In Podcast Interview, Frank Aquila ’83 Discusses Career Success, Offers Advice to Young Lawyers

Frank Aquila ’83, a member of the Brooklyn Law School Board of Trustees, was featured on Hsu Untied, a popular podcast series hosted by MLA Global Managing Director Richard Hsu, on August 25.

Aquila, a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell whose work focuses on mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance, joined Hsu to discuss his practice and his legal career. Aquila started at Sullivan and Cromwell 34 years ago as a securities lawyer, but was “quickly pulled” into the M&A field, he told Hsu. Today, he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading M&A lawyers.

He also offered advice to law students and lawyers starting their careers, encouraging them to try everything.

“It’s only when you are actually doing the work that you recognize what really is your calling,” he said.

Working on cross-border transactions, leveraged buyouts, proxy contests and other similar issues, Aquila has advised Amgen, Anheuser-Busch InBev, International Airlines Group, Kraft, and more. He was honored by the Law School as an Alumni of the Year in 2011.

Past guests on the Hsu Untied podcast have included Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, entrepreneur Mark Cuban, CNN Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin, and bestselling author Scott Turow.

Listen to the podcast here:

Frank Aquila, Partner at Sullivan & Cromwell, in Conversation with @HsuUntied