Andrew Gordon Profiled as a 2018 Daily Business Review Professional Excellence Award Winner

In April, we were pleased to announce that Hinshaw partner Andrew Gordon of the firm's Ft. Lauderdale office had been selected to receive a Daily Business Review 2018 Professional Excellence Award in the "On the Rise" category.

The DBR recently published a Q&A profile of Gordon. We summarize the profile below.

Q: What drew you to a career in law?

A: As an undergrad, I interned for a legislative advocacy group in Tallahassee and worked at a respected Tallahassee law firm. Between my internship at the Capitol and my time at the law firm, I was hooked - politics, civics and the law became my interests, which led me to law school.

Q: What has been your proudest career moment and your biggest hurdle?

A: Making partner and the continuous process of balancing work, community involvement and family commitments.

Q: What is the top quality you've used to succeed in the profession?

A: A strong work ethic. There is no way around it. Without a strong work ethic, I just don't see how someone could be successful by any measure in our profession.

Q: Who is your favorite mentor and why?

A: I have been lucky to have many mentors at different stages of my life and career. Each one has seemed to show up at just the right time to assist me with navigating my personal and professional life. For the last four years, Cheryl Wilke, the managing partner of my firm's Fort Lauderdale office, has been a mentor to me, teaching me invaluable lessons about business development and client service—lessons I have implemented and which likely led me to making partner at a relatively young age.

Q: What's the best advice anyone has ever given you?

A: What we do as attorneys oftentimes requires laser focus. One of the first partners I worked for continuously emphasized to me the importance of compartmentalizing things. I still utilize that advice to this day—both professionally and personally. While there are certainly times we all have to multitask, when it comes to important things at work, in the community or at home, there are times we all need to be laser focused on what is in front of us and nothing else.

Profiles of each of the 25 attorneys honored in the "On the Rise" category can be accessed at https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2018/05/07/on-the-rise/. All recipients will be honored at an awards ceremony in Miami, on May 30, 2018.