Eric Wilensky Unplugged

Although working for a prestigious global law firm, within months of his arrival in New York, Eric Wilensky was longing for a return to Delaware.  “Don’t get me wrong, New York is a great place and the firm was fantastic,” he says, “but after working in Delaware, my expectations and desires had changed.”  Having clerked for Chancellor William B. Chandler III and Vice Chancellor John W. Noble of the Delaware Court of Chancery, Eric says he had “experienced Delaware and the standards of the Delaware Bar.”  So, while he shouldered on in New York, he continued his due diligence into the possibilities in Delaware.

Now that he has settled in at Morris Nichols, Eric says that the difference is “like night and day.  Returning home and ending up at Morris Nichols was a great choice for me.  I wanted the important work for major clients, and I wanted to learn from nationally recognized attorneys.  But I also appreciate the unique feel that is the Delaware bar — a feel that Morris Nichols encapsulates.”

Despite statistics that show Delaware is home for corporate America, Eric says a common misconception is that New York firms craft the big deals while the role of the Delaware firm is nothing more than co-counsel signatories.  “That may be true elsewhere,” he says, “but Morris Nichols is always an integral part — from the initial advice on, to the defense of — large deals implicating Delaware law.”

Diversity in the workplace is a significant issue for Eric; he is a board member of GALLOP (Gay and Lesbian Lawyers of Philadelphia), and enjoys discussing the benefits of a diverse workplace, both with practicing members of the bar and members of the judiciary.  “As an openly gay man, I am pleased to say that sexual orientation is a nonissue here, both inside and outside of the firm.  It’s the quality of your work that counts.”  

Eric has many outside interests, including scoring baseball games, following politics, and traveling, and he spends a great deal of time developing his skills as a cook.  He recently moved into a new home and now has a kitchen designed for the most discriminating chef.

Once in a while Eric looks up some of his law school colleagues practicing in other jurisdictions.  He says, “I’ll ask my friends how their careers are going, and usually they say that things are just ‘OK.’  As for me, I’m doing great.  I love it here.”