The purpose of the series is to bridge the gap between junior and senior business lawyers in Oregon, fostering understanding and camaraderie. For this quarter’s installment, we interviewed Michael T. Faulconer, an attorney at Gleaves Swearingen in Eugene, Oregon. Read on to learn about how Michael found his way from Tokyo to Eugene, his advice about the importance of critical thinking and a work-life balance, and his take on AI.
- Tell me about your path to being a lawyer. What inspired you to pursue this career?
My path was not a traditional one. With degrees in International Studies and Japanese in hand, I went to Tokyo after college and worked for a little over three years in a Japanese government office as an international relations consultant. Following that, I went to work for a Japanese tech company. It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I began to think about law as a potential path for me. Although those experiences were priceless, I was looking for a career that would afford me a greater opportunity to apply analytical and problem-solving skills. I was very drawn to the idea of law school and the practice of law because there is no better medium for developing and applying those skills, particularly in a way that allows me to do good for people and for causes that I care about. That led me to Michigan Law School and becoming a lawyer.
- What is your practice area?
My practice focuses on business transactions and general corporate guidance. Although there is a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), I enjoy assisting clients with all sorts of transactions, including commercial real estate sales/leases, financing transactions, and commercial contracts of all types. I got my start at Sidley Austin in Los Angeles, where my focus was mainly on finance and international transactions, but gradually my interest led me more toward M&A and other types of transactional work. I learned much during my time in LA, but making the move to Eugene gave me the opportunity to broaden my practice to include all types of transactional work, which was a welcome change.
- How long have you been in your current role?
I started at Gleaves Swearingen in 2007, and became a partner soon after. My role has grown to include firm administration as part of our management committee.
- How have you seen the practice change since you started practicing?
I think it has become less personal. It feels like we spend less time in the same room with clients and other legal professionals than we used to, and we don’t get to know people as well. Since I started practicing there have been numerous technological advancements that have enhanced our ability to provide services to our clients, but not without a cost. In this sense, I tend to think of technology as both a blessing and a curse.
- What do you wish you had known before you started working as a new lawyer?
A great work/life balance is the key to happiness. Life is too short to spend all of it working. After a few years in LA, I realized that I was missing out on too much, so I made the decision to move back to Oregon and situate myself in a community where I can have it all—a sophisticated business law practice, meaningful involvement in my community, family time, and time to spend on things that I enjoy. One of those things is coaching. I coached club and high school softball teams for fifteen years, giving me the opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of young people in our community in a way that I couldn’t achieve with my lawyer hat on.
- What are your career highlights?
Over the years there have been many large deals involving many millions of dollars, and it’s easy to point to those and say those are the highlights. But there have also been many deals involving small business owners, nonprofits, and other members of our community that have been just as rewarding. Every time we helped a client achieve their goal counts as a highlight in my book.
(On the coaching side, two 6A state titles as the head coach at Sheldon High School stand out as highlights that I’m proud of. Go Irish!).
- What is your favorite part of the job?
I love solving puzzles and coming up with creative solutions to problems, and those are big parts of this job. I also enjoy my colleagues and coworkers that I work with on a daily basis. We have an amazing team here at Gleaves, and it makes the job all the more fun and rewarding when you have great people around you.
- What parts of the job do you wish you could outsource to AI?
You are asking the wrong guy. I’m pretty convinced we are just a few short steps away from finding ourselves in The Matrix or being destroyed by Cylons (shoutout to Battlestar Galactica). But all joking aside, being a good lawyer requires critical thinking, good judgment, and the ability to communicate with people, and these are things that can’t be outsourced. They are also what makes being a lawyer challenging and fun.
- What advice would you give a new business lawyer?
Don’t be in too big of a hurry. Focus on the quality of your work. Think critically, challenge assumptions, write clearly and with precision, and review thoroughly. Then double check everything. Good things will come to young lawyers who do these things.
- What advice would you give a senior lawyer who is charged with mentoring a new lawyer?
Law school was great for developing critical thinking skills, but I think most of us learn how to be a lawyer from other lawyers. Remember those who mentored you, and be patient and generous with your time in paying it forward. ♦