When I had my on-campus interview with Greenberg Traurig in 2010, I was a rising 2L who had just completed a summer internship with a federal judge. I vividly remember discussing the prospect of joining the Chicago office’s Litigation Practice.

Fast forward five years. I am now a third-year associate at the firm working in the Corporate & Securities Practice…in the Tel Aviv office! My prediction was just a little off. I’d like to share how I ended up where I am today, and the important role that Greenberg Traurig has played – and continues to play – in my development as a lawyer.

As a summer associate in 2011, I had the good fortune to be exposed to the many practice groups in the firm. I worked directly for partners in litigation, bankruptcy, tax, corporate and securities, and real estate practices. After a few weeks in the summer associate program, I realized that I preferred to work on transactional matters, and I ultimately gravitated towards the Corporate & Securities Practice.

I returned to school that fall and focused on corporate law during my 3L year, and I was excited to return to Greenberg Traurig as a first year associate in the Corporate & Securities Practice the following summer.

I spent two years working in the Chicago office, primarily working on M&A deals with an outstanding team of lawyers who mentored me on the “art of the deal” and exposed me to various approaches to handling a transaction. I constantly found myself corresponding with Greenberg Traurig attorneys around the world. Whether it was New York, Miami or London, I always felt that while we may be thousands of miles apart, we were one team and we always collaborated to best serve our clients’ needs.

During the spring of 2014, my wife and I began exploring the possibility of transferring to the firm’s Tel Aviv office. We spent our first year of marriage living in Israel, and we always dreamed of returning and raising our family there. I reached out to Gary Epstein and Joey Shabot from the Tel Aviv office to discuss the transfer, and after receiving a great deal of support from both the Chicago and Tel Aviv offices, we moved to Israel in the fall.

Our family is adjusting amazingly and our young daughters are picking up the Hebrew language by the day! I still keep in touch with my colleagues in Chicago, and I’ve developed strong relationships with the attorneys in the firm’s Israel Practice, which includes approximately 100 attorneys.

The Tel Aviv office focuses on providing its clients with effective strategic advice and non-Israeli legal services. In my six months in this office, I have worked on a number of exciting and fast-paced M&A deals and venture rounds, and I also manage the GT Israel Law Blog.

Please reach out to me for more information regarding the legal services Greenberg Traurig’s Israel Practice and Tel Aviv office can provide your company.