Angela Batterson

Partner, Jones Day

Biography:

Angie Batterson has advised clients in complex leveraged financing transactions across a broad array of industries, including health care, telecommunications, media, manufacturing, and energy, for 20 years. She represents financial institutions, sponsors, issuers, and mezzanine providers in private debt financings, including in connection with secured and unsecured senior credit facilities, first lien/second lien credit facilities, unitranche facilities, and mezzanine financings. Angie also advises on intercreditor agreements and distressed debt financings, including debtor-in-possession (DIP) financings.

She is a frequent speaker, and has recently covered topics as Unitranche, Agreements Among Lenders in Workouts, and The Practical Impact on Recent Revisions to 956. Angie is the past chair of the State Bar of Georgia UCC Committee and has extensive expertise in all areas of asset-based lending, both with respect to domestic and cross-border transactions. She is also very active in women’s initiatives, both at Jones Day and within the New York finance community.

What advice would you offer to women just starting out in the industry?

Seek out opportunities to work on a variety of deals with as many different people as possible.  The industry offers a wide array of transactions and products and finding a place where you will enjoy your work and the people you work with is essential. 

Also, you should seek out opportunities to network with women outside of your workplace whenever you can.  We actually have a quite small industry and you will see that over the years you keep running into many of the same women over and over again.   The relationship you build early in your career will be vital in your growth for years to come.

Studies have shown women are more reluctant to tout their accomplishments in the workplace. What advice would you give to help women be more comfortable with speaking up?

Don’t be self-deprecating.  Women have a tendency to take blame and believe they are wrong when it isn’t necessary.  Try not to say things like “I could be wrong” or “I might not be the smartest person”, but instead phrase your opinions and thoughts in a positive manner with confidence. 

Believe in yourself; you are your biggest advocate.  Ask others how you can present yourself in a more positive, confident light.  Some of the best advice I ever received was from a senior woman partner when I was a young associate.  She made me focus on the cadence and tone of my voice during conference calls.  I tend to speak quickly, and she made me become aware of my pace and tone and to slow down when making a point.  It actually works, it makes me sound more confident even when I am not.  I also think women should force themselves to embrace public speaking and put themselves out there as experts in their field.  It is empowering and the more you speak, the better you become.

What do you know now that you wish you knew in the beginning of your career?

You are going to make mistakes; everyone does. Success isn’t about not making mistakes; it is about how to fix the mistake without losing your confidence.  Mistakes aren’t the end of your career, they are spring boards to a better you, if you take the time to learn from them instead of hiding from them. 

How have you approached big career decisions? What is your approach/advice to change in the workplace?

I have one or two mentors outside of my firm whom I keep up to date on a regular basis about the big changes in my career.  I find that bouncing ideas off of them before leaping into big decisions helps to level-set my thought process and keep my fight-and-flight tendencies at bay. 

What do you enjoy most about your role? Least?

I enjoy mentoring young associates.  It is fulfilling to see them grow into great lawyers and even better people.  Some of my closest friends started out as my associates.  I think they would tell you I might not have always been easy on them all the time but my honesty and friendship to them over the years was greatly appreciated. 

What do I enjoy the least? Billing.  End of story.