“(Adam Leitman Bailey) is a very hard worker, very bright, started his own firm, and is a go getter…” -Rachel Mizrahi Morgenthal
My name is Rachel Mahi Morgan Thal. I was Rachel Mahi when I was working at the firm. I was one of the first associates at Adam Leitman Bailey, starting in 2002. At the time, we were in a different building, and we shared a floor with other law firms. My first desk was in a hallway, which was very distracting because people were constantly walking by to the conference room. I remember telling Adam that I couldn’t be productive in that environment, so he moved me into an office.
Nancy was there, and she was in charge of everything. At the start, the firm consisted of myself, a real estate transactional attorney, Adam Young, Peter CH, who worked with Adam, and Larry Magti, who worked with me in litigation. There were also a few people of counsel who helped here and there. Each morning, Nancy and I, along with the paralegals, would grab breakfast downstairs. We’d then head upstairs and get started on our work.Adam had a philosophy that everyone had to have a notepad with them at all times. If you didn’t have your notepad, you were in big trouble. He also made it a point that all calls had to be returned within 24 hours. We’d work diligently, and every once in a while, Adam would join us to take the train home.
At one point, Adam went out of town and put me in charge. As a young attorney, I was supervising the paralegals and managing cases in federal court, something I had never done before. It was an incredible learning opportunity, and I appreciated his confidence in me. I worked on a lot of real estate litigation, representing landlords, filing summary judgments, preparing briefs, and going to court. I did one trial with Adam and also participated in a major pro bono appeal that changed the New York recording statute. That case was a huge opportunity for a young associate like myself, as I was able to write the appeal from start to finish and see it through to completion.
Adam is one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. He’s incredibly bright and a hard worker, having started his own firm. He’s a go-getter who wouldn’t take no for an answer and always looked for solutions. It was inspiring to see such a young attorney build his own name and reputation. I’ve run into Adam recently in New York, and he’s still the same—constantly on the go, always with his to-do list. I have a lot of respect for him, as he’s someone who does what he says he’s going to do, which I think is rare.
I’m especially grateful to Adam because, after I graduated in the wake of September 11th, there weren’t many job opportunities available. Adam gave me a chance, and that meant a lot. I knew Adam was going to be successful, and I’m not surprised by where he is today. Working there was an incredible experience; Adam threw me into situations where I learned so much in a short period. It was a great place to start my law career, and Adam made me a better lawyer by being both hard yet fair. That experience shaped me into a better professional.