Mackenzie Shea

Associate General Counsel, Gordon Brothers

Biography:

As Associate General Counsel, Mackenzie serves as the front-line transactional counsel, managing deal documentation and related matters for Gordon Brothers. Prior to joining Gordon Brothers, she had over 10 years of experience in the area of corporate bankruptcy and restructuring where she primarily focused on representing troubled companies and buyers of distressed businesses. She was ranked multiple times in Chambers USA and Best Lawyers in America in the bankruptcy field and was previously selected in 2012 as one of 40 “up-and-coming” bankruptcy lawyers in the country by the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges. In her current role, she relies on that experience in advising Gordon Brothers on all types of transactions and assisting her business colleagues in meeting their clients’ needs. Prior to joining Gordon Brothers, Mackenzie was a partner at the global law firm K&L Gates LLP where she worked for over eight years and began her career as a law clerk to the Honorable Joel Rosenthal of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts. She holds a B.A. from Assumption College and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

What do you think the industry could do to attract and retain the best and the brightest today?

Recognize that the best and brightest, generally speaking, may not be the same people who have the specific qualities that lend themselves to success in this industry. In terms of the restructuring niche; it is seeking out those “type A minus” personalities with a passion for deals and team competition who aren’t expecting a 9-5 experience, who will thrive in messiness and chaos, and may not necessarily be Ivy-educated at the top of their class. Then, because the time we have to develop talent is limited, we need to quickly identify those bright young minds who also possess an “X” factor, something that makes them uniquely valuable to an organization and focus attention on retaining them long-term rather than spreading ourselves too thin in an attempt to keep everyone.

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

That it is not necessarily a linear path. Instead, I have come to view my career like building blocks. Whatever you’ve built may get knocked down (voluntarily or involuntarily), but even so, you’ll still have the same number of the same-size blocks and can reconfigure them into something new. I’ve had jobs ranging from retail clerk, street vendor, and child nanny, to defense contractor, and bank employee, to bankruptcy lawyer. In my current role, I’m constantly surprised just how much those earlier stages of my career help. Realizing you have the supplies and skill to build a career of your own choosing may just give you the confidence to do it.

What kind of role has mentoring and/or sponsorship played in your career?

I’ve been incredibly lucky in this regard. It began with a federal bankruptcy judge and his court staff when I served as a law clerk my first year after law school. It continued with a senior partner at my law firm who spent the next seven years vigilantly guiding me to become a partner myself. And over the past two years since joining Gordon Brothers, it has multiplied with our general counsel and key executives taking a vested interest in my long-term success here. There is a material difference, how- ever, between having a mentor and having a sponsor. Mentors teach you something; sponsors give you the platform to use it. So, while you can have many mentors, you can’t succeed without at least one sponsor. Recognize the difference and seek out the latter. When I describe myself as fortunate in this area, it’s because all of these individuals offered me both mentorship and sponsorship.

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

“Know the law, you’re useful. Know the facts, you’re indispensable.” That advice translates beyond just the legal profession. Being new to any field, there is so much about the subject matter you don’t and can’t be expected to know. That will come with experience. But you can learn the deal specifics cold, whether that be the people, places, projections, or problems of a company, in a way that makes you invaluable to those senior in your own organization. That only requires effort. Once others start to rely upon your factual knowledge, you’ll be included on calls, in meetings, and with clients. And, as it turns out, those settings are where you actually gain the experience.