Women in Real Estate Spotlight

Executive chair of Herrick and co-chair of the firm's Real Estate Department, Belinda Schwartz, was highlighted in the "Women in Real Estate Spotlight" as a featured woman who spoke at IMN: The Distressed CRE Forum. In this feature, Belinda spoke with IMN about how she has navigated her career. 

What was your route to where you are in your career?
I worked hard throughout my entire career to put my clients’ best interests first and learned to navigate difficult situations in a respectful way. Throughout, I fostered relationships both internally and externally that enabled me to build trust and real connections with my partners and my clients… And I tried never to lose my sense of humor.

What do you wish you had known when you started out in the legal profession?
I am certainly glad I didn’t know how hard it was going to be! My career has been extremely rewarding, but I’m happy I was naïve as to how challenging my career growth would be. A woman in "big law" leadership just wasn’t something I saw on the horizon. Over my career, I made hundreds of small decisions that enabled me to be where I am today. So, I would have liked to know that there was indeed a path where I could both be myself and also grow as an attorney and leader along the way, but a path, nonetheless.

Click here to read more about Belinda and her colleagues who spoke at IMN: The Distressed CRE Forum.