Her Story
About Elena
I am a senior associate in the mergers and acquisitions group at a large law firm, where I advise clients on buying, selling, and investing in businesses. My day-to-day work involves drafting and negotiating merger agreements, purchase agreements, and other transaction documents, and helping clients navigate complex, high-stakes deals from signing through closing.
I began law school in 2016 and graduated in 2019, but my path into transactional law was not exactly linear. Early on, I thought I would become a litigator and spend my career in court. After my first summer internship, however, I realized that the day-to-day life of a junior litigator (long hours spent reading, researching, and writing largely independently) was not the right fit for my very extroverted personality. At the time, I remember wondering whether I had chosen the wrong profession entirely. Fortunately, a friend encouraged me to try a transactional internship the following summer, and I quickly realized that mergers and acquisitions was a much better fit.
I was drawn to the collaborative, fast-paced nature of transactional work. M&A requires not only technical legal skill, but also strategic thinking, business judgment, communication, and teamwork. I enjoy being in the middle of a deal, working with clients and opposing counsel, solving problems in real time, and helping businesses reach major milestones.
One of the most exciting parts of my career is seeing deals I have worked on announced publicly, sometimes even on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. But some of the most meaningful work I do happens much closer to home: mentoring junior attorneys, especially women, and helping create a path for the women coming up behind me. I have benefited tremendously from people who invested in me, and I view it as a core part of my role to do the same for others.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Elena
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a mix of luck, hard work, incredible role models, and a clear sense of where I want to go. I have been fortunate to learn from mentors and colleagues who have invested in me, challenged me, and modeled the kind of lawyer and leader I want to become.
I also believe in working hard to make the most of the opportunities you are given. Big Law, and M&A in particular, is demanding and fast-paced, and success requires resilience, discipline, judgment, and a willingness to keep learning. For me, having a strong sense of direction has made a big difference. I am motivated not only by becoming a better lawyer, but also by helping create opportunities for the junior lawyers coming up behind me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received is that you have to be in the driver’s seat of your own career. No one will ever care about your career as much as you do, so if you want something, you need to be proactive about making it happen.
If there is a specific opportunity you want, raise your hand. If there is a client relationship you want to build, do the networking. If there is a path you want to pursue, take the steps to put yourself in position for it. No one else is going to do that work for you.
That advice has shaped the way I approach my career. I try to be intentional about where I am going, clear about what I want, and willing to advocate for myself and create opportunities rather than waiting for them to come to me.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to women entering the legal industry is to stay curious early in your career and try different practice areas before deciding what path is right for you. Every practice has its own pros and cons, and the people you work with can make an enormous difference in your day-to-day experience.
This is a demanding career with a long learning curve, so fit really matters. Find the work that energizes you and the people who make you better. When you enjoy the substance of what you are doing and feel supported by your team, you are much more likely to show up as your best self and build a career that is sustainable.
I would also tell junior women to seek out mentors, ask questions, raise their hands, and advocate for the opportunities they want. You do not need to know exactly where your career will take you, but you should be intentional about finding the practice, people, and environment that allow you to thrive.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in law right now is also one of the biggest opportunities: artificial intelligence. The legal industry is changing quickly, and it would be unrealistic to think AI will not disrupt the practice of law. Used thoughtfully, AI can make certain workflows more efficient, help lawyers move faster, and allow us to continue delivering high-quality work and strategic advice to clients. It may also create opportunities to provide legal services in more efficient and cost-effective ways.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that matter most to me, both professionally and personally, are kindness, a sense of humor, and excellence.
Kindness comes first. In a demanding profession, the way we treat people matters. I think you can be ambitious, hardworking, and excellent at what you do while still being thoughtful, generous, and respectful to the people around you.
A sense of humor is also very important to me. It is easy in a high-pressure environment to take yourself too seriously, and I think humor helps keep things in perspective. At the end of the day, our work matters, but we also have lives outside of work, people who love us, and things that matter deeply beyond our jobs.
Excellence is the third value that really guides me. I care about doing my best, showing up prepared, and taking pride in the quality of my work. To me, the goal is to work hard and hold yourself to a high standard, while still staying grounded, kind, and able to laugh along the way.
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