Chris Lopez
Business Finance and Restructuring
Houston
J.D. University of Texas School of Law, 2003
Chris came to Weil to find challenging work, early responsibility and strong mentoring. In addition to his work for BFR clients, he counts his pro bono work on a Texas voting rights case among his proudest achievements.
The training I’ve received has lived up to Weil’s reputation for providing associates with preeminent training. The firm clearly cares about developing associates into excellent lawyers.
There are two types of training. First, the firm has extensive formal training for every young associate beginning in the first few months after you arrive. I’ve been through two extensive trainings every year involving all aspects of litigation and bankruptcy. In addition, the bankruptcy group has firm wide monthly meetings to discuss cases people are working on and important issues that arise. Even though I practice in Houston, I don’t miss out on what’s happening in other offices.
Second, informal training is constant. The partners are very open to questions, and the senior associates are always available for mentoring. This is a culture where it’s okay to ask questions, and to go to other people to get ideas and advice.
I’ve also learned through observations in the field. Working on the WorldCom and Enron bankruptcies has been a great training experience for me. As a first-year, I had the opportunity to sit in on settlement negotiations and talk strategy with the some of the best bankruptcy lawyers in the world. By my second year, the partners thought I was ready to handle a negotiation on my own.
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