They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40 - Jennifer Cheng of Reed Smith

Please describe two of your most substantial, recent wins in practice.
Earlier this year, I represented TIDAL, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter’s global music and entertainment platform, in the sale of a majority ownership stake to Square, Inc. In addition to JAY-Z, all of TIDAL’s artist shareholders continued to be co-owners of TIDAL after the transaction was completed. This was a high profile transaction with many complexities and interesting challenges, especially considering the number of stakeholders that were involved.

I have also been privileged to represent Verizon in a number of transactions over the years, including its acquisition of WideOpenWest’s fiber network assets in Chicago, a deal that has helped Verizon scale its network to accommodate wireline and its 5G wireless deployments.

What is the most important lesson you learned as a first-year attorney and how does it inform your practice today?
Be a team player, but not a pushover - as a diverse, Asian woman, it has always been ingrained in me that one should always be a team player and to do as you are told. While I always strive to be a team player and that is a valuable skill in life and in the practice of law, I became aware that it is a delicate balance when I began to focus on managing my career. I learned that I had to be more strategic about the type of work I should be doing if I was interested in building my skills and advancing in my career. I also learned that perception is important so if you want to be perceived as a leader, you cannot be viewed as just a good team player and worker bee who does anything that you are told to do. I have taken this lesson to heart throughout my career which has led to my focus on public M&A as a skillset (which has been instrumental to my success) as well as the firm’s confidence in me as a leader as evidenced by the global leadership roles that I have been appointed to.

How do you define success in your practice?
To me, success in my practice means being successful in your own right where you are not dependent on anyone else while being a key part of building a practice group. I think a key part to success is having your own standalone book of business with clients that you personally cultivated, developed and integrated into the firm while at the same time helping to raise the profile of the firm by growing the practice and significant client relationships. Another key part of success is to become well-known in the firm and in the legal industry for your specific skill set. I have been privileged to achieve career success at this level which is evident in my ability to build the public M&A practice from the ground up at Reed Smith as well as enhancing the reputation of its M&A practice.

What are you most proud of as a lawyer?
My greatest accomplishment as a lawyer is that I have been able to make partner and achieve the success I have today on my own terms and by being myself. There were times in my career when I wondered if I could become a big law partner and still be true to the person I am as I do not fit the typical mold that I thought big law partners should be and I could not see a path to building my own book of business without learning how to do things like playing golf or watching sports. I ultimately decided that I would try to achieve my goals on my own terms and over the years, I have figured out what works for me and found ways to network and develop business that fit my personality and I am most proud that I have been able to achieve the level of success that I have today by staying true to myself and without compromising who I am – I still have never played golf.

Who is your greatest mentor in the law and what have they taught you?
My greatest mentor in the law has been Michael Lubowitz, who was my mentor when I was an associate at Weil and I worked closely with him for over seven years. He not only trained me to become the top tier M&A lawyer that I have become today, he instilled in me the importance of “managing up and managing down” – it is not only important to be able to “manage down” when you are managing a deal team of associates, it is equally as important to “manage up” and anticipate the needs and wants of the partner that you work with as well as the client. This is a lesson that I have taken to heart as I manage my client relationships today as I always strive to anticipate their needs before they even make the request and I try to make their lives as easy as possible.”

Just for fun, tell us your two favorite songs on your summer music playlist.
“Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo - I guess I am no different to everybody else who has this song on repeat ever since it was released

“Empire State of Mind” by JAY-Z feat. Alicia Keys - Because I never left New York during the pandemic, I love New York and it’s starting to feel like the New York I know pre-pandemic again!