A S I A N A N D P A C IF IC IS LANDE R HE R ITAG E
ROBINS, KAPLAN, MILLER & CIRESI L.L.P.
WILMERHALE
Munir R. Meghjee, Partner MY GREATEST STRENGTH I have worked very hard to develop the skill of taking the complex issues faced by clients and developing solutions and pathways that help my clients meet their business objectives. WHO INSPIRES ME Judge Ann Claire Williams, now on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, has been my greatest inspiration in the practice of law. I was fortunate enough to meet Judge Williams when I was a teenager in the early 1980s. She inspired me to consider the practice of law, and has served as an important mentor throughout my career. THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH A significant issue I have with the “model minority” myth—among many issues with this stereotype—is that any generalization about the Asian/Pacific-American community ignores the vast cultural and experiential diversity within the community. A stereotype based on this myth makes it easy to discount the different real and pressing issues faced by members of the Asian/Pacific-American community.
FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENTS Donna Ikeda Senior Vice President, Human Resources OUR MOST CRITICAL ISSUE “Over assimilation”—in other words, becoming so integrated into American society that our cultural heritage is diminished or lost; with each generation it is more difficult to maintain traditions. Another critical issue for our community is making sure the priority placed on the family unit always remains first. LESSONS I’VE LEARNED Don’t wait for the next career opportunity. Find a need or identify a problem in your company and figure out a way you can help to address it. My most gratifying and valuable career “steps” have not been formal jobs, but opportunities created by filling a “need.” MY BEST CAREER ADVICE Always try to leave a place or situation better than when you arrived.
Jeannie Rhee, Partner THE MODEL MINORITY MYTH As an Asian-American woman, I am often not expected to be a fierce litigator. It takes that extra effort on my part, when I meet with clients face-to-face, to have them see me in action to convey how my ethnicity, gender, stature, and the like do not at all prevent me from being a formidable advocate. LESSONS I’VE LEARNED You have to be comfortable in your own skin. I remember being told as a baby AUSA (Assistant United States Attorney) to stand, dress, and deliver my openings and closings in a certain way. But that way wasn’t true to my own style, my own strengths, and my fundamental personality. It took time for me to develop enough self-confidence to take advice, but to tailor it to suit me. MY BEST CAREER ADVICE Do not plan your retirement before you’ve even started your career. The path of one’s career is often crooked, and wonderfully so. If you keep your head down all the time to make sure you’re still on your predetermined path, you often fail to see the unexpected opportunities right in front of you. The people you work with and the satisfaction you get from working with a good team—if you are open enough to appreciate it in the moment—can lead to new and fulfilling career options that you never previously considered.
May/June 2014
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