International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced today that Partners Dan Goldberger and Alissa Smith have been named 2020 Dorsey U Partner of the Year Award winners.
One of the most important responsibilities of a Dorsey & Whitney partner is to teach and mentor associates and other lawyers on the job. The Dorsey U Partner of the Year Award symbolizes the value that the Firm puts on this crucial aspect of partnership. The Partner of the Year Award nominations are submitted by associates and is given annually by the managing partner.
Dan Goldberger, from the New Office, is described as an exceptionally capable lawyer who selflessly and regularly takes a backseat to ensure that junior lawyers can step up to the plate and develop valuable experience. Not only does Dan shoulder a heavy caseload with great dexterity, he also serves as New York’s Office Head, a particularly difficult undertaking this year, with New York becoming a COVID-19 hotspot and all of the ensuing staff/office disruption.
Dan goes out of his way to mentor trial associates, and to be a resource for associates outside of the trial group. If any associate or staff member has any sort of personal or professional need, they regularly turn to Dan, knowing that Dan is both easily approachable and reliable. To that end, Dan hosts regular Zoom calls with all New York associates to make sure the office is meeting all of their remote work needs, and to maintain a sense of office community.
Dan juggles all of these responsibilities while also raising two young boys and serving as designated chef for his extended family.
Des Moines Partner Alissa Smith’s nomination described her as “the hardest working person that I know, whether at Dorsey or otherwise”. Alissa’s presence is felt at many levels within Dorsey. In addition to serving as Co-Chair of the Health Transactions and Regulations Practice Group, she is also Co-Pro Bono Partner for the Firm’s Pro Bono program. She successfully juggles these significant leadership positions, while actively mentoring junior attorneys and managing her own thriving practice with a focus on client satisfaction.
The result is that Alissa is well regarded by her colleagues and her clients, and is viewed as approachable, dependable, and supportive in the development of the careers of other professionals. Alissa’s hands-on and enthusiastic approach to welcome and integrate five new attorneys to the Des Moines Health Law Practice Group this past year was particularly valuable. She was named Des Moines 2018 Lawyer of the Year in Health Care Law by Best Lawyers and contributed more than 50 challenge pro bono hours in 2020.