PHONE: (303) 634-2091
PRACTICE AREA: Labor and Employment Law
Interviewed By:Sharon Davis
Nominated By:Sharon Davis
Most successful/Favorite Rainmaking tip:
The best rainmaking tip I ever got was this: “Don’t think of it as rainmaking; think of it as a way of making new friends.” I’ve always been uncomfortable with the idea of making a ‘sales pitch’, but I’m always delighted to meet interesting new people and offer sound legal advice to help resolve their issues. Thinking of rainmaking in those terms has always been highly effective for me.
Biggest influence on career/best career advice:
The best career advice I received was this: “Don’t let the bastards grind you down!” Hang in there as a woman and as a lawyer. It’s a tough job and some days will be more difficult than others. Don’t give up. Truly believe in yourself and keep doing your job exceptionally well.
Percentage of time devoted to marketing:
It varies, but on average between 15 and 20 percent of my time is devoted to business development. I do a lot of free seminars for clients, which are available to the entire firm’s client base. Invitations are also published in Denver area newspapers, effectively attracting new clients. Additionally, I do a lot of public speaking, including speaking to members of the Bar. While I certainly do my share of client lunches, I rely more on my public speaking engagements, my publications and referrals from clients and professional colleagues at the Bar to develop new business.
Proudest accomplishment:
On a personal level, my son is my greatest accomplishment. He’s a nice, thoughtful, honest young man with a bright future.
On a professional level, I’m proudest of my affiliation with Snell & Wilmer. They are a fine group of people and professional colleagues. I’m very proud to be affiliated with such a high-caliber firm.
Knowing what you know now, if you were starting
out as a lawyer today, what would you do differently?
I would have begun my networking and marketing efforts earlier in my career. Even though I hadn’t fully developed my legal expertise as a young lawyer, I think I would’ve made much greater efforts to get out in the workplace and market much earlier than I did. Freedom in this business comes from having a large client base. The bigger your client base, the more freedom you have in this game.
Tell me about one rainmaking strategy or tactic that you initially thought would work, but it failed. Why did it fail?
I had been invited to lunch with the in-house counsel of a huge corporation and took that as a good sign. I was thinking that having a nice lunch, answering questions honestly, presenting myself and my expertise, and then following up with a letter and a firm brochure would work. It didn’t and I took that as a failure. I later learned that the corporation was canvassing a number of attorneys in anticipation of a large lawsuit that never materialized. And I realized that there was nothing wrong with my approach. The lesson here is this: sometimes success is simply a matter of luck and timing and even when you make your best efforts, if there isn’t a need for your services, you won’t realize the business.
What has been your greatest frustration about trying to get new business or new clients?
First and foremost, factors that I can’t change like age and gender. As a young, female lawyer, I was not always taken seriously by male clients. That, of course, has abated with age and experience.
Additionally, there is tremendous competition for new business. There are more lawyers per capita in Denver than any other U.S. city, with the exception of Washington, D.C. You have to learn to weather the slow periods and realize that someday the dam will burst and you will be flooded with work.
If you were mentoring a young woman lawyer,
what advice would you give her regarding rainmaking?
Find a method that you are comfortable with and that works for you and stick with it. If you are comfortable with public speaking, do it at every opportunity. If you prefer one-on-one client lunches and have no problem marketing your services in that forum, do it. There is no point in trying to adopt a marketing strategy that you are uncomfortable with. Your discomfort will show and you will not be successful.
Would you say you ever had a mentor that made a genuine difference in how your career turned out? If yes, please describe.
Yes. When I was a 3 rd to 7 th year associate, I had a male mentor who was head of the litigation department. During that time, I learned what one has to do to do this job very well. He taught me the right approach to practicing law, thoroughness, preparation and patience.
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?
There are more women in the profession than when I started out and there’s more competition. The market is certainly different. Business clients with good payment histories are now able to demand and get deals when it comes to legal fees. These days, the pressure is much greater. Clients want high quality service and expect counsel to be extremely responsive with a very short turnaround time. I’m not sure that it is as valuable to be a respected attorney as it once was. Today, we must give the client what he or she wants, when they want it.
List words that best describe you:
Highly organized, efficient, funny, bright, suffers no fools lightly, loyal, careful, thorough and actively interested in making a difference.
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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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