Page 9 - FDCC Flyer Summer 2021

Officer Reports
Howard Merten Partridge Snow
& Hahn, LLP Providence, RI
As a new member of the FDCC, I knew very few people in the organization. Sure, I knew the client that sponsored
them here but realized the list would be too long and I would surely leave someone off. Maybe that’s an article for another day. It is definitely a testament to
the Federation and the quality, commitment, and caring of our members.
If you are a new member, know that my story is in no way unique. I have heard stories from many other members of someone reaching out to them and helping them along the way. I hope I have paid Sarah’s kindnesses forward and helped some new (and not
so new) members during my time in the Federation. I know many others have done what she did. The leaders of the FDCC and its rank and file members want to welcome you, get to know you, and help you succeed. Be open to those connections and the friends you will make along the way.
Veteran members, be like Sarah. We have not had an in-person meeting in a while. But our Membership Development and Admissions Committees have been hard at work. Since our
last meeting in Scottsdale, AZ in March 2020, we have admitted 108 new members. So, a raft of new members likely will attend our next couple of meetings. Don’t just say hi at a cocktail party. Take them out to dinner. Find out about their practice and introduce them to other members with similar interests. Get them connected and engaged. Be an advocate for them. And a friend. Like Sarah.
me and the Rhode Island lawyer who seconded my
application. I knew a few other members from other organizations, but not well.
My first couple of meetings
were fine, of course. The power of the blue and green badge is strong. Everyone was incredibly welcoming and friendly. And I was a little shocked and surprised when, after my first dessert party, lawyers really did gather around the piano for an enthusiastic sing- along. (I had been told that but, being a cynical Northeasterner, I did not believe it.)
I immediately knew the FDCC
was a different organization. It
was welcoming. It was friendly. I would have been content coming to meetings based upon my initial welcome, but what really cemented my relationship with the FDCC was the friendship and attention
I received from a total stranger, Sarah Timberlake.
Many of you surely know Sarah. She was a former Board member, a great lawyer and a tremendous person. Sarah didn’t know me from Adam. We met through our mutual client. Maybe she was taken with my wit, charm and good looks. Much more likely,
Sarah Timberlake
The leaders of the FDCC and its rank-and-file members want to welcome you, get to know you, and help you succeed.
she saw a lost lamb who needed help. Whatever the reason, Sarah took this new member under her wing. For the next few years, she made sure I had dinner plans. She connected me with the chairs of sections I was interested in. She got me my first gig on a plenary session, and introduced me to the first client contact that got me my first FDCC referral. She stayed a friend, mentor and advocate, still to this day.
I have had many, many others help me along the path through the FDCC. I have had other friends and mentors who were and are important to me. I started listing
Howard Merten is Secretary-Treasurer of the FDCC and the Managing Partner at Partridge Snow & Hahn, LLP in Providence, RI. Contact him at hmerten@psh.com.
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