Re’Necia Sherald
Haynes and Boone, LLP
The need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) programs has become increasingly prevalent in the workplace. As businesses put DE&I policies in place, the results have been fruitful in enhancing positive employee experiences and creating safe and inclusive spaces where everyone can thrive.
Re’Necia Sherald is an associate at Haynes and Boone, LLP, in Houston, Texas. Sherald had dreams of becoming a doctor growing up, but in high school, she realized that a career in medicine didn’t align with her true interests. This realization caused her to pivot into the world of law.
In law school, Sherald was fortunate to have a professor who was a bankruptcy lawyer who planted the seed that fostered her decision to choose restructuring as her practice area.
Sherald started her legal career in private practice last September after clerking for a bankruptcy judge for two years out of law school. During her clerkship, she was introduced to TMA and found value in networking both vertically and horizontally with other professionals in the industry. Sherald has been a member of TMA for three years and enjoys that TMA provides opportunities for people from different sides of the deal to meet and get to know one another.
When asked what drew her to the bankruptcy industry, Sherald referred to it as a “fascinating practice that is a giant puzzle awaiting to be solved. There are issues that arise that require a collaborative effort from all professionals involved. Your curiosity will always be piqued in this line of work.”
While turnaround and restructuring is indeed a thrilling practice, there’s still room for growth in the number of women, and especially women of color, entering this field. Sherald shared, “When you walk into a room and you notice you’re ‘the only,’ that is something that you observe, and it can be frustrating at times. With that said, I’ve also had the honor of working with great people from varying backgrounds that have helped me to develop a skillset to create relationships with everyone, including people that don’t look like me or don’t seem to have anything in common with me.” Sherald also noted that those challenges have produced opportunities for her to grow both personally and professionally.
When asked about her greatest professional accomplishment, Sherald shared, “Becoming the first lawyer in my family and landing at a great place to practice law. Law isn’t often a highlighted career path for some racial minority groups, but when you see people explore these types of career paths, they can become attractive and achievable. I believe that it’s important for young people to see a restructuring lawyer, an investment banker, or even a financial advisor to know that those careers exist and that they are attainable.
“When people see me, I want them to see themselves and know that they can work in this industry. Dare to do those things that have been least glamorized or not glamorized at all. If you’re someone who is curious, likes to learn about business and different industry trends, or enjoys a fast-paced environment and working on deals, then turnaround and restructuring might be an industry you should explore.”
In parting, Sherald spoke of the importance of diversity: “The better representation we have in the industry, the more effective it will be as we grasp more of the world around us. It will broaden and diversify the industry, and we all will become sharper as professionals, more empathetic, and smarter on different issues as we learn how to work collaboratively with others across the table, which makes us all better.”