Cynthia J. Larose
Member, Business and Finance
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo, P.C.
Nominated by: Nancy J. Sterling
Excerpt from nomination: "Cynthia is a member in the firm's Boston office. She practices in the business and finance section representing companies in the information technology business. She works with clients who range from garage start-ups to mid- and later stage companies to major public companies. She recently completed work on a $400 million acquisition by a major online service provider, one of many transactions the firm has worked on with the client over the past year. Cynthia has substantial experience with venture capital financings, private placements of debt and equity, public offerings, as well as licensing, contracting for software and web developers, domain name disputes and export compliance. In addition to corporate transactional and finance experience, Cynthia also has a regulatory background prior to joining Mintz Levin and continues representing telecommunications companies and broadcasters before the Federal Communications Commission, as well assisting communications clients with sales and acquisitions of assets and properties"
What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
My first "real" job was as a general assignment reporter for a radio
station in central New Hampshire. I covered local government in 3
small cities and quickly learned that a "thick skin" would serve me well
because it would take a while (in some cases, a long while) for men to
adjust their thinking about women in the workplace. Not all off-hand
remarks or comments are mean-spirited and it helps to be able to
distinguish what is important from what is just ignorant.
Who is your hero, mentor or person you most admire? Why?
My mother. She is a breast cancer survivor - going on 38 years! - and
has taught me everything I know about life and made me believe that I
could do anything if I just put my mind to it.
What is your favorite book?
Fiction: Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Non-fiction: Anything by Doris Kearns Goodwin
What advances in your field do you envision over the next 10 years?
More women in decision-making positions to influence both the business
of technology as well as the direction that technology will take us.
What do you see as the single most interesting element of your work?
The clients and the constant challenges they present!
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment?
Becoming a partner at one of the greatest places I have ever worked -
and one of the greatest technology law firms in the country. I feel
truly fortunate.
What was your greatest challenge and what did you learn from it?
Going back to school (law school) at the age of 30 after having had one
career in broadcast journalism. I was in a class overwhelmingly full of
people right out of college and had gotten out of the "study habit." I
learned from the angst of my classmates that the measure of a person is
not what grades are achieved, but what one later does with the knowledge
gained in the pursuit of those grades. They were so focused on the
academic performance and class rank that many of them missed the
intellectual challenge that law school presents.
What strategies do you use to maintain balance in your life?
"Don't sweat the small stuff."
What advice would you give to young women who want to enter your field?
Learn all you can about technology - not just the law - and keep
learning about new developments. You will be a better technology lawyer
if you can "talk the talk" with your clients and understand how they
intend to change the world! And never, ever let anything but your best
go out with your name on it.
