Page 57 - NYLJ Professional Excellence 2021

tical counsel on the team’s most complex matters. Our team’s From left, special counsel Justin Santolli, and partners
breadth of experience has proved to be instrumental amid Emilie B. Cooper, Janice Mac Avoy and Matthew D.
the height of COVID-19; as the pandemic introduced unprec- Parrott.
edented hurdles, it provided us with a unique opportunity to
find creative solutions and draw from our expertise to navigate Responses prepared by Janice Mac Avoy, Matthew
clients through their most complex transactions and litigations. Parrott and Emilie Cooper, real estate and litigation
partners at the firm.
A prospective client in crisis calls and asks why your team
should be retained. What is your answer? In addition to the
consistent top-ranked recognitions our lawyers and practice
receive from peers and publications alike, the depth and
breadth of our practice means that there’s rarely a related standing of their client’s business needs and put the interests
issue that we haven’t previously handled. Moreover, when of their clients ahead of their own. Frequently, this means
we resolve matters, we do so in a way that best achieves the acknowledging that litigation is not always the way to achieve
business goals of our clients. Our deep and varied experience the best results for their client.
renders us uniquely able to develop the most appropriate
and expeditious approach to resolving any real estate issue. What is the firm doing to ensure that future generations of
Additionally, as the volatility created by the COVID-19 pan- litigators are ready to take the helm? We are committed to
demic sparked a wave of urgent and complex legal issues, our the professional development of our associates and provide
team quickly mobilized its resources to provide guidance to them with hands-on experience and training to ensure they’re
our clients. Despite the uncertainty resulted by the pandemic, well-positioned for the future. Early in their career, Fried Frank
our considerable expertise helped us in guiding our clients associates are involved in face-to-face client interactions and
through the adverse business environment. given practical courtroom experience in oral advocacy. Our
growing practice and cross-departmental trainings with the
What traits do you respect most in opposing firms and law- real estate department also equip our junior attorneys with
yers? We respect when opposing firms have a deep under- the requisite skills needed to emerge as experienced litigators.

Photo: Ryland West/ALM | October 2021 55