Cynthia Fernandez Lumermann is a Partner in Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz’s Litigation Department, which she joined in 2013. She has represented clients in diverse industries, including financial institutions, media and technology companies, and consumer goods and industrial firms. Her practice includes the representation of corporations and directors in derivative and class action lawsuits, corporate governance matters, complex commercial and securities litigation, and arbitration. Cynthia lives in New York City with her husband and her three children.
What made you want to be a lawyer?
It’s a seed that was planted as a child and was there percolating for many years. I know it’s trite, but I was one of those kids that from the moment I could talk, everyone would say, “oh, you’re going to be a lawyer.” I was the family advocate—whenever my siblings and I wanted to do something, I was the one to get sent out to advocate for all of us. I kept the idea of law school in the back of my mind, and when I was in high school, I started reading all the John Grisham books and I got really into the idea of trial lawyers and advocacy. But I didn’t go to law school right away after college, as I wanted to take time to work and have some professional experience before rushing to make that decision. I worked for several years in finance, working with Latin American clients for a mutual fund and hedge fund. That was a great experience; I’m bilingual and Cuban-American so it was nice to really use my Spanish professionally. But it wasn’t as fulfilling as I wanted for a long-term career, and I was interested in the process of deep analysis, writing, and crafting arguments, so that ended up drawing me back to law school.
How did you decide litigation was right for you?
It took a little while actually and I only decided after working at Wachtell Lipton as a summer associate. Given my previous work experience, I thought I would be more interested in transactional work with a focus on Latin America. I interviewed at Wachtell Lipton because the firm was known to handle the most interesting and complex matters. I also had professors at NYU who had practiced here and who spoke so highly of the firm.
I also really loved how Wachtell’s summer program makes you do rotations. So, after meeting people and being genuinely impressed by everybody who I met—their intellect, their curiosity, their passion for what they do, but also just how kind and generous everyone was—I decided to come to the firm. During my summer, I found that I enjoy much more about the day-to-day rhythm of litigation work compared to transactional work. One of the benefits of being at a firm like Wachtell Lipton, though, is how integrated our departments are. I’m often embedded in corporate teams, advising on transactions, and working on transaction-related litigation. So, it’s a nice blend of the two in a way.
Can you describe a matter or experience early in your career that accelerated your professional growth?
I was fortunate that, in my first several years at the firm, I got to work closely with Herb Wachtell. He is such a talented litigator and brings a real passion to everything he does. We represented a Mexican telecommunications company in a dispute with a U.S.-based company and the matter culminated in a several-week arbitration hearing in Mexico City. It was a matter where I was able to take on a significant amount of responsibility from day one, including leading countless witness interviews in Spanish and working with Herb and the other partners on the team to develop our case strategy. It was an amazing experience, and it goes to show the amount of trust that the firm will put in associates. If you can show that you are diligent and disciplined and invested in the matter, a firm will give you an enormous amount of runway.
What would you say to young lawyers, especially those considering Litigation as a career path?
A consistent piece of advice I give when asked this question is to think about a case as if you’re making all the decisions: Take ownership, be proactive, and don’t be afraid to offer your ideas. The more you show that you’re invested, want to take on responsibility, and are thinking critically about case strategy, the more trusted you’ll become and the more interesting work you will get.
What are your thoughts on taking a generalist approach versus developing a sub-specialty as you progress in your career as a litigator?
I think that it’s becoming increasingly rare for firms to prioritize people being generalists, and I do think that there’s real value in being a generalist and having a diversity to your practice. Our litigation department is notoriously generalist, within the types of high-stakes matters the firm typically handles—we have a single litigation department and no defined sub-groups. In my practice, I handle a variety of matters such as corporate governance disputes, breach-of-fiduciary litigation, transaction-related litigation, securities matters, and complex commercial litigation and arbitration. Being more of a generalist allows you to have exposure to different areas of the law and requires you to constantly learn, while at the same time keeping up with developments in the law in the various areas in which you most commonly practice.
If you were starting law school again today, how would you spend your time outside of the classroom?
It’s important to find a balance. I think clinics are an amazing opportunity for law students because you get real on-your-feet experience; you have clients, it’s almost a microcosm of practice, so those are incredibly valuable. Being on a journal is also great for leadership, working on a team, and driving toward a common goal of publishing excellent scholarship. But I do think that law students also forget that it’s also a time to build relationships, get to know your fellow law students, and enjoy yourself.