A Letter from Ted Gavin

Happy Summer, everybody!

We have big news here – Joe Solmonese has written a book! The Gift Of Anger: Use Passion To Build, Not Destroy will be available September 12th. I’ve just finished reading an advance copy and, let me tell you, it will make a great holiday gift for those close to you this Columbus Day or Rosh Hashana; a great thank you to your fellow NCBJ panelists; or a fantastic stocking stuffer, especially for younger family members newer to the workforce and looking for that extra edge to get ahead in their career. But really, it’s an informed look at how to build coalitions, move the needle of sentiment and get what you want – whether at work in the office; in a case where you’re trying to build support for a Plan or settlement; or trying to get equality for ten percent of the population with two-thirds of the country lined up against you. Joe uses personal stories from his history as President of the Human Rights Campaign and, before that, as Executive Director of EMILY’s List, to show the lessons he learned, how his thinking and use of anger evolved, and how people can take advantage of those stories to exercise the skills necessary to use anger for productivity.

The topic is relevant to what we do – and probably what you do – every day. Not knowing how to channel the anger of your adversary in litigation is missing an opportunity. Getting diverse parties to agree on a Plan or a settlement isn’t easy – knowing how to understand the issues from their perspective and match their specific needs with your specific wishes is how to get a global deal done in a way that all parties will defend rather than just grudgingly accept. Our mediation experts know this well – when trying to bring parties holding opposing views together, it’s important to understand their deeply held positions and where there is common ground. Much has been discussed about the differences between millennials and the more senior people of our profession – I found myself nodding in agreement when reading lesson after lesson about the power of listening, and I found myself smiling remembering one story involving me that somehow made it into the book. If you want to see what makes Stan Mastil someone that people race to work with, read the story starting on page 70.

That’s not all we’ve been doing here at the firm, of course. We won a Turnaround Atlas Award for our work on the Exide case, where we worked with our friends at Foley & Lardner to advise the Noteholders. I received a Turnaround Leadership Award and I really have no idea how that happened, but I’m humbled and thankful for the honor! Ross Waetzman will be making his speaking debut at the ABI Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop next month, speaking about energy-industry cases. We’re generating great results for clients and trying to give back as much as possible – all we could possibly ask for in terms of what we get to do day to day.

See you at the fall conferences and have a safe and enjoyable rest of the summer!

Ted Gavin is a Managing Director and a Founding Partner of Gavin/Solmonese, where he leads our Corporate Recovery practice. In 2015 and into 2016, The Deal Pipeline ranked Ted the #1 Crisis Manager in the U.S. based upon the number of active engagements.