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Lee Rudy, Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check[/caption] Lee Rudy Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check

Last year, Rudy managed a team of lawyers who took on Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook in the Delaware Court of Chancery. The litigation challenged Facebook’s decision to issue a new class of nonvoting stock with the explicit purpose of extending Zuckerberg’s control over the company.

On behalf of a large Swedish pension plan, Lee’s team litigated the case until the eve of trial, when Facebook withdrew the proposal just days before Zuckerberg was set to testify. As the case only sought injunctive relief, Facebook’s decision to abandon the transaction granted plaintiffs the full relief they sought at trial.

What career path would you have pursued if you weren’t a lawyer?

I thought seriously about becoming a teacher. I like the challenge of explaining complicated things to people.

Name a mentor or someone you admire.

My first bosses out of law school, in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, who taught me not to take shortcuts, to keep digging when I wasn’t sure, but then to stand firm for what I thought was right.

What is the best advice you ever received?

In 1992, for my first Valentine’s Day with my (now) wife, I bought her a series of gag gifts. It didn’t go over great. My father shook his head and said, “You don’t f--- with Valentine’s Day.”

I’ve bought her flowers every year since.

In 50 words or less, what does the legal profession need to do to prepare the next generation of lawyers?

Millennials get a bad rap—they’re considered self-absorbed and easily distracted. But they’ve also grown up in a world where texting and email has replaced oral communication. We need to figure out how to harness the incredible energy and passion of millennials and direct it in a positive way, e.g., on oral advocacy, rather than on avocado toast.

What’s the one piece of advice would you give someone when dealing with a crisis?

Everyone always expects an instantaneous response. It’s OK to take a moment to think.