In celebration of Women’s History Month, this month on the blog I will be highlighting three amazing women as part of a three-part series entitled “Women Who Inspire”. The goal of this series is to highlight women that have been making strides in their respective fields. Our first highlight is Meredith Kaufman, a former big law partner and founder of Kaufman Law. In this blog post, we discuss how the MeToo movement impacted Meredith’s decision to leave her big law firm job, her advice to young professionals working in a hostile working environment, and much more!
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your career story?
I always knew I wanted to be a lawyer, from a very young age. In law school, I developed an interest in employment law after taking some classes and working on some employment law matters as a summer associate at a law firm. I graduated from Columbia Law School in 2008, right before the economic crash. I had a big law firm job lined up for the fall, but the firm dissolved as a result of the financial crisis.
So, I was fresh out of law school and unemployed at a very challenging time to find a job as a first-year lawyer. Luckily, I found a job at Littler Mendelson, a global law firm that focuses on labor and employment law, which turned out to be a perfect fit. I got incredible training as an employment lawyer and was promoted from associate to partner after 7 years at the firm. The next year, I joined Baker McKenzie as an employment law partner in their New York office. Two years later, I left to start my own firm, Kaufman Law.
2. Tell us, what does an employment lawyer do?
In my practice, I work with both companies and individuals on a range of employment law matters. I represent employees and executives in disputes with their employers, including issues like discrimination, harassment, retaliation, non-competition/non-solicit, breach of contract issues, etc. I also work with individuals who feel they are being treated unfairly and think a termination may be coming. I help them take the necessary steps to protect themselves. I also help individuals in negotiating separation agreements, new employment contracts, in investigations – really anything employment-related that may come up.
For companies, I provide a range of services, from day to day advice on employment law questions, drafting employment contracts and non-disclosure agreements, workplace trainings related to workplace conduct, and handling disputes with employees
3. So, you started off at a large law firm but eventually left to start your solo practice. I’m curious, what made you decide to leave your comfortable big law firm job to start your own solo practice?
After I became a law firm partner, I started to develop a more entrepreneurial mindset. At Baker, I was tasked with growing the firm’s New York employment practice and found I loved that as much as I loved practicing law. The #MeToo movement began around the same time, and it really inspired me to want to represent individuals who had been mistreated at work. I had no interest in defending bad behavior and wanted to help people and make a difference. I still do work for companies too, but it is more focused on compliance and providing a safe and respectful work environment.
It is definitely a big decision to go out on your own, particularly for lawyers who tend to be risk-averse. Once I had the idea, I spent a lot of time researching and planning. I reached out to people within my network who had left big law to go out on their own, who were so generous with their time and really inspiring. My dream of starting my own firm kept growing and took on a life of its own until I finally made the leap.
4. When you first started, did you have a lot of clients, and has it been difficult to find clients due to the pandemic?
I started with corporate clients who followed me to my new firm, which provided a nice steady flow of work from the beginning. I built the individual side of my practice largely through referrals from my network and current and former clients. When I launched the firm, I made a strong push to update my contacts on what I was doing and the kind of work I was looking for, and referrals started coming in as a result.
As for the pandemic, there has been no shortage of employment work. I’ve worked with individuals who have been laid off, disputes over contractual issues, and negotiating new agreements when they have found new jobs. And companies have needed more help with layoffs, sick leave, remote work, bringing people back to work – so much change over the last year.
5. You mentioned that clients hire you to negotiate or review their employment contracts. Do you recommend that individuals have their employment contracts reviewed by an employment lawyer before they sign?
I do think it is a good idea to speak with an employment lawyer before signing a new employment contract. Contracts will always have legal and business implications for you. An employment lawyer can help you understand what you are signing up for, whether the terms are reasonable, and help you decide what to negotiate or push back on. For example, many contracts have non-compete or non-solicit clauses which can make it hard for you to leave for another job. In some cases, those terms may be negotiable; in others, they are not, but either way you need to understand and be comfortable with whatever you sign.
6. How do you use social media to find clients?
I use social media to establish my brand, build relationships and grow my network, as opposed to marketing to find new clients. I have limited bandwidth as a solo practitioner – it’s not a volume practice, and I have to be selective about the types of matters I can take on. Social media helps me keep my network educated on my practice and develop and maintain relationships. It’s more than what I put out there about myself; it’s also how I engage with my network and helping others make connections, promote themselves, and solve problems. That has always been my view when it comes to business development as a lawyer — I prefer to develop relationships instead of selling services.
7. What are some of the challenges that you have faced as a solo practitioner?
It’s just me! Your plate can get full very quickly as a solo, so it is all the more important to prioritize and pick the right matters. Running the firm is also a lot of work – I do all of the legal work, but I also handle client intake, billing, filings, mailing, and everything else. I have plans to expand the firm in the future, but for now it’s just me.
8. With the legal industry being predominantly male, can you share your top tips on climbing the corporate ladder at a large firm?
This is a tough question! It really can depend on the firm, the people, and what you want to achieve. I personally think that you should be able to bring your authentic self to work, which is what I always did. It worked well with me for some people, but definitely not everyone. I just stayed true to myself – confident, driven, and outspoken – understanding that I could not make everyone happy all the time. My advice is to focus on the positive relationships with people who respect and value what you have to offer and avoid those who don’t where possible. If you aren’t happy in the environment, it may be time to start charting a new course for success.
9. What can young professionals do to protect themselves when faced with a hostile work environment?
First, you should document everything and anything that feels problematic. Even if you think it doesn’t matter, keeping a record for yourself can provide leverage down the line. You should be keeping track of dates, what was said, who was there – all of the information that will help you tell your story in the future.
Second, speaking up about harassment and mistreatment can make a real difference. Everyone has to make their own judgments in the moment, but reporting bad behavior at work can help your own situation and others experiencing mistreatment as well.
Finally, consider speaking with an employment lawyer, even if you are not ready to take legal action yet. I talk to people every day who just want to understand what their rights are, plan a strategy, or need help reporting concerns internally. You can also seek a consultation to find out if you have a potential case against your employer before committing to anything or paying fees. It is never easy to deal with a hostile work environment, but an employment lawyer can help you navigate the situation.
10. Any advice for someone considering going to law school?
I was always told you can do anything with a law degree, but I don’t think that should be a reason to go to law school. Be confident and clear that you want to be a lawyer before going to law school. You should have a genuine desire to practice law. If your goal isn’t to be a lawyer or practice law, then there may be other ways to get to your end goal without the time and expense of law school.
If you would like to contact Meredith, you can reach her via email at meredith@kaufmanlawnyc.com. You can also check out her website Kaufman Law or connect with her on LinkedIn.
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