Voice of Experience: Mylan Denerstein, Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Mylan Denerstein, partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, is a woman driven to leave a positive impression on the world. Her career is best characterized as one that takes ahold of opportunities to grow and empower those she serves.
Public Service
As a 1993 graduate of Columbia Law School and Skadden Fellow, Denerstein began her professional life working for the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. This opportunity led to a position with the Department of Justice as a special assistant to the Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division. According to Denerstein, the experience “was a great introduction to Washington and how things worked there.” But DC couldn’t hold her for very long.
In 1996 Denerstein returned home to New York City to “learn more about how to be a trial lawyer.” She spent the next 7 years working in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. She served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting cases in many areas, including complex white collar fraud. She says that she “loved that experience because of the complexity of the work and the strength of the defense bar.”
She rose to Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division before leaving prosecution law in 2003 for an opportunity to serve as the Deputy Commissioner for Legal Affairs of the New York City Fire Department, the largest municipal fire department in the world. Denerstein describes that period of her career, after 9/11, as a “very dynamic experience.” She goes on to describe her work there with a smile in her voice, “In that situation, my job as a lawyer was to figure out how to make it possible for the FDNY to continue its legacy of providing great service to the residents of the City of New York.” After two years with the fire department, she had the opportunity to work for then Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, and continued on as his Chief Counsel once he became Governor. Committed to her work, she was one of the Governor’s only staff members who chose to relocate to Albany. “Moving is never easy, but it enabled me to be better at my job because the vast majority of state government is located in Albany.”
With a career built on public service, Denerstein didn’t hesitate when asked which of her achievements she was most proud of, “Drafting and negotiating laws that are game changers for the public; the classic example for me is marriage equality.”
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help
Denerstein believes in asking for help, and that this is one of the best pieces of advice for women starting a career. “Generally, people want to help you with your career, but you have to ask. Anybody can be your mentor, but you can’t let your fear of rejection get in the way of asking for help, or asking for advice.” Denerstein believes this is especially important for women because, in general, she has observed men to be much better self-promoters than women. That’s why she recommends women learn to become assertive networkers, “Don’t wait for the opportunity to come to you—ask the partner if they would like to work with you, and take the initiative.”
Denerstein has found a great deal of support from her peer group of fellow women partners, especially for learning how to become more effective at marketing herself. “These are generalizations, but I think that hearing how your peer, who is a woman, learned how to do marketing is very useful, because I think women—and this is a generalization—do it differently. Most women I know don’t play golf. I love to eat, so I try to create networking opportunities around good meals.” The key is to figure out what works for you.
Try New Experiences
Each of Denerstein’ s positions has been very different, and she credits her diverse experiences with not only making her a better lawyer, but more marketable. “One thing I have learned from the Governor is to not be afraid of change, embrace it.” Denerstein stated that at the Governor’s office, every day was different, but that that made her grow as a lawyer and be ready for new challenges.
The Road Ahead
As a new partner of Gibson Dunn, Denerstein is excited about another opportunity to help her “clients solve their problems.” She wants to use her ability to work in high-stakes arenas to assist companies avoid, resolve and manage legal matters involving the government. Because she has over 20 years of government experience at the federal, state, and local levels, she is uniquely situated to assist clients handle matters that involve government, and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher is the perfect platform for her. She is particularly interested in the increasing use of monitors in all different types of industry, from banking to nursing homes, in an effort to ensure these companies are complying with the terms of their settlements. “I think it’s important for companies to consider that relationship. It can be very positive or very negative.”
She is proud too, to be working for a firm that is committed to the development and promotion of women. “We foster mentoring relationships and retreats to make sure that the women at this firm are getting the best opportunities possible to advance their careers.”
Outside of the Office
In her time off, Denerstein enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, ages 12 and 10. In particular, Denerstein’ s family enjoys traveling. They all like to try and experience new foods and learn about different cultures.
By Rebecca S. Caum
