Widowski of Widowski Law Group gives tip for balanced living

Esther S. Widowski Managing Partner Company/Firm: Widowski Law Group LLP Years with company/firm: 18 Years in field: 31 Years in real estate industry: 20 Telephone: 212-308-0888 Email: [email protected] URL: www.widowskilawgroup.com Real Estate Associations/Affiliations: New York State Bar Association How do you and/or your firm use social media? In lieu of newsletters, we use LinkedIn to keep clients up-to-date on our affiliations and matters of interest. What is your biggest leadership challenge, other than the "glass ceiling"? In an environment where competitors are aggressively focused on maximizing their own profits, it is a challenge to maintain our commitment to always place the clients' business interests first, even when that is contrary to lawyers' self-interest. As litigators, this means always seeking creative ways to reach the clients' goals in a conflict as fast as possible, and not to simply take the obvious, or usual, litigation course. What is the most daring thing you've done for your career? How did it turn out for you? Leaving a large New York City law firm to start a litigation boutique practice, in the hyper- competitive New York City legal environment. This was the best professional decision I ever made, as it enabled me to always use my best judgment to represent my clients aggressively and cost-effectively, with the primary goal being my clients' best interests, and not the best interests of a huge law firm partnership. Which project, deal or transaction was the "game changer" in the advancement of your career? Most recently, representation of an upstate developer in a multi-party litigation involving rights to develop a large commercial property. This case allowed us to demonstrate how a small firm can effectively litigate against much larger firms, by being creative, experienced and nimble. What do you consider to be the most successful way to increase referrals? Positive results for clients lead to excellent word-of-mouth. What is the BEST advice you have ever received? Speak up. Specifically, do not fear advancing a different perspective from the crowd; do not fear asking difficult questions; and do not fear standing out. What is your favorite tip for balanced living? Balance is not achieved on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, but must be measured over months and years. There are many times when a lawyer's duty to zealously represent her client means that she will not have a "balanced" life for weeks or months at a time. This is the definition of being a professional: often, work simply comes first. Where would you like to be in 10 years? We would like to expand our client base, enabling us to grow our practice to advance our principled and client-centered litigation philosophy.