Alumni Spotlight: Christopher Provenzano (2002-2009; New York), Michael Granne (2003-2006; New York), and Jennifer Bader (1998-2003; New York, Paris)

To celebrate Cleary Gottlieb’s 75th anniversary, alumni around the globe are taking time to reflect on their experiences at the firm.

Christopher Provenzano, Michael Granne, and Jennifer Bader, Cleary alumni and partners at Provenzano Granne & Bader, share their thoughts below.

Christopher Provenzano (2002-2009; New York)

What lessons did you learn at Cleary that prepared you for your future career?

There are three. The first is that thinking both hard and creatively about things matters. Lots of law firms have smart people who work hard, but the best and most interesting work I have done has required something more; thoughtfulness and imagination rather than just industriousness are what distinguish great lawyering. The second is that these qualities only flourish when the people you work for encourage them and recognize their value. The third (to which I will return) is that there are lots of different ways to be an effective litigator.

What Cleary person and/or experience had a lasting impact on you personally?

One of the early lessons I learned was from Debbie Buell, who observed that her partners were all very different but also all very effective – they leveraged their strengths in different ways. I found this very true, particularly in working with Chris Lunding in trying a lengthy and complicated case in the EDNY and working with now-Judge Liman on a number of different matters. You could not imagine two more different people, I think, but I learned very important skills from each of them. I probably have more Lunding in my personality by nature, but I know when to channel my inner Liman, so to speak.

Why do you participate in the alumni network, and what would you say to someone who is considering getting involved?

You may not have noticed this, but lawyers tend to be a tedious and unimaginative bunch on the whole. This has not generally been so of Cleary alumni. When I hear someone worked at Cleary I feel that they will not only be competent and smart, but also nice and interesting as well.

For me and my partners, much of our work comes from alumni, largely on this basis. And I hope it will continue to do so! We love hearing from alumni, whether it is just to catch up or because they need help with something.

Michael Granne (2003-2006; New York)

What lessons did you learn at Cleary that prepared you for your future career?

Cleary taught me that there is always a different way of looking at or solving a problem, but is also reinforced that there was never a substitute for doing the work.

What Cleary person and/or experience had a lasting impact on you personally?

Working with Francesca Odell was eye-opening. How someone could work as well and as hard and be ever friendly and pleasant continues to amaze me.

Why do you participate in the alumni network, and what would you say to someone who is considering getting involved?

Cleary alumni are an always interesting bunch and the events are both great fun and great networking opportunities.

Jennifer Bader (1998-2003; New York, Paris)

What lessons did you learn at Cleary that prepared you for your future career?

Cleary set the standard by which I continue to judge other law firms. And so many of them fall short! I learned from Cleary that real teamwork – partners who are colleagues and friends rather than the rulers of warring fiefdoms, true lockstep compensation, associates who are offered the widest possible experiences rather than guarded jealously by a supervising partner – is not only possible but the best way to motivate people to work hard.

I also learned that the single most important factor in workplace satisfaction is the quality of the human beings you work with.

What Cleary person or experience had a lasting impact on you personally?

My Cleary years in New York and especially in the Paris office were an exciting time in my life. Andy Bernstein and John Brinitzer and the rest of the Paris team did so much to form me as a lawyer. And yet I’d have to say that the single most memorable and moving experience I had was as a first year associate in NY, before I had even decided whether I wanted to do litigation or transactional work. (Actually, I still haven’t decided whether I want to do litigation or transactional work!)

The experience was a pro bono divorce case. The client was a woman whose husband had given her AIDS, back in the days when it really was a death sentence. She came to meet with me in the office, and the contrast between the opulent surroundings and this emaciated woman was heartbreaking. All she wanted was to be divorced from this man before she died. She wanted to die free of him. She succeeded, and I never forgot her.

Why do you participate in the alumni network, and what would you say to someone who is considering getting involved?

As with everything at Cleary, the benefits of participating in the alumni network are both personal and professional. I began participating only a few years ago, attending the Cleary European Alumni Reunion in The Hague. I cannot say enough about how much fun this was, and how fruitful as a networking exercise. I renewed friendships, made new ones, and made contacts that led directly to legal work. The CLEs are fantastic, too. There is literally no downside to participating, and everyone should.

To learn more about Cleary’s global alumni network, click here.