Hannah Genton and Noam Cohen: “5 Things We Wish Someone Told Us Before Founding CGL LLP”
By: Carly Martinetti
Tags: Law Firm, Women In Business, Leadership, Business, Entrepreneurship

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you tell us the story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Noam: Hannah and I met during orientation at Berkeley law school in 2010. Years later, I told Hannah I had a bit of a girl crush on her because she was so put together, confident and beautiful while I felt so insecure and nervous throughout law school. I was just so impressed with her. While we drifted in and out of each other’s lives during our time at Berkeley, we didn’t really become great friends until we were both studying for the bar exam. After law school, we both jumped at the opportunity to work in Big Law. I went to Goodwin Procter in Silicon Valley and Hannah went to Cooley LLP where we worked hard. We worked days, nights, weekends and had no predictability at all in our personal lives. But, that’s how you become a good attorney. It wasn’t until kids came into the picture that we each realized that the traditional law firm work environment wasn’t going to be a sustainable option for us. I knew I needed to take a “thoughtful pause” after having my first child to figure out how I can still have a successful career while simultaneously being there for my daughter. At the heart of it all I knew I wanted to work where I had autonomy and flexibility. I had a conversation with Hannah at this point about my thoughts around opening up a practice and that I hoped she would join me. I didn’t know what to expect and I assumed she wouldn’t be into the idea given her experience as an associate at a large firm. To my surprise, she loved the idea. The rest is history.

Hannah: Noam and I share the “love of the hustle.” We are both impatient and unwilling to wait for things to happen on their own — we just want to make them happen ourselves. I remember really recognizing that shared feeling when we were studying for the bar exam together. After law school I went to work at Cooley LLP (one of the Big Law law firms) and was super committed to being the best attorney possible. But, when I had my son everything changed. I was missing all of his firsts, including his first time on a swing, and his first time standing up. I was just working all the time when I knew I should be there with him. So, I resigned, knowing that there really wasn’t another option available for me in the legal field that offered the kind of work/life balance I was after. Upon leaving, I had this nagging feeling there had to be a better way. I recognized my son wouldn’t be little forever and this was a short time that I needed greater flexibility and autonomy. I still wanted to work. Around that time, Noam had actually come to visit me in San Francisco where she brought up the idea of practicing on our own on our own terms. I remember how excited I was about the opportunity to do just that! We wanted to create something that afforded us the type of work/life balance we had been lusting after but never found in any of our previous jobs. The serendipity of us both being in a place where we could (and wanted to) create a company was astounding, looking back on it now.

Can you share one of the major challenges you encountered when first leading the company? What lesson did you learn from that?

Hannah: My biggest challenge was addressing the fact that there was so much to learn. As a lawyer by training, I understood how to get a business off the ground from a legal perspective but by no means was I well-versed in other critical areas of running a business, like marketing and operations. The lesson here is you really can learn anything if you apply yourself; Noam and I are walking testaments to that! It’s also important to remember that learning is uncomfortable and while it may be unpleasant in the beginning — learning so many new roles — it won’t always be this way. Today, we are managing the business of the law firm in a way that feels like second nature. The learnings will be reinforced in time and that uncomfortable phase does not last forever. .

Noam: In the beginning it’s just recognizing that you have to wear so many different hats. We were representing clients, i.e. doing all of the legal substantive work ourselves, and then running the business on top of that. You really just can’t avoid the hustle that goes into getting a business off the ground! Also, there are no shortcuts to immediate success. I see a lot of people searching for immediate gratification when they start a business, which ultimately just sets them up for huge disappointment. We really weren’t in a rush to get everything done at once. In fact, quite the opposite. We understood that things would take time and we shouldn’t rush them. I was listening to a podcast earlier this week where the founder of UGG said that a business is like a human being — you have to go through the infancy stage, right through to toddlerhood, adolescence, teenage years, all the way to adulthood. It’s about embracing all of the stages of the business and not getting hung up on having everything go perfectly right out of the gate. You just set yourself up to be a more sustainable business if you look at it that way.

What are some of the factors that you believe led to your eventual success?

Hannah: I believe grit and having a positive attitude has been instrumental to CGL’s substantial growth thus far. We weren’t afraid to do the work, no matter what that looked like. There’s no magic pill or solution when it comes to starting — and maintaining — a successful business. Also, being able to adapt, learn and change direction if need be is crucial. We are very big on documenting processes here at CGL. In fact, every single process we use within the company is held in a master doc which we are constantly iterating. We are always looking for ways to refine our internal processes to enhance our ever-changing business needs, which sets us up for success as we grow.

Noam: For me, it’s about having the right partners at my side through this journey. I am beyond blessed to have Hannah as my co-founder. As a startup attorney, I’ve really witnessed first hand the importance of having the right partners at the helm of a company. Not only was I lucky in finding Hannah, but we got lucky again with the addition of Jennifer Gumer, our third Partner and the head of our firm’s Regulatory and Compliance Group. We all share this innate hustle and work ethic.. We just understand we need to do whatever it takes to make the business work. Wherever we need to step in that day is where you will find us. Simply put, there’s just no complacency in how we approach the business.

I’d also like to add that my success is also due to the fact that I have such a supportive partner at home. Both Hannah and I are lucky to have partners who believe in us and support us both professionally and at home. Having my partner show up for me day after day, gives me the peace of mind and confidence I need to do what’s necessary for my business.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became a Founding Partner”?

Hannah:

Rewrite your narrative. If you find yourself thinking, “I’m not an entrepreneur,” change that thought to “even though I’ve never done this before, I’ve been learning new things every day since I was born. I can do this, too.” It’s about changing your mindset to accomplish your goals. You’re going to make mistakes. Instead of letting the fear of failure hold you back, realize that within every mistake is a potential lesson that will make you better. Lean on your strengths, outsource the rest. If you’re a big picture person, delegate the details to someone else. There’s no shame in doubling down on what you’re good at while teaming up with others to get the rest done. Perfection paralyzes entrepreneurism. Yes, have the end result that you deliver to customers and clients be perfect. But when building your business, be willing to accept “great” or even “good” to get things off the ground. Otherwise, you’re just going to be stuck in “what if” limbo forever. Make data-driven decisions. Never just assume when you have access to data. We keep a close watch on our finances, track all of our marketing metrics, website analytics — you name it, we consider if it’s helping or hurting us. You can get distracted if you don’t have clear data driving your choices.

Noam:

You’ll never feel like you’re doing enough: No matter how much growth you experience, you’ll always feel like you could be doing more. We’ve been very lucky to have experienced a ton of growth, butI still feel this way. I always wake up feeling like I didn’t do enough the day before or that I’m not doing enough to push the business forward. The guilt to do more is just built into running a business. You have to push past that feeling to succeed. Whenever possible, delegate and outsource. We have almost zero ego (we know what we’re good at and where we’re not). The second you are able to afford employees or contractors, do it. Always play to your strengths. You should be hiring people smarter than you and more experienced than you in areas where you need help. Of course, make a point to learn about these areas along the way, but don’t try to be a master of all trades. Eventually, your main job will be to take care of your team. Once you are in a position to adopt a higher-level role, so much of your job becomes about people management and problem solving. As a law firm, our people are our greatest asset. Making sure that our employees have everything they need to thrive is absolutely essential. I always want my employees to feel like they can come to me, ask questions, and that I can make their experience at CGL meaningful. Don’t lose sight of your mission and purpose. It can be really hard to not get obsessed with revenue, especially in the early stages. But, every time we do quarterly leadership offsites we come back to our mission statement. Granted, it might change slightly, but we always look at it to make sure we are on track. We still look at our revenue goals, hiring goals, etc., but ultimately we always come back to whether or not we are fulfilling our mission. I personally need to have a bigger purpose than just revenue to get out of the bed in the morning. Find a methodology to run your business and stick with it. The most impactful thing we’ve done in 2020 was to implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) at CGL. This methodology impacts every since aspect of our business and has been instrumental in helping define our roles within the company while simultaneously eliminating the noise. It truly transformed the way we run CGL business in one year.

What advice would you give to your colleagues to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Hannah: Really take some time to reflect on what you need. Get really clear about it. Does going on a run or taking a hot bath restore you? What gives you energy? Whatever it is, make that as high of a priority as working because it’s just as important, if not more so, when it comes to being successful in the long run. Another important tip: don’t reschedule your rest time to do more work! You really need to make sure you are committed to regular infusions of these beneficial rituals. If it helps, make a list of what makes you happy and literally mark it off in your calendar. Whatever you need to do to make sure you end up acting on these restorative activities, do it!

Noam: I would tell my colleagues that it’s up to them to choose for themselves how they set up their work and life to optimize for their wellbeing. At CGL, what we bring to the table is human capital (legal knowledge) so we have to be whole to do our jobs effectively. It’s important to recognize if you are a 9–5 person or if you work better in sprints with long breaks in between. Perhaps you prefer the early morning hours or late night working sessions. . Ask yourself: how do I work best and how do I want my life to look? Some people need naps, others take walks to clear their head. For me, it’s creating space to sleep-in and taking my mornings more slowly. . This is a conversation I always have with our employees — what work style is best for you and how can we set you up to make that happen? At the end of the day, I’m not sure the perfect work/life balance exists. However, I do believe that learning what works for you and what doesn’t and constantly iterating your approach, can help you succeed professionally AND live a more meaningful life.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

Hannah: Yes, Noam — she’s the yin to my yang. We are always able to balance each other out. When one of us is seeing something a certain way the other is able to see the other side and offer advice. Any time I’ve been stressed or frustrated she’s been there to support me. Part of CGL’s secret sauce is our ability to make decisions together in this way. It’s actually kind of strange, I feel like we are more of a cohesive person together than separately sometimes! And of course to my hubby who was the one who gave me the final vote of confidence (and continued support) to go for it.

Noam: For me, there’s no one defining person. I think there have been so many people throughout my life that have impacted who and where I am today. From my parents to former managers, everyone has taught me something about myself and how I want to be (and not be) as a leader and as a human. I’m grateful in particular, of course, to Hannah for starting CGL with me and my husband for always having my back.

What are some of the goals you still have and are working to accomplish, both personally and professionally?

Hannah:

Professionally — I will always be striving to be a better leader. I feel a calling to help empower people and support them in their growth. My relationships with others mean everything to me and I’m driven by helping others succeed. So, I’m constantly learning about different methods of reaching people and how to best help and inspire them to achieve their goals.

Personally — I’m obsessed with learning in general and therefore always looking to acquire new knowledge. Right now, I’m focused on obtaining a personal trainer certificate. I guess I’m just never happy with the status quo — I have to constantly be improving myself.

Noam:

Professionally — Eventually, likely many years from now, I can see myself moving out of the private sector into politics or a non-profit where I can make a greater impact on policy. I’m passionate about driving the conversation around topics like gender equality, parental leave, and domestic abuse (to name a few) forward. During the early part of my career I worked with international refugees as well as those looking to seek asylum in the U.S. and I found that type of work to be incredibly rewarding.

Personally — I’m a super Type A person with a hardcore work-comes-first mentality. It’s important for me that I put extra effort into finding peace in not working. Just being. Figuring out how to live my life in such a way that I’m content without having work at the forefront of everything I do. Making time for long walks or a regular yoga practice…being OK with just being me.

What do you hope to leave as your lasting legacy?

Hannah:

I don’t feel called to leave a legacy and if I do it’s a simple one, that people have positive and empowering memories of our interactions. I also hope that CGL will make an impact on the legal industry and how it has traditionally operated. We lose a lot of talented people every year due to legal burnout from how impossible it is to maintain the work/life balance Big Law requires. By showing attorneys there is another, dare I say, even more successful way to work, we can really make an impact.

Noam: I want to do right by my family. I want them to smile when they remember me. I want my kids to feel love when they think of me. I guess I just hope to be remembered as a good human being — good to others, as well as good to myself. I’d also like to be remembered as a woman who made an impact on the pursuit of gender equality. That feels like my life’s mission beyond being a good mom and family member.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would enhance people’s lives in some way, what would it be? You never know what your idea can trigger!

Hannah: I’d like to start a movement that reminded everyone to be more empathetic in their daily lives. It seems like everyone is really quick to judge others these days, especially with “cancel culture” and social media. People really need to be more open-minded in general and not jump to tear others down.

Noam: I’d definitely start a movement that would focus on getting more women into positions of power and influence. I mean, I still can’t believe that in 2020 we are talking about women in the workplace as a concept. That we are only seeing a woman as Vice President for the first time instead of there having been multiple female Presidents. It needs to be more normalized that women hold top roles, in government, the private sector, etc.. For example, we are a law firm, not a female-run law firm. Even that way we talk about it to others reminds me how far behind we are and how much more we have to accomplish.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Hannah: LinkedIn

Noam: LinkedIn

CGL: LinkedIn