Blog
Partner Paves Path to Success for Past and Present Mentees
Blog
March 29, 2017
The relationships that Chicago partner Oscar David has built with his current and past mentees epitomize the positive effects of Winston’s successful mentoring program—easier communication among attorneys, expanded networking opportunities, and the opportunity to do more creative and productive work.
Oscar continues to be a trusted sounding board for his three prior mentees, Chicago associates Sean Apfelbaum, Kyle Trilling, and Kristin Wickler, as they navigate new opportunities and challenges in their professional and personal lives.
This group recently caught up during a lunch Oscar hosted for them at River Roast. “The lunch was a terrific opportunity for my current mentee Brian Brothman to have a healthy exchange of ideas with my prior mentees and it also provided him with an instant network of other young associates in the Chicago office,” Oscar said.
His dedication to mentoring the next generation of firm leaders has not gone unnoticed. In 2014 and 2016, Oscar was named Chicago office “Mentor of the Year” for the Lawyer-to-Lawyer* program. This award is based on mentee nominations and recognizes mentors who have consistently provided access, insight, and practical advice to junior lawyers.
“During our first meeting, Oscar made it clear that he wanted me to feel comfortable talking to him about anything. Throughout the program, he made himself available whenever I had anything I needed to discuss,” said Sean Apfelbaum in his 2016 “Mentor of the Year” nomination. “Oscar played a role in getting me staffed on several deals on which I had a chance to gain new experience. He also included me in two events that were outside of the firm where I had an opportunity to meet clients and other local professionals. Oscar was and is a phenomenal mentor, and I am thankful for having the opportunity to get to know him.”
In her winning 2014 nomination, Kristin Wickler said “Oscar is a fantastic role model and took building a strong relationship with me very seriously. He invested a great deal of time and energy in helping me develop confidence and improve my skillset. He rarely let a teaching opportunity pass us by, from editing a contract, to how to treat clients, colleagues, and support staff, how to be a mentor myself, how to learn negotiation skills and how best to organize a deal. Oscar has set a compelling example of how to be a skilled lawyer, invested mentor, compassionate citizen, and trustworthy friend.”
The Chicago office recently celebrated its largest-ever class of “Mentor of the Year” nominees, with 16 associates nominating their mentors for the 2016 awards. Further punctuating the strength of Winston’s mentoring programs,* the firm was featured in this recent article from the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism that discusses the value of its Lawyer-to-Lawyer program for both mentors and mentees.
*Beginning in January 2017, the Lawyer-to-Lawyer program has been extended to include all first- through third-year associates in the Chicago office. First- through third-year associates in the firm’s other domestic offices will continue to participate in the Traditional Mentoring Program.
This entry has been created for information and planning purposes. It is not intended to be, nor should it be substituted for, legal advice, which turns on specific facts.