A new beginning

This week marks the beginning of a new era for me . . .

As of July 3, 2012, I am officially a full time, at home Mommy.

It feels strange but wonderful at the same time.

I interviewed with Bingham McCutchen LLP in September 2002 for a summer associate position.
Ultimately, I decided that was the best fit for me and accepted the offer.

 I spent the summer of 2003 being wined and dined while doing exciting legal work.

At the end of the summer, I received an offer to be a litigation associate upon graduation.

I immediately accepted.

 After spending a year clerking for {now} Chief Justice Ireland

on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court,

I returned to Bingham in September 2005 as a second year associate.

This picture was taken during my first week at Bingham in September 2005 and was my official headshot on the website for the past 7 years.

The money was great but I was MISERABLE.

I worked with a very difficult partner and the thought of going to work made me want to cry.

I was actually counting down the days until I could quit

{I had to stay a year or pay back the bar prep and exam fees as well as my clerkship bonus}.

Then in March of 2006 that all changed. I met Jason, then a senior associate,

who staffed me on the Tempur Pedic securities case.

 For the first time since I started, I was excited by my work.

Jason began staffing me on more securities cases with he and Jordy, an amazing partner.

Soon, Jason was made partner and by 2007,

nearly all of my cases were with Jordy and Jason.

I loved my work and the firm was wonderful to me.

 Along the way, many of my summer associate class left the firm and before I knew it,

I was the last one left in litigation and one of the final four of our class of 28!

 Crazy since I never planned on working at a big firm and really thought I would last only one year.

When G and I decided to move back to WA in 2008, the firm allowed me to commute.

 I had no idea how that would work and figured it would only last a year if I was lucky.

Well, it lasted nearly four years!

It is no secret that after Eli was born, I was ready to be done with the commuting

and really wanted to stay home with Alli and Eli full time.

Financially, it just wasn't an option so I returned to commuting and

decided to branch out and work with additional partners in the securities department.

 I still enjoyed the work but the commute was becoming too much.

Then, we had the surprise pregnancy and miscarriage with

every complication possible in the last two months of 2010.

When I finally returned to commuting in January 2011,

I was exhausted and finding it harder and harder to keep doing it.

I stopped flying in August 2011 due to pregnancy complications

and went out on leave in October 2011.

 After Luke, I knew commuting would be too much but Bingham

had been so good to me for so long, I felt I had to try to return.

 I was trying to work out a return to work date with the head of litigation in Boston

but we were having a difficult time connecting due to his schedule.

Finally, on March 2, 2012, I was able to speak to him and his co-chair on the West Coast.

They gave me my annual review, which was good, but then I was told that I

had no prospect of making partner due to my commuting.

They offered me a generous severance package along with my vacation payout

 of nearly 5 weeks, which I happily accepted.

I flew back to Boston June 3-5 to clean out my office.

It's crazy how much you can accumulate in nearly 7 years!  I must say that I will miss my view.

While there, I had the opportunity to say goodbye to friends and co-workers.

 I am so blessed to have made such wonderful friends.  Mohan, Kate & Angie left Bingham before me but we remained close & they threw me a "retirment party"

It was a wonderful visit filled with three fabulous goodbye parties.

Nicole, Bill, Jason, Jordy and Brandon were kind enough to take me out for some yummy Chinese one last time.  Such amazing people to work with!!!

I have absolutely no regrets and am grateful that it ended the way it did, on a positive note.

 I loved my time with Bingham and learned so much

from the brilliant attorneys and staff with whom I worked.

 That said, I am so excited for my next adventure . . .