Ilan Nissan, head of private equity/M&A at Goodwin Procter, discusses on the podcast Drinks with The Deal how he developed and maintains his practice and why he enjoys advising PE sponsors on succession issues. Nissan was trained as an M&A lawyer, but he also thought about ancillary practice areas that would help him build a client base, with fund formation being a particular area of focus because it’s "the lifeblood of a PE sponsor," he said, and an activity in which the most senior people in the organization are deeply involved. Generational succession is a central issue at sponsors that have done well. "If you’re doing your job right, a lot of people will put stock in what you say because they know you have history with everyone and they know you're more easily able to negotiate with them and their representatives," he said.