Big Law Attorneys Share Why Mentoring Matters: Part Four

In the fourth part of our “Why Mentoring Matters” series, two Katten attorneys, a partner mentor and an associate mentee, share how mentoring influenced their careers and thoughts on what makes their mentoring relationship successful and helpful on a personal and professional level.

Kenya S. Woodruff, Katten’s deputy general counsel and a partner in its health-care practice based in Dallas, explains how a mentor at the start of her career believed in her, encouraged her to take on progressively more difficult assignments, and influenced her decision to mentor others. She discusses what makes her mentoring relationship with Ramana Rameswaran work well—frequent communication through texts, being honest and open with each other, and his dedication to excellent work, flexibility, and a steadfast desire to continually grow.

Rameswaran, an associate in Washington, D.C., says knowing he could share with Kenya something so trivial as his disappointment that Taco Bell had discontinued a menu item was a clear indication that the mentoring relationship would work. He credits mentors like Kenya who have allowed him to be himself and for helping him learn more about client development, how to become a more effective leader, and how to become a better attorney.

Click on the attorneys’ names below to read their stories of how being a mentor, or receiving that kind of coaching or guidance, has played a significant role in their lives and careers.

• Katten Partner Kenya S. Woodruff (Dallas)
• Katten Associate Ramana Rameswaran (Washington, D.C.)

Then, join us again next week for our fifth installment of “Why Mentoring Matters.”