Part of what makes Sullivan such a unique place is our people, so we'd like to introduce you to some of them in a series of posts. We asked associates around the firm why they chose Sullivan and what their experiences have been like since joining us.
Rachel Gants worked as a Summer Associate in 2019 prior to receiving her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2020. While in law school, she was a member of HLS's Tenant Advocacy Project, and also interned for Justice Richard Stearns at the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Proficient in Spanish, Rachel was a Yale University Fox Fellow from 2012 to 2014 at the El Colégio de Mexico in Mexico City, Mexico.
Why did you choose Sullivan?
I chose Sullivan for the opportunity to join a high-level practice, with respected attorneys domestically and internationally. But more importantly, I joined Sullivan because of the firm’s culture and the priority it places on building community and mentoring attorneys early in their careers. Even beyond the summer associate program and early in the first year, I’ve been consistently impressed by the time Sullivan attorneys take to attend social, pro bono, and mentoring events. It’s an incredible community to join early in your career, and I’m looking forward to continuing to learn more from colleagues and to find more ways to support pro bono work and new attorneys as I continue with my time at Sullivan.
Has your experience been what you expected?
Starting the first-year program virtually was challenging, but the Sullivan team has consistently supported the community, and made efforts to schedule social and mentoring events to bridge the gap. I’ve really been amazed at the IT Team’s availability and support – they are really a very impressive team of individuals. While I’m looking forward to rejoining the firm in-person, working virtually has allowed for unique opportunities. In particular, I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to attend meetings with foreign counsel over Zoom. As a first year, attending such meetings in person may have been less seamless in a conference room. Attending those meetings my first few months as an associate was a really exciting way to begin the first-year program.
How is/was the first-year program?As a first year, you have the opportunity to work with teams from across the firm and build relationships with attorneys across practices. As a new attorney, it’s been an incredible learning opportunity. Each practice group takes different approaches to a transaction, even while working on the same stage of a project. There is a unique counterbalance each department offers, and a technical skillset each practice brings. I know that type of exposure early in my career has helped me better understand the intricacies of each transaction as a whole. While the first year is often a steep learning curve, I’ve really enjoyed working with highly skilled and respected attorneys across practice groups, and the perspective that offers on how to become a better team member later in my career.
What makes Sullivan different from other firms?Sullivan offers a balance between the community feel of a smaller to mid-sized firm and the technical expertise and reputation of a much larger practice. The firm’s focus on real estate and real estate investment trust work domestically and internationally offers the opportunity to work with leaders in the field, and to build relationships with those attorneys early in your career.
What have you been working on lately?
I’ve been working recently on a cross-border acquisition of telecommunications properties in Spain and Germany. The project has involved complex technical issues in structuring the transaction to ensure Real Estate Investment Trust compliance for the American company acquiring telecommunications properties. I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to join calls with Spanish and German counsel to properly structure the transaction, and to gain a stronger understanding on how to build relationships with foreign counsel to strategically organize the transaction at each stage of the acquisition.
