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 how their experiences have been since joining us.
Shu Wei is an associate in the Corporate Department of Sullivan's Boston office. She represents public and private companies, real estate investment trusts and financial institutions in corporate finance, joint ventures and equity and debt financings. She also represents companies in securities law compliance, disclosure and periodic reporting.
While attending Cornell Law School, Shu was an editor for the Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy and served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Thomas E. Carlson of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of California.
Why did you choose Sullivan?
Several reasons:
- I was looking for a good balance between work and personal life. I felt that Sullivan is a great place to grow professionally and personally and saw that demonstrated in several partners who had been at the firm for their whole careers.
- I didn't want to focus on one practice area yet.
- I looked at several New York firms but felt that the associates viewed the New York firms as temporary positions.
Has your experience been what you expected?
In the first year program my colleagues and I got most of our work from corporate and tax and not as much litigation work. During the summer program however, I was given a lot of litigation work. I liked how I got to know lots of different people from different departments and feel like this has helped me succeed in the Corporate Department.
Did you consider another firm? If so, which one(s) and why?
I considered two large New York firms, but many of my friends told me that I wouldn't like them. I liked that Sullivan didn't immediately throw you into a department. I also liked how Sullivan really tries to get to know the summer associate candidates during the interview process, and I didn't feel that was the case at the New York firms that I considered.
How was the first year program?
I liked the first-year rotation and the variety of work opportunities it offers.
What makes Sullivan different from other firms?
I think that our size is really unique. I really like that we're not a small firm but also not too big. I also like that I work on some larger deals for well-known companies and that I get a lot of client and partner interaction. I think that Sullivan offers great mentorship, especially from senior associates. People at the firm are willing to make personal connections and try to help more junior lawyers. The firm also gives good exit options to lawyers who do not necessarily want to be lawyers for their entire careers or want to go in-house.
