Snapshot Interviews


		Lara Skidmore Portland Partner Energy Lara Skidmore is a partner in the Energy Practice Group in Portland. She joined the firm as an attorney in 2007 and became managing partner of the Portland office in 2010. Her practice focuses on transmission issues, including open access transmission tariff compliance, contract negotiation and drafting, transmission project and policy development, transmission and ancillary services rate design and compliance with reliability standards. How many children do you have and what are their ages? I have two sons, Ben (12) and Jake (9). What was the last book you read? The last book I read was Lost in the Forest by Sue Miller. I am currently reading To Kill a Mockingbird with my son, and it is even better than I remembered. What has been the highlight of your career? The highlight of my career so far has been being a part of the opening of the Portland office of Troutman Sanders. Our energy clients are delighted that we now have an office here, and I am excited to watch the office grow. What advice do you have for a woman beginning her legal career? Find the right balance for you between work and family, and understand that doing so comes with tradeoffs. Over time, the right balance will continually shift and change as the demands of work and family shift and change. What is your favorite hobby? I love to read, so that is what I normally choose to do when I have some free time. I have recently taken up golf and snowboarding, and while I am currently terrible at both, they are activities my sons enjoy and I am determined to improve so we can enjoy these sports together as they get older. What was something that changed your life? I was diagnosed last fall with a tumor on my pituitary gland, and had surgery to remove it. I am healthy and fine now, but experiencing a health scare was a good reminder to keep my priorities straight and remember to enjoy every day to the fullest. I was also reminded that you must not take good health for granted. What is your morning ritual? With two young kids, my morning ritual is generally focused on getting the boys fed, dressed and off to school. I like to get up early and read the paper with a cup of coffee before anyone else is awake, so I suppose that would be my morning ritual. Even when I have an early flight, I try to give myself enough time to quickly read the paper with a cup of coffee.
		Andrea Farley Atlanta Partner Mergers Acquisitions and Business Ventures Andrea Farley is the Deputy Practice Group Leader in the Mergers, Acquisitions and Business Ventures Practice Group in Atlanta. She joined the firm as an associate in 1997 and became a partner in 2004. She specializes in the representation of public and private companies in negotiating a variety of corporate reorganization transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures. She is a member of the Of Counsel Review Committee and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. How many children do you have and what are their ages? I have two children: Grant, who is 4, and Margot, who is 1. What has been your favorite vacation? Two stand out to me. Of all the places my husband and I have travelled together, our favorite vacation is still San Francisco/ Point Reyes/ Napa Valley, which we did almost 10 years ago. We are determined to make that trip again! My other favorite was a family vacation with all of my family at the beach in South Carolina, which my husband nicknamed “Camp Farley” for all the outdoor activities we would do every day and our inability to sit still. Who has been your legal mentor? There are several that come to mind. Having worked my whole career at Troutman Sanders, I have been very fortunate to work in an environment where mentorship (whether formal or informal) is valued. Jim Smith, who recently retired, taught me as a very young attorney the importance of “doing my homework” and being ready for the follow-up question that you didn’t think would be asked. Brink Dickerson used every transaction as a teaching opportunity to encourage me to go beyond my comfort zone as well as to think creatively as to how to best advise the client. Finally, Steve Lewis instilled in me the importance of taking charge of my own career and the importance of passing along lessons I learned to others. How do you give back to the community? I have found that if you get involved with something that you enjoy and has meaning to you, it doesn’t feel like you’re giving back as you get more from the activity than you give. Anything involving kids has tremendous meaning to me and so I’m on the Board of Directors of the local YMCA as well as involved with our church and its outreach programs for disadvantaged children. What advice do you have for a woman beginning her legal career? It’s the same as I give to all associates beginning their careers – first, focus on learning your practice area. If you don’t do great work no other advice someone gives you will matter. Second, actively take charge of your career; don’t sit back and let others define what that is or should be. Cultivate as many mentors as you can as every person you encounter has something to offer – you just have to be looking for it. What has been the highlight of your career? There are a lot of transactions, big and small, that stand out to me either for the difficulty (and therefore the great satisfaction) of getting completed or the lessons I learned. However, recently being named Section Chief for the Corporate Section beginning January 1, 2011, and being responsible for almost 150 of our Corporate attorneys is probably the highlight of my career. I am very excited and humbled by the opportunity. We have a history of very talented and experienced Section Chiefs at Troutman Sanders so I have big shoes to fill!
		Eileen Bower Chicago Partner Insurance & Reinsurance Eileen Bower is a partner in the Insurance & Reinsurance Practice Group in Chicago. She began her career in 1988 and joined Troutman Sanders as part of the merger with Ross, Dixon & Bell in 2009. Her practice focuses on representing insurers in high-exposure, complex insurance coverage disputes arising under various liability policies. She is currently a member of the Recruiting Committee in our Chicago office. How many children do you have and what are their ages? I have three children, one girl and two boys. My daughter Kelly is 17, my son Mike is 16 and my son Liam is 13. What was the last book you read? Twilight (my daughter loves the vampire series and I wanted to understand the attraction). What has been the highlight of your career? I argued an appeal before the Nebraska Supreme Court this year in a case that has been pending since 2002 and that I tried in 2007. The case involved many significant issues of first impression. I worked closely with in-house lawyers from the client to prepare for oral argument. The prep was intense, but well worth it. The argument went very well and we obtained a great result. What advice do you have for a woman beginning her legal career? Maintain balance in your life. A legal career can be demanding, stressful and incredibly time consuming. It is important to balance professional life with outside interests and relationships. In order to maintain the right balance, at certain times I have had to adjust my career goals and expectations. I try to remember that a legal career is a lifetime pursuit, and I will have many years to reach my professional goals. What is the best advice from your mother or father? My mother and father grew up in Ireland and came to the U.S. in the 1950s because they could not find work in Ireland. My father started his own construction business, which he ran with my mother for many years. My parents always told me that I was lucky to live in this country because it is the land of opportunity and I could achieve anything here if I work hard enough. They were right. What is the best career advice you got and the best career advice you give? When I graduated from law school, someone advised me that I should focus on positions that provide the best opportunities for getting experience, not necessarily the positions that offer the highest starting salaries. I would give that advice to a young lawyer today. It is hard to look beyond starting salaries, especially if you have hefty student loans. While some large firms may provide great opportunities to new lawyers, I found smaller firms and government agencies provide incredible opportunities for young lawyers.
		Monique Fuentes Orange County Partner D&O and Professional Liability Monique Fuentes is a partner in the D&O and Professional Liability Practice Group in Orange County. She began her career in 1999 as an associate at Ross, Dixon & Bell and joined Troutman Sanders as part of the merger with the firm in 2009. Her practice focuses on representing corporations, real estate developers, and some of the nation’s largest insurance companies in disputes involving commercial contracts, employment matters, business torts, and insurance coverage issues. She is currently a member of the firm’s California Recruiting Committee. How many children do you have and what are their ages? I am pregnant with my first child. I am due in December. What is your favorite hobby? I love to travel. My ventures have taken me from Uruguay to Thailand to New Zealand. I love meeting the locals and try to integrate myself into the cultures as much as possible. How do you give back to the community? When I began my career 11 years ago, I received my first paycheck and wanted to do something meaningful with it. I “adopted” a family with four children who live in a trailer park. After getting to know them for a few years, I organized fundraisers to buy them a new trailer home. And, each year, I buy them new school clothes and try to make Christmas extra special. Who has been your legal mentor? Terry McInnis. Terry is the Deputy Practice Group Leader for the D&O Insurance Group. Terry has helped me to develop professionally since I was a first-year attorney. His guidance and mentoring have helped shape my career. What advice do you have for a woman beginning her legal career? Be true to yourself and sing your praises when others fail to do so. What keeps you organized? I was born with an “organized” gene which I inherited from my mother. There is no paper on my desk – I have a binder for every case.

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