TransformingYourCareerTransformingYourself

He did it his way. Part of Leon Black's reputational comeback has been to leverage the best legal help. And that has been panning out.  Black's latest win is about his mistress Guzel Ganieva's defamation complaint. Reuters reports:  " ... the Appellate Division in Manhattan said ... [Ganieva's] non-disclosure agreement covered all her claims against Black, including that he defamed her by saying she tried to extort him ... [It added] even if Ganieva signed the [NDA] agreement under duress, she 'ratified' it by accepting $9 million from Black, including a $100,000 monthly stipend ..." His lawyer on this one has been Susan Estrich, a brandname in her field. For other recent legal matters, Black had used Big Law firm Quinn Emanuel. Still in the works is Black's legal defense against a complaint filed by a disabled woman contending rape. Earlier in his business matters such as managing his family office Black had used elite law firm Paul Weiss.  There...

 More and more we're learning that even moving on up to equity partner doesn't bring employment security - de-equitization is standard - or even much power over decision-making about the terms and conditions of working.  The most recent controversy about the latter - control over how you work - is the mandate for five days back in the office. That edict has gone out by Sullivan & Cromwell. Of course, the fear in a sector still dominated by lockstep is that rigid RTO will catch on. HiHo HiHo, off to the office we go. Pay the big nut for commuting, meals out and additional dependent care.  Well, it's the equity partners who could derail such a shift back to the pre-COVID always-there facetime curse. BTI Consulting found that 50.2 percent of partners essentially are saying: Hell no. They like remote. The key reasons include: Being more productive Easier to do team thinking when remote using text and Zoom. Feeling resentment that they perceive themselves as being trea...

  Chair of financial powerhouse Apollo Jay Clayton indicates that  CEO Marc Rowan will continue in the leadership for 5 more years. Job number-one will the focusing on the 5-year plan. Rowan sums up that plan as capitalizing on the opportunities in "the convergence of public and private markets, and the changing role of financial institutions."  Along with the continuity of Rowan's leadership there seems to be attention to succession. That issue emerged when he put himself up to be nominated by the Trump Administration for the position of US Secretary of the Treasury.  Had he been chosen there would have been a scramble to fill the hole he had created with his exit. There is now the newly created role at Apollo of President. Appointed is Jay Clayton who will work closely with Rowan. Also Jim Zelter has become Co-President of Apollo Asset Management. Let the succession battle begin?  With Rown still in-place those law firms which had historically represented Apo...

 For centuries in America, ever since the Puritans founded Harvard in 1636, higher education had been the differentiator. Having the BA/BS or, better yet,  advanced degrees signaled - like a tailored-made suit or an upper class accent - you were destined for unique success. Those who pushed you to get "a good education" hammered the meme "They can't take your education away from you." Well, it’s turning out in some sectors that the "they" aren't willing to pay for that education either. This is not new. Way back in 2008, during the global financial downturn, in my career coaching for those displaced the issue arose: Should they leave that law degree or the Ph.D. in leadership off their resume? It was common sense they could come across as overqualified or anticipating a high salary. Post-9/11, when my industry collapsed, I deleted all but the BA from my credentials. Since I know how to handle interviews I was offered the first survival job I ...

Amid the current economic, technological and political upheaval, leaders come and leaders go. They even include a powerful prosecutor in the Southern District of New York - Damian Williams - who circled back to his former employer Paul Weiss, this time as a shareholder. Happy New Job, Happy Continuation of a Career. The media and social networks have the option of either praising those movers or positioning and packaging them with negative speculation about what triggered that development.  Those making the moves open the door to a troubled legacy if they are vague about the decision. Use the wrong cover line and it could come across that the decision was not theirs but was forced on them. Right now we wonder why MSNBC's Rashida Jones is using the standard phrase in forced exits to explain her departure: "to pursue other opportunities." Since that was not made concrete - such as accepting another plum job or launching an enterprise - a cynical public will think that the...

Recently star prosecutor - Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams - shifted to becoming a defense lawyer. He's 49 years old. Young in Longer Work History Time. Williams' new career will be at elite law firm Paul Weiss. Actually it's one of those Red Ruby Slippers sagas of There's No Place Like Home. Williams started his career at Paul Weiss years ago as an associate in that Wall Street defense firm. Then he went to the prosecutor role for federal government. Now is returning as a partner doing defense litigation work.  Therefore, so far, Williams has cycled through a number of career changes. In that he represents the new usual.  Given the current economic volatility, technology, evolving client/customer expectations and post-COVID questioning of values, about 80% of those in the work force will be career-shifters. In contrast Boomer parents were "lifers" in their work identities.  Career-shifting can continue into your 90s. That's how it went for one-time ...