The trick to moving from one type of legal practice to another, says Charles James, is making the transition look smooth even when it isn't. In his three decades of practicing law, James moved from government service to a law firm to the top legal job at a public company—notching major accomplishments at each stop. "One of the best things that's happened to me is that people have given me the opportunity to stretch out," says James, 59.
After a five-year stint at the Federal Trade Commission, the Newark native moved to Jones Day's antitrust department in 1985. James made partner in 1989 and became head of the practice in 1993. Jones Day partner Joe Sims, who hired James, says his former colleague's success is due to persistence. "It's easy to argue a point," Sims says. "It's harder to stick to a point in the face of resistance."
