Sarah W. Griggs

Principal, Goldberg Kohn Ltd.

Sarah W. Griggs is a principal in Goldberg Kohn Ltd.’s Commercial Finance Group and focuses her practice on secured transactions and commercial finance. 

Sarah represents banks, finance companies and other financial institutions in a large variety of asset-based and cash flow debt finance transactions, including acquisition finance transactions, split-lien transactions, working capital facilities, second-lien financings, mezzanine financings and broadly syndicated transactions, as well as workouts and restructurings. Her experience extends to all aspects of a commercial finance transaction, including structuring, drafting and negotiating loan documentation for initial transactions, loan modifications, forbearance agreements, debtor-in-possession facilities and exit facilities.  Sarah has structured complex finance transactions involving borrowers in a wide-range of industries, including software and technology, restaurants, healthcare, retail, manufacturing and business services.

How do you define a good leader?

I believe the key characteristics of a good leader are the ability to both lead by example and listen to others.  There is often a lot of emphasis on what a leader says or communicates to others, but I find that the most effective leaders often do more listening than speaking.  I have seen first-hand how impactful it can be when a leader establishes a work environment that is open to input and ideas from all team members.  In my opinion, effective open leadership results in stronger work product and better outcomes for our clients.  Good leaders are also capable of modeling excellence in their profession for others to emulate.  When encountering a challenging situation, I often reflect back on how senior partners at Goldberg Kohn conducted themselves in similar situations and do my best to model their level-headed approach to solving problems.  In my current position, I strive to lead by example and demonstrate the commitment to excellent client service that I expect from the rest of my team. 

What advice do you normally give to the junior talent you mentor?

I often tell junior attorneys that they should feel free to ignore my advice if it doesn’t work for them.  A colleague once told me that she had attended a conference where a speaker advised attorneys to treat each day the same and to tackle both personal and professional responsibilities every day.  The advice did not resonate with my colleague, but I loved it.  To this day, I have professional and personal to-do lists and try to address items on both lists every day, including the weekends.  On the other hand, I have also been the recipient of advice that just did not resonate or work for me.  It is not that it was bad advice, but more that the advice did not suit me and I found it difficult to implement. I often find that successful people tend to be myopic in their view of how to achieve success.  In reality, what works for one person will likely not work for the next, as everyone has unique talents and work styles.  While I encourage junior attorneys to be open to advice from their peers and mentors, I also encourage them to be discerning and to only implement advice and work strategies that actually aid in their success.

With many working remotely or hybrid-style the past few years, what are some work-life balance strategies you’ve stuck with?

Even before the challenges of the remote work environment of the last few years, finding a work-life balance could be challenging in the fast-paced world of finance.  The past two years have brought new challenges and made the division between work life and home life even fuzzier than before.  I find that embracing the benefits of remote work (e.g., a lack of commute) while trying to replicate aspects of the office that I miss has been a useful approach.  I regularly will take a walk or bike ride with my kids after I pick them up from daycare, as it mimics my commute and allows me to get some fresh air.  I also make a concerted effort to take a few minutes and connect with my colleagues via phone or video conference before discussing the business at hand, as I miss the in-person collaboration from being in the office.