Inside Look: Trends, Predictions, and Advice from Goodwin’s New Litigation Chair, Carl Metzger

Last month, BBA sponsor firm Goodwin announced that Boston-based Carl Metzger is stepping into the Chair position for its global litigation department. In this role, Carl will oversee the firm’s litigation strategy, the department’s continued growth, and client relations.

We had a quick chat with Carl about his new role, what he’s seeing in the litigation space, and his outlook for the years ahead:

Boston Bar Association: What trends are you seeing in the litigation space right now?

Carl Metzger: There are different types of trends in play for our industry. First, there are practice areas that are particularly active or that involve “cutting-edge” areas of the law, such as AI-related litigation, cyber-related litigation and active sectors of the governmental investigations field. Next, there are trends in what clients expect from their litigators, such as client-specific industry expertise and better coordination on cost control and efficiency. Finally, there are trends in how litigators practice their craft, such as the use of AI tools and more cross-border capabilities.

BBA: What are your predictions for the year ahead?

Carl: Our litigation practices will remain very active – we’re on an upswing that will continue. That said, we can’t take such success for granted – our field is dynamic, and the competition is fierce. We have to be at the top of our game, both as to our expertise and our level of client service.

BBA: How do you support new lawyers on your team interested in gaining essential practice skills and litigation experience at the junior level?

Carl: Great question, and one that, in my opinion, doesn’t get asked enough in our industry. It starts with our firm having a genuine commitment to developing that talent and creating those opportunities for younger litigators. We can’t rely on “ad hoc” learning opportunities that may vary depending on what cases a junior litigator gets staffed on. You need a level of intentionality for designing those learning opportunities if you want to develop skills on a sustained and consistent basis.

We strive for “best-in-class” training programs but that, too, is not enough. We have to provide hands-on litigation work, and actual client engagement. We have a number of ways in which we achieve that, and we need to continue to stay focused on providing those opportunities.

BBA: You’re a Northeastern Law School alum; what advice would you have for current law students looking to pursue a legal career in litigation specifically? 

Carl: It can be hard for law students who think they are interested in being litigators to get a true sense of the actual day-to-day work. Additionally, being a “litigator” can mean very different things depending on your type of practice.

I was lucky because my law school, Northeastern, has a co-op program where, over the course of my three years, I had four different, full-time placements where I worked directly with practicing lawyers. By the time I graduated, I had actual trial experience in both civil and criminal cases in addition to many other types of litigation work.

Ideally, law students today can still find opportunities not just to witness litigation work but to get their hands dirty doing litigation work. It’s important because you have to love this work to do it most effectively. There has to be a part of you that feels genuinely excited about litigating, like this is what you were born to do. Most professions require that kind of devotion if you are going to perform at the highest level. That’s what we are looking for at Goodwin – litigators who have the drive and commitment to be the best in their field. Practicing together with attorneys like that is incredibly rewarding.

BBA: Anything else you would like to mention?

Carl: Part of what makes me so optimistic about the long-term future of litigation at Goodwin is that our current success is not just driven by a handful of older partners. We of course have very successful senior partners, but we also have a significant cadre of younger litigation partners across all offices who really are going to take us to the next level. They are talented, driven to succeed, and exceptional at working together.

That last part is critical. And it is incumbent on my generation to help position this group to succeed. We inherited this firm from the partners of Goodwin’s past, and we are the trustees for the partners of Goodwin’s future. It is our turn to step up and deliver on that responsibility, and we have an exceptional team for doing exactly that.