Senior Chair Rodge Cohen appeared on an episode of the Original Jurisdiction podcast with David Lat in which he discussed his legal career.
Rodge offered a key piece of advice on how to succeed as a deal lawyer, which he was given as a young lawyer and stuck with him throughout his career. “Almost everybody tries to think, ‘Well, what do I want and how do I get it?’ I try to think, ‘What does the other side want, and how do I give it to them?’”
“The ability to listen, whether to your client or the other side,” he said, is critical to getting deals done. Rodge noted that listening is often overlooked as a skill, and can make all the difference, especially when dealing with regulators.
Asked about his passions outside of law, he mentioned his love for theatre and literature, both fiction and non-fiction.
Listen to the conversation: “A Titan of Transactional Practice: H. Rodgin Cohen.”