LEX:

Why did you become an attorney?

James Sherer:

There was an expectation within my family, even when I was very young, that I would attend graduate school. I also remember at least one holiday where my prosecuting attorney uncle “advised” me to go to law school. His advice was apparently persuasive but indiscriminate: of four cousins, three are now attorneys (the other begins her residency in anesthesiology this fall). But it was not just a persuasive uncle that set my path—after carefully considering my options in college, law school emerged as the right fit for my interests and personality. I have not looked back since.

LEX:

Why did you choose to work as a litigator?

James Sherer:

In law school, I had planned on becoming a corporate attorney; however, my first opportunities to practice came at two large firms, where I worked on a number of large-scale product liabilities matters. It was on these matters that I experienced the fun of becoming an “expert for a day” (or, for several years) on the facts of each specific litigation matter.

LEX:

What is an emerging e-discovery/information law trend that you think might take people by surprise?

James Sherer:

We have seen some significant interest in how consumer privacy is addressed on the internet, spurred by the FTC’s recent May 26, 2012 report, and the uproar by job candidates who are being asked to hand over their Facebook passwords. These issues demonstrate the empowering effect internet has on everyone with access, and the pace at which people modify their behavior. This plays out in litigation, and especially in e-discovery, where the courts are (and will continue to be) playing catch-up with what people actually do.

LEX:

What qualities or factors helped you to succeed?

James Sherer:

The qualities that are easiest to identify are experience, relationships, and personality. My experience came first from large-scale litigation matters, spanning primarily products liability, policy-holder insurance coverage, and white collar defense matters. I then went in-house as a litigator with a large Midwestern corporation where I managed a number of diverse dockets, and went to trial on a number of matters for the company as part of a special counsel group. Concurrently, I returned to school and spent my weekends completing my MBA.

Throughout my practice, I continued to cultivate friendships and professional relationships, and Redgrave LLP offered me my partnership in large part based on the relationships I had developed in this space. Those relationships were and remain key factors to my success in this field, and I rely upon them every day, both for the work that I do and continued business development opportunities.

Finally, I am friendly and outgoing, and feel very fortunate that it is easy to strike up conversations with anyone. These aspects of my personality have helped me to maintain important relationships.

LEX:

What is the best part of your job?

James Sherer:

I think the best part is the people I encounter. I work for and with intelligent people, which means that I have the chance to learn something new every time I start a project, take a case, or even join a call or meeting. This also means that my job is novel—while there is consistency within the practice, many of the issues we address are being considered for the first time because of the pace of evolving technology.

LEX:

How do you deal with work-related stress?

James Sherer:

As I mentioned before, the people I work with and for are smart and confident. This also makes them self-assured and sometimes difficult to deal with. While my current job is among the least stressful I have had, I still do have some stresses I must address. To do so, I have one method to share that has worked for me regardless of my workplace:

I normally become close friends with one colleague at my workplace. For example, at the Firm I have a friend with whom I discuss both Firm and client matters. Because we are both covered under privilege in our service to our clients, I can brainstorm issues while also discussing infrequent personality issues I face. I can laugh or complain, reassess or ask for advice, knowing that what I share is kept in complete confidence. Redgrave LLP has an official mentoring program that fills this role, but an unofficial trusted mentor or confidant can work just as well.

LEX:

Mr. Sherer, thank you for your time and for sharing your experience and insights with us.