Paul Crimmins attended seminary in Chicago before deciding to go to law school, and there are similarities between the counseling functions in the two careers, he said on this week’s Drinks With The Deal podcast.

As a student, said Crimmins, now an M&A partner at Mayer Brown LLP in Chicago: “I was out to lunch with a priest I knew, and he said, ‘Paul, the nicest thing you can say to somebody is their name.’ People think that means you’re a politician and a glad-hander. No, it’s that you’re important enough that I remember your name. It starts with that.”

Crimmins also discussed his approach to mentoring. “There are certain partners who expect the associates, or counsel or income partner, to be fully formed, and they’re not going to be,” said Crimmins, who advised Packaging Corp. of America (PKG) last year on its $1.8 billion purchase of the containerboard business of Greif Inc. (GEF).

“There are going to be times when you’ve got to sit down with the younger person and say: ‘Here’s what I liked, here’s what I didn’t. Here’s where I would have done it differently, but your approach is fine. But just to let you know, there is another approach to this.'”

Listen to the podcast with Paul Crimmins below:

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