Voice of Experience: Cindy Davis, Shareholder, Financial Institutions Group, Greenberg Traurig

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Even when she was in high school, Cindy Davis knew what she wanted to do for her career. “I wanted be a corporate lawyer, doing deals, and advising executives,” she recalled. She went on to study accounting at the University of Massachusetts, not because she wanted to be an accountant, but because she thought it would give her a competitive edge as a corporate lawyer.

Davis explained with a laugh, “I was one of the few people who went to law school who always wanted to be there.”

After graduating from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, she took a job at a small firm, then gradually moved to larger and larger firms, before winding up at Paul Hastings, where she spent fifteen years, ultimately becoming partner. In 2009, she moved her practice to Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder.

Davis said she is fueled by her enthusiasm for new deals. “I love getting calls from a client on a new transaction. It’s very satisfying to cross the finish line on a particularly complicated deal and then move onto the next one.”

Career Path in Law

While Davis always knew she wanted to practice law, it wasn’t her intention to focus on financial services. “We were in a recession when I began my law career, but there was plenty of work representing creditors in bankruptcy. From there I wound up representing banks in new lending transactions when times got better,” she recalled. “Now I’m a partner with a global finance practice, and I spend my time representing banks and sometimes large corporations as well in complex financing transactions.”

Davis says she is particularly proud of the client relationships she’s built throughout her career. “I love helping clients reach their goals,” she said, and pointed out that one reason for this is that she simply likes the people she works with. “I realized this long ago – my time for business development is limited, so I stopped trying to cultivate relationships with people I didn’t want to be around. I work with people I really like!”

“And having the flexibility to move my practice to Greenberg Traurig in 2009 was the result of the strength of those client relationships,” she added.

She is also interested in the constant pace of change in the financial industry. “Deals are impacted by new regulations, economic conditions, and market trends.  When there’s a slower economy there are fewer deals, so it’s very competitive for our clients right now. That requires us to stay on top of market trends.”

Advice for Women in Law

When it comes to career progression, Davis noted that women face some hurdles. “There are definitely challenges for women and that applies equally to law and finance. The old stereotype is alive and well – men who are assertive or aggressive are viewed positively. But when women behave similarly, that’s seen as a negative.”

She continued, “The women I know in law and finance who are most successful are the ones who are assertive. There is a way of adapting your style so you can make it work.”

Work life issues can also be challenging, she continued, “Being torn between the demands of work and family can be difficult.  I am very fortunate to have a supportive husband who takes an active role at home.”

But, she continued, women are sometimes driven out of the workforce because the challenges of managing work and family are just too severe. And when one woman leaves the workforce, Davis said, all women feel the result because that leaves one with fewer career contacts. “Networks are important,” she said. “And women have to constantly be refreshing their networks.”

“I wish when I was first starting out that someone had told me the importance of networking and staying in touch with people,” Davis added. “But that was before online networking, so it was a lot harder back then to stay in contact with them!”

Davis advised women beginning their career to actively plan their path. “Take control of your career. You need to decide what you want to do and the steps needed to reach those goals.”

She continued, “Don’t wait for somebody else to train you. Be proactive about it and where you want to be in your career.”

She encouraged seasoned women to reach out to the next generation. “Don’t forget about what it’s like to be someone starting off,” she said. “Spend your time investing in those who are more junior – mentor, train, answer questions, and give general guidance.”

Women at Greenberg Traurig

Davis serves as the co-liaison for Greenberg Traurig’s Atlanta women’s initiative. “It’s a firm-wide initiative to provide targeted mentoring for women attorneys. It provides training and business development programs.”

She also enjoys participating in the firm’s national programs for women shareholders. “They are not focused solely on women’s issues. Instead, they provide an opportunity to meet other women, establish relationships, and refer business. Greenberg Traurig is a big firm and it’s helpful to get to know women in other offices.”

The firm also sponsors a women’s business forum each year, which brings together women executives and clients for a half-day conference.

In Her Personal Time

Outside work, Davis is involved in charities and business organizations. In particular, she mentioned The Women’s Finance Exchange, an Atlanta networking group for women in the financial services industry. She also recently joined the Leadership Council of Zoo Atlanta.

“I have two children, ages seven and five, and I try to spend my weekends with them and my husband as much as possible,” she explained. “I love animals and support conservation efforts, and with two small children we go to the zoo a lot, so it just made sense.”