Corporate & Securities Law

Wachtell Skadden & Gladwell

By Werner R. Kranenburg

In a somewhat off-topic post, last night I went to see Malcolm Gladwell live on stage. He’s got a new book out, Outliers, and his untitled hour-long talk was basically an introduction into his book’s theme, subtitled The Story of Success, and mostly the oral presentation of one of the chapters in the book - Chapter Seven: The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes. From the inside cover:

The real secret of success turns out to be surprisingly simple, and it hinges on a few crucial twists in people’s life stories - on the culture they grow up in and the way they spend their time.

On the way home from the theatre I started reading my fresh hard back, signed copy, from Chapter Five: The Three Lessons From Joe Flom. ‘Flom‘ as in ‘Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP‘, the firm’s first associate back in 1948 and now it’s last living name partner. His story is being told from an expectedly unconventional angle. ‘What were Joe Flom’s opportunities?’

Gladwell is a fascinating storyteller with lots of fascinating stories to tell. (Also see his talk on the ‘ketchup conundrum‘ at TED, below.) Why too is it relevant, in understanding the firm, that all four Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz name partners were born in 1930 or 1931?

Full post as published by With Vigour and Zeal on November 25, 2008 (boomark / email).