Priscilla Combari is an associate in the New York office and represents clients on a wide variety of complex commercial transactions, specializing in those involving technology and data. In particular, her practice focuses on negotiating outsourcing and other technology-driven agreements, including services agreements for both service providers and customers. Priscilla represents clients in a wide array of industries, including technology services, public utility, automobile, consumer goods, airline, hospitality, banking, private equity, and fashion.
In addition to her technology practice, Priscilla has significant experience representing U.S. and international clients in a broad range of general corporate and strategic matters.
How has your cultural background influenced your approach to work as a lawyer, either with your commercial or pro bono clients?
Having a multi-cultural background allows me to stop and consider issues and challenges from different perspectives. A major part of my job is to understand difficult legal and commercial issues, and identify solutions that are acceptable not only to my client, but to counter parties. Being able to see the world from your opponent's view point is a great way to build trust and encourage collaborative problem solving, which ultimately makes negotiations a lot less stressful and combative. I'm fortunate that my career allows me to draw on my background and to continually practice keeping an open mind and empathizing with people of different backgrounds and motivations.
How have you benefited from mentors during your career and what advice would you have for law firm associates wishing to develop productive mentoring relationships?
The mentors I've had are a source of motivation for me; they see capabilities in me that I don't necessarily see in myself or that I may take for granted. I also enjoy being able to draw on their experiences because they often identify options and opportunities where I only see obstacles and dead-ends. I suggest associates identify lawyers that they naturally get along well with or admire and establish relationships with those attorneys. And don't feel like your mentor-mentee relationship needs to be super formal or structured or that you should only have one mentor; in fact, there are lawyers who I consider mentors that probably don't even realize it! The point is to develop a relationship that fits your needs and goals and constantly motivates you to take that next step. Finally, your mentor(s) doesn't have to look like you or even practice in your area of expertise. This is part of the benefit of having multiple mentoring relationships; you get to draw on a wider pool of experiences and viewpoints, allowing you to see the "big picture" and identify options and opportunities you otherwise wouldn't have known about.
How has our Black Affinity Group contributed to your experience at Covington?
The Black Affinity Group has provided a strong sense of community which can be hard to find in a large organization. It's kind of akin to living in a big city like New York -- if you think of the city as a whole and where you fit within it, it can be very overwhelming. But if you focus on your own neighborhood and the friends within your community, it makes things much more manageable and provides you with the support you need to navigate the stresses of day-to-day life.
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