Boomerang Spotlight: Jason Myers

Barnes & Thornburg (BT): What first inspired you to pursue a career in law?

Jason: I was working in asset management for a real estate developer and hydroelectric power producer in upstate New York. Two things led me to law: I fell in love with doing deals, and on a more practical side, my wife was finishing grad school and got a job teaching in Texas. When I started looking for jobs, everything I was interested in doing required either a JD or an MBA. I needed more letters after my name. I decided to go the JD route and make a career out of doing deals. 

BT: Were you always focused on transactional work, or did you ever consider litigation?

Jason: I had no desire to ever see the inside of a courtroom. As a summer associate, I did one litigation project, and that cemented the fact that I didn't want to do litigation. For me, the question was whether to practice real estate or corporate law. 

My work in the real estate world before law school didn't drive the decision. It was more that I thought about who I was. Real estate is tangible. There will always be a need for places to eat, sleep and work; there will always be a need for real estate in one form or another. That appealed to a risk-averse nature I have. Real estate practice aligned more with my personality and what I was interested in doing.

BT: What led you to Barnes & Thornburg the first time?

Jason: I spent about 11 years at another firm. Real estate finance was always at the core of what I did, but it was a broad practice. From there, I had an opportunity to go in-house to a private equity client of the firm, where I shifted more toward straight finance. I was there for about six and a half years. About five years in, there was a corporate restructuring, and my role went from frontline deal-making to back-office overhead. I knew that wasn't a good long-term solution for me, so I started looking.

I reached out to my network, which included Will Russ; we had been together at prior firms. Will suggested I come to Barnes & Thornburg. We kept the dialogue going for a while. I wasn't finding anything in-house, so I eventually decided to at least talk to Barnes and see what the process was like. After a while, I felt it was a good place to come back into private practice. That's what led me to the firm the first time.

BT: What happened during the time between your two stints at Barnes & Thornburg?

Jason: At one point, my wife had an opportunity for a job in Rhode Island, which led me to a law school classmate whose firm had a Boston office. She recruited me to work with her on economic development, adjacent to real estate and finance. About six months in, she moved to a larger firm, and I followed her there, but it just wasn't the right fit for me. 

However, there was a deal: a real estate transaction with an economic development incentive tied to it. Working through a significant issue right before closing reminded me that I love doing deals. That's who I am. I reached out to my network. Will Russ was one of the first people I called, and that initiated the discussion that brought me back here.

BT: What did you notice about the firm this time around that helped bring you back?

Jason: There's an energy in the firm that maybe wasn't as prevalent before. When I came back to talk to Will, he told me what was happening in the Dallas Real Estate group. I talked to Tommy Haskins, the Dallas managing partner, about what he's doing with the office, and it was exciting.

One of the things I appreciate about Barnes & Thornburg, particularly as it's grown, is that we have roots and core values that stem from our Midwestern base in Indianapolis. But as you grow – new offices, new attorneys – people come in and bring new ideas and new approaches. As those ideas get incorporated with the firm's base culture and values, you get what I can only describe as energy. There's excitement, there's activity, there's vision. It's just a good place to be.

BT: During your time away, did you find yourself approaching leadership or mentorship differently? Is there something you gained from that experience?

Jason: The biggest thing was realizing who I am, what I want to do, and the passion and joy that comes with doing that. As unpleasant as certain aspects of my journey were, I wouldn't have found my way back if I hadn't gone through them. The appreciation of being able to pursue the things that are meaningful to me – that came from that experience.

Since I've returned, I've looked for ways to give back to the discipline and to the junior attorneys here. One of the things that attracted me to coming back was the associate base that was already here — and we've grown since, particularly in the Dallas Real Estate group. Outside of the firm, I was elected to the board of the Dallas Bar Association’s Real Property Section. I was treasurer last year, secretary this year, and will be vice chair next year, with the chair role the year after that. It's a four-year commitment.

BT: What advice would you share with someone starting out in law or in the early stages of their career?

Jason: Figure out your personality and what practice area aligns with who you are. I spoke to our summer associates recently, and we had five attorneys presenting, representing real estate, corporate, litigation, labor and employment, and IP. You could see five distinct personality types come through in our normal presentations. I think it's helpful for young attorneys to see that. Figure out your approach to the world, your values, and what's important to you, and pursue a practice area that aligns with those things.

And start building your network now. Summer associates have asked me when to start thinking about getting clients. My answer was right now. Your law school classmates, the people sitting in that room – that's your network. Be mindful of it and maintain it. I wasn't always good at that early in my career. But if you start building and maintaining those connections early, that's how you get clients, how you get job opportunities, how you get wherever you're trying to go in this profession.

BT: Are you still in a learning mode yourself, or have you transitioned more fully into the role of mentor?

Jason: I'm always learning. AI is a great example. I need to learn from the younger attorneys. I need them to help teach me. There are tips around practice management and organization that I may have practiced more readily earlier in my career but drifted away from over the years. I'll see a junior attorney do something and think, that's a great approach. While I'm mindful that I have information and perspective that can benefit others, I'm always learning too.

BT: Outside of work, what do you enjoy?

Jason: Spending time with my wife, son and dogs. That's the core. I’ll watch and listen to sports, particularly baseball, and music to relax. My favorite artists are Bob Dylan, The Band and The Who, along with ’80s alternative, but I still try to find current artists who are inspired by or of a similar vein to those. Noah Kahan came on the radio and reminded me of Bob Dylan, so I wanted to learn about him. Most of what I listen to is still the same music I've been listening to for years, but I like hearing new things.