Current association: Reed Smith LLP
Law School: Duquesne University School of Law, cum laude
Undergraduate: University of Pittsburgh, B.A., summa cum laude
Spouse: Jon T. Haines
Children: Son, Rowan (9)
Home: Pittsburgh
What is your favorite restaurant in Pittsburgh, and why? This is probably a cliché pick, but it really is the best in Pittsburgh: Altius. Amazing views, service, and food – it never disappoints. Obviously, a special occasion choice. Second choice would have to go to the wine bar at Il Pizzaiolo, where my husband and I had our first date and our wedding.
You are a litigator and spend much of your time representing oil and gas clients.  How did you get involved in this area of law? It’s funny:  When I interviewed with firms as law school student, I found out that historical events seemed to have a lot of impact on the practices people developed.  Like, an early 1970s grad ending up doing ERISA work. I graduated from law school in 2006 and started at firm that did very early Marcellus work. One of the firm’s oil and gas litigation partners had taught my college Con Law class so off I went. It’s been fast-paced and ever-changing ride, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
You have a busy practice, but have made time to be involved with the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation. Why? Has your involvement had a positive effect on your career? Absolutely! EMLF has such a wonderful network and excellent educational opportunities, which make it well worth the time. You cannot overstate the importance of your network on your career trajectory.
In addition to litigating, you counsel clients on environmental regulatory matters.  How do the challenges of that sort of work compare to litigation? Well, a good chunk of my environmental matters start as regulatory and pivot to litigation, which is probably the reason those matters come to me. But, for the majority of environmental matters, the goal is to resolve the situation in a way that gets the business clients what they need – whether that’s closing out some sort of notice of violation, remediating property or getting a permit. One of the things I really like about environmental work is that it can be far more collaborative and relationship-driven than litigation often is. Over the years, I’ve developed contacts within the agencies, allowing me to talk through with them what options make sense. I also love the pragmatic problem-solving aspects of regulatory work. How do we give the government what it wants while minimizing costs and getting what we need?
Do you find time to travel for fun? Do you have a favorite place to visit? I love to travel. Right now we’re cruise addicts because you can see a bunch of places in a trip, plus I love being on the water. We did an Alaska cruise last summer and it was 10/10.   My other favorite destination is NYC, which never gets old.
You have had success with your career and are a partner at a major firm.  Is there any advice you would give to new lawyers and law students who are about to become lawyers? Thank you! It was a long road to get here and not necessarily a straight one. And that’s what I tell people – your career path does not have to be a straight line, but you will find success if you make it your mission to make others’ lives easier, whether that’s bosses, partners, clients, or peers. Be confidence-inspiring and responsive. If you can be relied upon to get the job done, you will make yourself indispensable.