Shearman & Sterling’s Esther Jansen, a Frankfurt-based partner in the Finance Group, was featured as a "Voice of Experience" on The Glass Hammer, an online community designed for women executives in financial services, law and business.

The article discusses the circuitous path that ultimately led Jansen to the legal profession. “Don’t opt out before you ever get a chance to start your career,” she advises. Taking advantage of unexpected opportunities is how she became a well-known and highly regarded lawyer at Shearman & Sterling.

Jansen became a partner in 2005 and specializes in German and cross-border finance transactions. Over the past year, she has developed relationships with private equity houses and worked with banks and corporates on financing transactions, insolvency issues and high yield bonds.

Jansen encourages young women to start networking early, both internally and externally, and to dismiss their fears of taking on ambitious jobs. “Gaining experience at a firm like Shearman & Sterling means that all the doors are open. Even when women leave, they have a strong foundation to launch the next phase of their career that they wouldn’t have had if they hadn’t pushed themselves.”

Read Esther Jansen’s "Voice of Experience" profile on The Glass Hammer.