Becoming a lawyer wasn’t a simple decision for me. In college, I started as an arts and sciences major but found it was too broad and didn’t give me a clear sense of direction. I switched into an industrial and labor relations program, which was described to me as a people-focused major that taught students about workplace issues, including the dispute resolution process – a natural precursor to entering the law. I interviewed for a paralegal opportunity before law school, thinking it would be useful to get law firm experience and perspective. This is advice I would give to any undergraduate considering a career in law.

As a freshman, I was fortunate to meet an alumnus who has been an influential mentor ever since. He was my sounding board as I considered internship options after my sophomore year – helping to sharpen my focus and playing an instrumental role in landing my first legal position. This relationship changed my life, and I aspire to being able to give back to another in the same capacity someday.

Almost every big law firm does transactional work, but they do it with different models and approaches. I’ve played on sports teams my whole life, so when I was looking at firms, I wanted that same kind of collegial atmosphere. I got the sense here that I would be joining a team – a firm with a familiar culture that I could learn and grow in.

Since joining, that culture has been demonstrated in more ways than one. From a professional standpoint, senior associates and partners take a creative approach to coaching junior lawyers. They give detailed and transparent deal-specific feedback on our work product, as well as providing a deeper understanding of larger issues and market practices. Our practice groups offer monthly lunch meetings where junior associates can ask questions and engage in lively discussion. More importantly, we learn about the business side of transactions, which provides deeper insights into our clients’ perspectives and decisions. My view is “the earlier the better” in helping junior associates reach the point where we are contributing greater value; it increases satisfaction and is good for our business.

On a personal note, the firm encourages community service as a high priority. I served on the board of a charity that supports first responders and was grateful for the firm’s understanding about the time commitment. Over the years, I’ve also supported a non-profit called Ice Hockey in Harlem. It holds an annual tournament for large firms across North America to face off on the ice rink and raise funds for a charity that supports hundreds of inner-city students with free hockey programs. It was amazing to see my colleagues at all levels join me in forming our inaugural ice hockey team, which is very cool – no pun intended!

I come from a rural town in Queensland, Australia. I grew up on a farm and originally wanted to focus on agricultural law. But as I followed my leads, I found myself working as a general corporate lawyer in Brisbane. The size of the Brisbane legal market is relatively small, which makes it a lot tougher to specialize in any one discipline, especially early in your career. Five years later, through a connection from my former firm, a colleague who had moved to Clifford Chance some years earlier made an introduction that led to an offer, and I took the opportunity to join her team in New York.

When I joined the private funds group here, I had a number of transferrable skills – and plenty more to learn. It’s been challenging, but we have a strong support network, and the team’s willingness to help me get up to speed has made it an enjoyable process.

Throughout my studies and legal career, I’ve embraced opportunities to further my skills, which have often required relocation and adjustment. Those transitions always involved more than just learning a new practice area with a new firm. It’s also about the small things, like finding somewhere to live, establishing a support network, adjusting to life in a new country and a new city. I was lucky to have joined an international firm with colleagues who have not only been there and done that, but are happy to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible for me.

I’ve been struck by the amount of flexibility we’re given – something the current generation of lawyers will only further develop. A lot of this is driven by the use of technology and making day-to-day tasks as automated as possible. On the one hand, it allows us to work remotely and enter into arrangements that can ensure there’s a balance between our personal and professional commitments – but I think the real value here is that it allows lawyers to continually up-skill and focus on activities that are going to enable them to provide meaningful and tailored advice to our clients.

Starting out in Australia, I was so very focused on a rigid set of goals: joining the best law firm, becoming a senior associate, progressing to partner. But once I started working toward those goals, I realized they only represented my perception of what success looked like, not what I really wanted to achieve. In reality, having the flexibility to learn new skills and using them to develop my career was more important. And I didn’t have to lose sight of my goals, just figure out the best way to approach them.

Growing up, I had no idea I would end up being a lawyer. In high school, I was focused on math and science. I didn’t know any lawyers and never thought about the law as a career path.

In college, I took some public policy classes and became interested in education. After graduation, I worked as a teacher and later joined an organization focused on education policy. It was only then that I began to see how much power there is in understanding the law. My colleagues often talked about how they wished they had legal training or that there was a lawyer around for them to consult. I went to law school so I could become that resource. Instead, I ended up falling in love with the law.

Work-life balance is not about finding time for work and time for “life.” Being a lawyer is a core part of my identity. It is hard work and can involve long hours and lots of stress, but it is also very fulfilling. I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t enjoy it. At the same time, it is important to me to be a man of faith and to spend time with the people I love. These things make me a better lawyer. I don’t see these aspects of my life as separate; for me, work-life balance is about integrating them.

I recall a project I worked on around Easter that had very tight deadlines – early mornings and all-nighters. It was important to me to celebrate the holiday at church, and my teammates encouraged me to do so. I worked until I had to leave for church and then came back to the office afterwards. I was touched that my colleagues understood what this meant to me, and it motivated me to work even harder.

Our people are really what makes working here special. Everyone I have worked with has genuinely focused on teaching and mentorship. Whenever a partner or senior associate gives me an assignment, they take the time to explain how it fits into the bigger picture. As junior lawyers, we want to have an impact – to know that the work we do is important. This culture gives us confidence that we are part of the firm’s mission and overall strategy. It inspires me to be a better lawyer, to be a fierce and effective advocate for our clients.

One of the most important concepts in the law is building on precedent – we stand on the shoulders of giants. I am where I am now because of the people who came before me. My goal is to be a giant for those who come after.

Our first collaboration with our friends at GC magazine and The Legal 500 – Advice To My Younger Self – profiled 20 highly regarded women lawyers who shared tips for success with those about to begin their own journeys. What’s exciting about Their Voices is that it flips that narrative. This time, it’s our rising lawyers helping legal industry veterans – partners, general counsel, law school professors and others – gain new insights in a world that increasingly requires fresh perspectives.

In conceptualizing this project, we started with the premise that today’s lawyers are incredibly agile – not only in their ability to work effectively from almost anywhere, but also in their openness to new ways of thinking and problem solving. From the time they were old enough to lift a mobile phone, they’ve been tied together by technology and global networks, which makes tuning out and turning off increasingly difficult. And yet, most of them manage to achieve an enviable level of balance in their lives.

Perhaps the reason this new generation of lawyers is so adept at navigating change is that rapid transformation is all they’ve ever known. Those of us further along in our careers have had to dispatch some long-held beliefs and modify our approaches to embrace a new normal. It’s not always a comfortable proposition, but we are finding our way – sometimes with help from the very people we lead.

It’s hard to believe that 2019 marks the beginning of my fourth decade as a lawyer and my twentieth year as a partner at Clifford Chance. I’ve seen a lot and learned a lot, including the importance of eschewing labels. Each generation receives its own moniker – Baby Boomer, Gen X and the like. But if this book tells us anything, it’s that lawyers of every generation have many more traits in common than differences that separate them.

I couldn’t be prouder to call the lawyers in this book my colleagues. They are bright, motivated, hard-working, client-focused and civic-minded – just like the generations that preceded them. Best of all for me as a managing partner, they are part of a much larger group of associates who have their own equally impressive stories to tell.

The profiles in Their Voices: Insights from Today’s Rising Lawyers inspire me to remain flexible and welcome what’s next. I hope this book helps you to do the same.

Evan Cohen, Americas regional managing partner, Clifford Chance