A Day In The Life Of A Partner At Gunderson Dettmer
A typical day for a partner at a law firm, like Colin at Gunderson Dettmer, is "usually a long day" filled with client communication—often by phone—and mentoring junior lawyers. The work largely involves "figuring out business problems," such as advising clients on strategic decisions, deal negotiations, and market entry strategies.
Communication, Problem-Solving, Leadership, Mentorship, Legal
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Colin Chapman
Attorney
Gunderson Dettmer
University of California Berkeley
Law degree - University of Michigan
History, Art History, Political Science, American Studies
Law
Legal
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. A typical day is long and starts early, involving many hours of work.
2. Significant time is spent communicating with clients and colleagues via phone, email, and chat, focusing on problem-solving related to business deals and market strategies.
3. A substantial portion of the day is dedicated to mentoring junior lawyers, reviewing their work, and helping them improve their skills.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a partner at a law firm look like?
What does a day in the life of a partner at a law firm look like? Well, it's usually a long day that starts pretty early. It's a profession where people spend a lot of hours.
I spend a lot of time communicating with people. My preferred style is oral, so I do a lot of communication by phone, talking to people within the office or on calls like this.
A lot of the other communication is by email, and some through a chat function. However, I'd say most of the more formal communication is by email.
I also spend a lot of time helping young lawyers, reviewing their work, and trying to help them improve. I spend a lot of time on that.
With clients, I spend time on the phone helping them with their problems. It's mostly a problem-solving business, dealing with a variety of different things.
I'm not in court, so I'm not a litigator. Most of it involves figuring out business problems. These could be about how to get to market, how to get a deal done with another company, what to concede on, and what to hold firm with. It's about the things most important to getting a business going or helping it reach the next level.
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