Attorney Spotlight: New York Transactional Partner Michael Pass on Why Robinson+Cole Was the Right Choice For Him
Depth, Collaboration, and Long‑Term Opportunity
As Robinson+Cole continues to strengthen its platform through intentional talent investment, lateral partners offer a clear window into how the firm supports sophisticated practices and long‑term growth. In the second installment of our Attorney Spotlight series, Christine B. Cottrell, the firm’s Senior Manager, Lateral Partner Recruiting, sat down with Partner Michael Pass to reflect on his first year at the firm. Michael shares what initially attracted him to Robinson+Cole, how the firm’s collaborative platform has supported his transactional practice, and how his experience has matched his expectations.
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Read our cookie policy.Christine B. Cottrell (Christine): What originally drew you to Robinson+Cole, and how has your experience compared with your expectations of your first year?
Michael B. Pass (Michael): When I was considering a lateral move, I was looking for a mid-size firm with a full-spectrum practice, one that covered multiple corporate practices as well as litigation. That was what initially made me interested in Robinson+Cole.
I was also looking for a firm with a strong New York City office, but one that had other offices to draw upon as well. It became clear very quickly that Robinson+Cole has a strong presence throughout the Northeast, but also a national reach, with the ability to practice seamlessly across jurisdictions. Lawyers across different offices work together closely, which was important to me.
In terms of whether the experience has matched my expectations—yes, it truly has. I’ve worked at multiple firms, all good in different ways, but here, what you see is what you get. The people really are who they present themselves to be. While you always come in with some degree of skepticism, everything has lived up to those expectations in this first year.
One thing that has been especially notable is getting to know not just the partners, but the full team across the firm: counsel, associates, business professionals, paralegals, legal assistants, and the marketing, business development, and communications teams. It’s a deep group, all supporting the same goal of serving clients, and everyone I encounter seems genuinely happy to be working here.
Christine: What was your impression of the firm during the recruiting process? How has that manifested itself?
Michael: As the process moved forward, what really stood out was the combination of having a platform that supported my own practice—M&A and business transactions—along with a deep bench of specialty areas that would be useful both to me and to my clients. Just as important was the culture of the firm. From the beginning, people were very welcoming, and it was clear that collaboration was a real priority. I was also struck by how many partners I spoke with had spent most, if not all, of their careers at Robinson+Cole, which is not always the case.
Christine: How has being at Robinson+Cole enhanced your practice, and how would you describe your practice for those who may not know your work yet?
Michael: My practice is a broad-based transactional practice. While I focus on M&A, I also serve as primary outside counsel for many companies. In both roles, issues arise regularly that require different lawyers and specialty skill sets.
Joining R+C from a boutique, it has been extraordinarily beneficial to me and my clients to leverage the wide array of practice groups we have at the firm, including our litigation, tax, intellectual property, real estate, and benefits groups. Having those capabilities under one roof and being able to work in a cohesive way has been a boon to my practice.
Since joining Robinson+Cole, on an almost daily or weekly basis, I’m working with attorneys across the firm’s offices and specialty areas. My clients encounter a wide range of issues, and having immediate access to the right lawyers and teams has been invaluable.
In nearly all cases, the firm has the people and resources needed to address those issues. That was exactly what I was looking for. The combination of the firm’s size, environment, and depth of practice areas has fully supported my work as both an M&A attorney and an outside general counsel.
Christine: As you reflect on your one-year anniversary with the firm, what stands out to you about this milestone?
Michael: Reaching the one-year mark has been a good opportunity to pause and reflect. When I take stock of my career and my practice right now, it reinforces that I made the right decision in joining the firm.
Michael’s first year at Robinson+Cole reflects what many lateral partners discover after joining the firm: a platform built for collaboration, a culture that values people at every level, and the depth to support sophisticated, client‑driven practices. As the firm continues to grow thoughtfully across key markets and practice areas, attorneys seeking both professional alignment and long‑term opportunity will find a supportive environment to build and expand their work. Anyone interested in learning more about lateral opportunities at Robinson+Cole is encouraged to connect with the firm’s legal recruiting team.
