031: Tim Yoo On What Lawyers Can Learn From Pro-wrestling, Applied Mathematics, And Tennis Khurram's Quorum podcast

1:45:24

Quinn Emanuel partner Manisha Sheth has moved twice between elite private practice and high-stakes public enforcement. In this wide-ranging conversation we discuss: how to bet on yourself to cultivate new skills how she ran 250 lawyers at the N.Y. Attorney General’s office and sped up investigations with two simple process tweaks the hottest state-level enforcement trends in climate, consumer finance, and AI dangling from an ice face at 19,000 ft Listen for practical insights on career strategy, process and delegation as competitive advantages, and a couple mountaineering stories that will make your palms sweat.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
037: Sunny Kim on quitting biglaw, publicly owning your narrative, and practical LinkedIn tips you can implement in 20 minutes 50:34

16 days ago50:34

50:34

Want a 20-minute bootcamp for your LinkedIn presence? Episode 037 for Khurram's Quorum is a little different. My guest is Sunny Kim, who went from biglaw to make a big reset for her career helping lawyers find their voice in social media. We cover how Sunny tinkered her way into discovering some of the best ways for lawyers to share their stories to build trust and authority with peers and clients, and get into brass tacks about how to position yourself on LinkedIn through your profile and posts. At the end of this 50 minute episode, you'll understand why you should bother sharing your ideas on LinkedIn, and have an easy playbook for getting started.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
036: Randy Gaw on case selection, niching, and storytelling for law firm founders 1:25:29

23 days ago1:25:29

1:25:29

Randy Gaw is the co-founder of Gaw Poe LLP. Randy left biglaw for a more direct path to first-chair trial work and strategic autonomy. At his boutique, Randy focuses on complex business litigation and high-value contingency work. We discuss: why case selection is about narrative, not just legal theory how poker and parenting made him a better litigator what he learned from jury consultants that changed how he prepares for trial…

Khurram's Quorum

1
035: Hilary Gerzhoy on emotional drivers of ethical decisions, hidden risks in legal practice, and what makes a great ethical lawyer. 1:30:10

30 days ago1:30:10

1:30:10

As a partner at HWG, Hilary Gerzhoy advises law firms, partners, and GCs on the messiest, most human decisions lawyers make. In this episode, Hilary and I talk about why most ethics violations are rooted in fear, not greed, what really motivates risky behavior during lateral moves, and why great lawyers lead with empathy - and still set boundaries.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
034: Jaimie Nawaday on disrupting drinking, storytelling, and entrepreneurship for practicing lawyers 1:13:42

5 weeks ago1:13:42

1:13:42

Jamie Nawaday is Head of Seward & Kissel's Government Enforcement and Internal Investigations Practice and the founder of Disrupting Drinking, where she speaks on personal change and cultural change to disrupt the corporate cocktail culture. Jamie has the unique insight that drinking isn't just about wellness - it reflects how the legal profession handles stress, bonding, and belonging. We explore how storytelling and authenticity are not side skill, they’re core to both legal persuasion and personal transformation. That change doesn't have to come from quitting your job and going all in - you can start a courageous conversation from within.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
033: Vishal Shah on moving to the other side of the v. as a plaintiffs employment lawyer, case selection and strategy, and the business of a law firm 1:27:37

18 weeks ago1:27:37

1:27:37

Vishal Shah is the founder of Shah Litigation, a high-stake employment litigation firm. This is a unique opportunity to examine the strategy and values a biglaw associate used to launch and grow a successful law firm. We talk about the decision to switch to the other side of the v., how he researched the opportunity to identify his niche, his approach to a national trial practice, the unique dynamics of the plaintiffs' bar, and business development strategy. (01:30) - from small-town Alabama to big-city biglaw (15:35) - how personal tragedies and a desire for control over Vishal's career motivated his move to launch his own firm (19:05) - key insights from successful law firm founders (21:31) - how Vishal leverages his network, LinkedIn, and relationship-building for client development (33:21) - case selection philosophy (38:46) - litigation approach and pre-trial blueprint (01:04:49) - the impact of the unique collegiality of the plaintiff's bar (01:19:39) - advice for rising biglaw associates…

Khurram's Quorum

1
032: Pratik Shah on the market for appellate litigation, the power of networks, and how to choose a practice group for growth 1:49:47

19 weeks ago1:49:47

1:49:47

Pratik Shah is the Practice Head of Akin’s Supreme Court and appellate practice. Pratik breaks down his achievements and shares the values and principles he used to challenge himself and create opportunities. This conversation explores three underdiscussed topics, the market for appellate litigation, the business of appellate litigation, and the seismic shift in appellate practice in the past couple decades. We also explore how to make decisions about the kind of practice to join and build.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
031: Tim Yoo on what lawyers can learn from pro-wrestling, applied mathematics, and tennis 1:40:43

20 weeks ago1:40:43

1:40:43

Tim Yoo is a partner at Bird Marella and probably one of the few lawyers who can reference both the second fundamental theorem of calculus and The Undertaker. This free-ranging conversation explores how lawyers can use basic concepts from applied mathematics for decision principles and strategy. We also cover what lawyers can learn about storytelling and character development from professional wrestling.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
030: Lora Krsulich on fear as fuel as a first-gen lawyer, approaching work with high-trust, and tuning into your strengths 1:31:12

23 weeks ago1:31:12

1:31:12

Lora Krsulich is an associate at Goodwin and a rising star. After clerking in the Central District of California and the Ninth Circuit, Lora litigated at Susman Godfrey before joining Goodwin. She shares her story of finding her voice and confidence in law as a first-gen lawyer, and the values she's followed as she's pursued success and excellence. (00:58) - - “Covered in Masking Tape”: Lora's father’s pride in his work and how it influenced her. (08:01) - - “Fear as Fuel”: Facing debt and fear in her first year of law school, then finding her footing with other first-gen lawyers (12:32) - - Clerkships: the transformative experience of clerking for two federal judges. (22:06) - - Role of Advocacy: Always advocating subtly, even in procedural moments. (38:16) - - Parenting and Litigation: How becoming a mom reshaped her work habits and time management. (49:46) - - Lora reflects on how her experience of being "swindled" as a first-generation student seeking financial aid information led her to be more open to asking for help and building trust-based relationships. (01:07:18) - - “Knowing When a Witness Needs a Bathroom Break”: How her deposition skills reflect her ability to connect. (01:09:11) - - “I Wanted to Be Trusted”: Laura’s early courtroom experiences at Susman Godfrey. (01:18:06) - - Transition to Goodwin: Why she joined Goodwin and her focus on IP litigation. (01:25:00) - - “Inverting Weakness into Strength”: Turning her non-technical background into an asset in IP cases. (01:26:47) - - Being Strategic and Ambitious: Embracing those traits to focus her career path.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
029: Sonal Mehta on making decisions in the face of uncertainty, evaluating opportunity costs, and listening to your gut 1:31:35

45 weeks ago1:31:35

1:31:35

This episode with Sonal Mehta is a masterclass on decision-making. We explore her early rise to partner and the path that led her to the management committee at WilmerHale by walking through the tradeoffs and opportunities she identified at each step. We also explore the role intuition plays in legal analysis. And we discuss Sonal's journey through challenging parts of her practice and what's led to her success. Sonal is remarkably down-to-earth for her accomplishments, so this was a fun interview.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
028: Silpa Maruri on creativity, self-advocacy, and how to launch a law firm 1:06:54

48 weeks ago1:06:54

1:06:54

Silpa Maruri graduated from law school in 2011, but she's already been partner at renowned trial firm Quinn Emanuel and is now founding partner at Elsberg Baker Maruri, an elite commercial litigation firm. How did she do it? In this episode, we discuss the techniques and principles Silpa used to practice creativity and self-advocacy. Launching a new firm can seem daunting, but Silpa breaks down some of the key components and the path that got her here.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
027: Samuel Levine on the prestige trap, changing the law while in law school, and why every lawyer should learn how the law works for poor people 1:34:52

49 weeks ago1:34:52

1:34:52

Listening to this episode, you can't miss Samuel Levine's passion for consumer protection. It would be a mistake to look at his remarkable ascent from Harvard Law School to become Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC as a strategic arc to power. Samuel's story illustrates why lawyers should get their hands dirty and find work you're passionate about. I've largely advocated for a more strategic approach to career, and Samuel's approach is a nice counterbalance. I enjoyed this conversation, I hope you will to.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
026: Heather Stevenson on moving from law to business and back, learning new skills quickly, and negotiating contracts for bananas 1:09:57

50 weeks ago1:09:57

1:09:57

Heather Stevenson went from litigator at Sullivan & Cromwell to running a juice bar, then returned to law as a transactional lawyer at the Boston Globe where she rose to Deputy General Counsel, then became General Counsel at Red Cell Partners, an incubation firm. I've been influenced in more ways than one by Heather's adventurous career, and I admire her first-principles approach to thinking about what's important in career.…

Khurram's Quorum

1
025: Kalpana Srinivasan on hip-hop dancing, making career gut decisions, and business development strategy 1:57:28

1 year ago1:57:28

1:57:28

Kalpana is known as one of the top trial lawyers in the country. She’s also co-chair of one of the leading trial firms in the country, Susman Godfrey. That’s a rare combination. I took this opportunity to explore themes in Kalpana’s career and professional decisions, there’s a ton of great principles covered in this conversation. In this episode, we talk hip-hop dancing, the role of gut decisions in career, how she approaches business development, and more. (00:00) - why Kalpana practices hip hop dancing (10:27) - the role gut decisions have played in her career (15:27) - how to benefit from gut decisions (18:57) - how should lawyers think about joining a growing office (26:47) - what Kalpana is willing to sacrifice for success (31:27) - how Kalpana allocates her time and effort to new cases (36:17) - how the firm gets new ideas (45:07) - a firm Kalpana admires (51:57) - how a trial practice helps with running a firm and vice versa (01:00:47) - how Kalpana balances the history of the firm and its future (01:04:47) - the most impactful tip she picked up in her training (01:12:07) - how Kalpana litigates differently from Steve Susman (01:13:47) - Kalpana’s favorite phase of litigation (01:22:27) - my take on Kalpana’s superpower (01:26:17) - how Kalpana approaches business development (01:36:37) - “show, don’t tell” (01:40:27) - what Kalpana is most excited about in her career (01:45:37) - why she believes in doing both plaintiff and defense work (01:50:47) - Kalpana’s advice for lawyers…

Khurram's Quorum

1
024: Ryan McCarl on highbrow and lowbrow influences in legal writing and the book publishing journey 47:13

1 year ago47:13