ERNEST LAMONT GREER
MANAGING SHAREHOLDER, GREENBERG TRAURIG, LLP
ATLANTA, GA
YEARS PRACTICING: 20 AREA OF PRACTICE:
CHAIR, ATLANTA LITIGATION
RICHARD CRAIG SMITH
PARTNER, FULBRIGHT & JAWORSKI LLP
WASHINGTON, D.C.
YEARS PRACTICING: 25
PRACTICE AREA: GLOBAL WHITE
COLLAR CRIME AND GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS
AS A YOUNG LAWYER, ERNEST GREER FOUND OPPORTUNITIES WITH SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. “T ey were my fi rst clients. My job was to ensure that nothing kept those then-fragile businesses from pros- pering. As they grew, I became their outside general counsel.” Over time, as Greer’s practice expanded and he started doing litigation for bigger corporations, he continued to work with those ever-growing fi rst clients, making it a specialty. Today, he is a managing shareholder in Greenberg’s
Atlanta offi ce, and his practice includes litigation, cor- porate, bond work, and economic development. Still, he credits those early years as general counsel to several small companies and participating in their growth for allowing his career to grow in the way that it has. “I’m a litigator who thoroughly understands how corpora- tions work. You don’t always fi nd that,” he says. Greer is a little uneasy with the rainmaker moni-
ker, believing it takes away from the essence of what lawyers do. “We solve people’s legal problems. To me ‘rainmaker’ infers that we bring in business but don’t necessarily service clients. I get hired and do the work.” And what is it that prompts him to bring in busi-
ness? “I’m driven to have security in life,” he explains. “I’m a guy whose parents invested everything they could to get me educated. T ere was no way I was going to sit behind the desk and depend upon others for work. Since the beginning of my career, I’ve gone out and found my own opportunities and now I get to pass that forward.”
“SITTING BEHIND YOUR DESK WILL NOT MAKE IT RAIN,” SAYS RICHARD SMITH. As the head of Fulbright & Jaworski’s white collar crime and government inves- tigations teams, Smith spends a lot of time travelling the country and overseas conducting investigations. At the same time, he provides legal advice and counsel to the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Additionally, he litigates complex cases, defending corporate America in federal court before numerous federal agencies, such as the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and United States Attorney’s offi ces throughout the country. Smith describes his business development technique as a multi-tiered strategy. First, he captures the low-hanging fruit, the people to whom he has immediate access. In other words, he markets himself to his partners to ensure that they know his expertise, and to determine areas in which they can collaborate. Secondly, he markets his group’s strengths to cur-
rent fi rm clients. He participates in various panels, seminars, and training for the ABA and other entities nationally; he also writes and is published often. “I’m a fi rm believer that you reap what you sow,” says Smith. “I’m willing to do the hard work in pursuit of new business.” For example, says Smith, his group will do a seminar or training on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) or compliance for a client free of charge, but in return they will ask the client to invite all of their assistant general counsel globally. T is way, he adds, he can service a current client while simultane- ously gaining exposure with prospective clients. But primarily, he credits his rainmaking status to
producing an excellent product, being available for his clients, and an unyielding drive to be the very best.
MCCA.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
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