Name: Angel A. West
Firm: Nyemaster, Goode, West, Hansell & O’Brien, P.C.
Address: 700 Walnut, Suite 1600, Des Moines, IA 50309-3899
Phone: (515) 283-3100
Practice Area: Litigation, Product Liability, Personal Injury and Tort Defense, Business and Commercial Litigation

I recently spoke with Angel West, the first female partner elected to serve as head of the litigation department at the largest business law firm in Iowa, Nyemaster, Goode, West, Hansell & O’Brien, P.C. The firm, which was listed as a Go-To Law Firm® in a recent survey of the top 500 U.S. companies by Corporate Counsel magazine, an honor bestowed on only one-half of one percent of all law firms in the world, works with emerging start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. If you ask West about her marketing style, her Midwestern values shine through— she focuses specifically on enriching client relationships through personalized attention.

Most successful rainmaking tip:

My most successful rainmaking tip is to make a personal connection with your client. Don’t let them feel as though they’re just a number. Getting to know my clients is a priority for me. I always ask them about family, and I make a point of remembering this information. When I send them personal notes and holiday cards, I make sure to comment on or ask about their kids and their family—this cements the relationship.

Biggest influence on career/best career advice:

I’ve always been competitive. In the fifth grade, I had an assignment to write about what I wanted to do when I grew up. So, I did my research and I thought—compete and win—I could be a lawyer. Since then, I always wanted to be a trial attorney; going to trial and winning is at the top of the list for me.

I’ve had two mentors in my career. I’ve been directly influenced by Mike Thrall and Dick Sapp, two excellent lawyers at Nyemaster Goode, who taught me about the practice of law. Mike taught me to always watch the ever-changing legal landscape and to be a good leader. Dick taught me about trial strategy. He taught me how to focus and not lose sight of the big picture. From these two men, I learned to always be the most prepared person in the room.

Percentage of time devoted to marketing:

One always needs to be fostering relationships. I am deeply involved in the Iowa Women’s Leadership Conference. I probably spend 12 hours a month working on the Iowa Women’s Leadership steering committee as we prepare for our conference. I also spend a lot of time marketing through personal contacts, with clients, and in the community.

Proudest accomplishment:

I’m very proud to be the youngest person and the first woman to chair my firm’s litigation department, and I am proud to be a shareholder at Nyemaster Goode.

Knowing what you know now, if you were starting out as a lawyer today, what would you do differently?

I would have started networking earlier in my career. I should have started making connections and contacts sooner. I thought in the beginning I was too new to the legal profession to get out there and make connections. Now I know I should have been out there all along.

Also, I should have created a personal marketing plan earlier in my career to outline where I wanted to go in my practice.

Tell me about one rainmaking strategy or tactic that you initially thought would work, but it failed. Why did it fail?

I joined some groups early on in my practice to “get out there.” I took a shotgun approach, and I wasn’t necessarily interested in some of the groups I joined. I needed to find groups I really wanted to be active in, like the Iowa Women’s Leadership Conference. You need to have a passion for the groups you join.

What has been your greatest frustration about trying to get new business or new clients?

Waiting. I’m not patient. But I know getting new business takes time. Business development has a long fuse and it doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of hard work before new business from new clients arrives on your desk. My other frustration is age. It can be very hard as a younger attorney to get new clients—it’s a challenge. You have to keep after it!

If you were mentoring a young woman lawyer, what advice would you give her regarding rainmaking?

Rainmaking starts with taking very good care of your existing clients. Always do quality work and be ready and willing to work harder than anyone else on your case. You also have to work on the big and small matters alike. Be responsive and never let your client feel ignored.

Think about when you started out as a lawyer. Now think about the new female lawyers just starting out. What is different now compared to when you started?

The current financial situation has made it difficult to pair younger attorneys on cases, which means they miss out on opportunities to watch more seasoned attorneys at depositions, hearings, and even trials. In this down economy, the training opportunities are not there. Clients are adamant about not loading up cases with extra lawyers. In the current economic environment, young attorneys need to take charge of their careers and seek out the work if they want to develop their skills set.

List the words that best describe you:

• Competitive
• Relentless
• Energetic
• Driven