PARTNER, MAYER BROWN
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Houston, TX YEARS PRACTICING: 30 PRACTICE AREA: Energy
JOSE L. VALERA “YOU'RE NOT HATCHED A
s
RAINMAKER. YOU BECOME ONE as the result of good service and hard work,” says Jose Valera, a partner in Mayer Brown’s Houston offi ce. “And you don’t remain a longtime rainmaker unless you consistently provide excellent service and are a good lawyer at the same time.” Valera, whose practice is focused on domestic and
international energy transactions and project development throughout the United States, Latin America, Africa, and Asia, began his legal career in Peru where he attended law school and went to work for a fi rm as local counsel to a Houston-based oil company. In 1982, he came to Houston to do an unpaid intern-
ship for the same client. After two months he was off ered a position. Valera accepted. “T e company sponsored me and eventually helped pay for me to go to law school. I got my second J.D. at South Texas College of Law in 1986 and have been in Houston ever since. “When you begin to generate a decent amount of work
in a fi rm,” says Valera, “you gain a higher degree of auton- omy with regard to the matters you work on, and how you allocate your time and resources. T at’s important to me. “I don’t play golf with clients. I prefer to share a meal with
clients and potential clients. In addition to actual billable time, I also spend time learning and keeping up with the oil industry and international events, and talking to media, writ- ing, and speaking. A rainmaker must be very knowledgeable of the industry in which his or her clients operate.” Does Valera work all the time? Without hesitation, he answers “pretty much.”
SHAREHOLDER, LITTLER MENDELSON P.C.
Kansas City, MO YEARS PRACTICING: 21
PRACTICE AREA: Labor and Employment DONALD S. PROPHETE
“IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, COMPETITION WITH RESPECT TO LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT has inten- sifi ed,” says Don Prophete, a rainmaking partner in Littler’s Kansas City offi ce. “It’s harder to acquire a client now than it was then. T e pie hasn’t grown much, but the number of players has increased. Today, more general practice fi rms are focusing on labor and employment.”
MCCA.COM
PARTNER, KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP
New York, NY YEARS PRACTICING: 23
PRACTICE AREA: Government & Internal Investigations MICHAEL J. GARCIA
“COMING FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR, I HAD TO LEARN THE WORLD OF RAINMAKING,” says Michael Garcia, a government and internal investigations partner in Kirkland’s New York offi ce. “Because I didn’t rise through the ranks of a fi rm, I missed out on a lot of exposure to the law fi rm business model. Fortunately, I was able to watch the partners here and pick up pretty quickly on how things worked.” Before joining Kirkland Ellis in 2008, Garcia was the
Senate-confi rmed United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. He successfully directed a broad range of prosecutions, including investigations into white- collar fraud, international terrorism, and national security matters. Prior to that, he spent two years as assistant secretary for immigration and customs enforcement at the Department of Homeland Security. “T e public sector isn’t so strictly defi ned in terms of
client relations. But it did give me the confi dence to go into new situations,” says Garcia. “When you walk into a board- room or a pitch, you bring substantive abilities, experience but also your presence. I think my background has given me a sense of presence and that’s clearly communicated.” After a brief career in journalism, Garcia attended Albany
Law School on a scholarship. “I never had a well-thought-out career trajectory. I was a criminal courtroom lawyer for a lot of my career. I ran some agencies in D.C. Hard work and energy have enabled me to turn the skills I picked up over the years into a successful career in private practice.”
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But despite the challenges, Prophete remains on top.
(He was featured in Diversity & the Bar’s rainmaker article in 2008.) To maintain existing and new clients, Prophete goes beyond using his substantive skills and delivering wise counsel. He works hard to address the unmet needs (both spoken and unspoken) of his clients. “T at’s how I bring in value,” he says. “Eventually a lawyer’s rates will exceed his worth unless he or she is constantly working to elevate their value. If you don’t, clients will feel they’re overpaying.” To some, the term “rainmaker” connotes an element of
magic. “We used to believe that you had to be born with the rainmaker touch,” says Prophete, who has served as lead trial counsel in all types of employment disputes in federal and state courts. “But that’s not true. Anyone who wants to become a strong business developer can with the proper preparation.”
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
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