Careers

   Margo Brownell
   Associate, Litigation

I came to Maslon in October of 2003 as a third-year lateral. I was initially attracted to Maslon due to its reputation of offering associates a diverse and complex caseload, combined with good mentoring and a working environment in which it is possible to both have a career and a family. I have found that this reputation is well-deserved.

Maslon is unlike many larger firms in that it is not rigidly organized into departments or practice areas to which associates are assigned. Rather, it has informal practice groups and encourages associates to gain experience in all of them. What this means for an associate is that one has the opportunity to gain experience in a variety of practice areas and work with, and learn from, many different partners. Work assignments for all associates are distributed through the firm assigning partner, whose job it is to direct the flow of work from partners to associates based on associate availability, interest, experience, and compatibility. The current assigning partner is a wonderful advocate for the associates, and this system enables associates to have control over their workload. At the same time, however, the firm encourages mid- and upper-level associates to join a practice group so they can develop a substantive expertise and become involved in marketing efforts.

Another attribute of Maslon is that it takes family seriously. From the top down, the firm sends the message that family commitments are respected and that the firm is willing to work with associates to accommodate them. It was important to me in considering Maslon that the Chair of the Governance Committee is a woman who came to Maslon as a part-time lateral attorney, and that there are quite a few attorneys who have flexible and/or part-time work schedules.

I have also come to appreciate the fact that Maslon's size and partnership structure make it possible to practice law without the distraction of firm politics and partnership angst. Maslon is committed to being honest with its associates about their partnership prospects as they progress, and the firm has a good record of its associates making partner on time. This gives rise to a stable and collegial working environment for the associates. Finally, Maslon is very litigation-intensive, so associates at all levels gain a tremendous amount of litigation experience. Associates work on both big and small cases, and thereby have the opportunity to do complex litigation, as well as handle all aspects of the smaller matters.

I have no doubt that after several years at Maslon, I will be a very experienced litigator. What I also know is that in the process I will get to spend time with my family and see my children grow. It's a good combination.