Editor’s note: Read about transactions associate Mark Donovan, who participated in the 2023 MoFoundations Program in our Boston office, in this installment of our MoFo Stories series.
After speaking to countless attorneys, professors, friends, and anyone who would listen, one theme defined all of my discussions regarding MoFo: its community. As one of my law professors and mentors liked to remind me, while MoFo offers engaging and demanding legal work, its collegial and friendly environment defines it. Although she was very fond of the legal work MoFo does, my professor was especially emphatic that MoFo offers a community unlike any other firm. To prove this, she connected me with several MoFo associates. Not only were these attorneys willing to speak with a law student they had never met, but they all genuinely wished to remain connected. Further substantiating my professor’s point, each of these attorneys personally reached out to me prior to my first week as an associate to congratulate me and welcome me to the firm over lunch, coffee, or conversation.
Similarly, MoFoundations transformed a daunting experience (beginning my legal career) into a pleasant and enjoyable memory. From learning about my personality style though the DiSC Assessment, to attending trainings designed to prepare me for assignment meetings, MoFoundations was integral to my first few post-training weeks. As I had expected from my prior experience as a MoFo summer associate, the trainings were pragmatic and carefully constructed. However, much of my learning also occurred during very deliberately scheduled downtimes. For example, during one of the planned programming breaks, I attended a team meeting for the team I was to join following training. Not only did this meeting reintroduce me to many of my former colleagues from my time as a summer associate, but it also helped me orient my focus for the remainder of MoFoundations so I could develop skills that are particularly useful for and tailored to my team.
Now, as I think about beginning my legal career, I look forward to developing and mastering my approach to general contract drafting. I also hope to learn more about the legal and business issues that arise in venture debt finance deals. I am eager to represent some major banks and financial institutions as they lend money to cutting-edge tech and startup companies. Most importantly, I look forward to positively contributing to my team and to the community at MoFo. Whether by serving as a resource for current law students or preserving the collegial and friendly atmosphere that defines the Boston office, I hope to embody the qualities that brought me to MoFo!