Getting to Know Gray Plant Mooty’s New Associates
As we announced earlier this month, Gray Plant Mooty brought on 10 new associates in August and September. We’re thrilled to welcome them to the firm. And while their resumes are impressive, they don’t tell the full story. We caught up with our new associates to learn what inspires them, what makes them tick, and what bands they loved when they were teenagers.
Wade Adamson
If you could live anywhere but Minneapolis, where would you choose?
I would live in London because my grandfather emigrated from London after World War II and my ancestors have a long connection to the city. I have also been to London twice and really enjoyed the mixture of history and modernity. It is my favorite city on the planet!
Tell us a surprising fact about yourself.
I have the lowest tolerance for spicy food of anyone I have ever met. Anything spicier than ketchup and I will need a tall glass of milk to make it through. It definitely limits my food options at certain restaurants.
You have a snow day by yourself to do anything you want. What will you do?
Sleep in, watch some Netflix, and read a good book. If I'm up early on my day off, something has gone terribly wrong.
Ashley Bailey
You and your friends are snowed-in at the cabin for the weekend. What board game do you choose first?
Quelf. It requires that you follow the directions on whatever card you draw, and each card is full of hilarious questions and stunts. I'd choose it because it's fun and allows people to relax and be goofy, and it doesn't trigger the competitiveness of other games like Monopoly.
Tell us one of your guilty pleasures.
I'm not sure I feel guilty about it, but I have a passion for iced/sprinkled cookies from Super America—yes, the gas station! They are two for one dollar, and I love them! I don't even get gas from Super America—just the cookies. And while I don't consider eating delicious cookies a guilty pleasure, I often go and get them right after I have left the gym!
Tell us a surprising fact about yourself.
I don't like balled up paper! It sounds strange, I know, but it just makes me uncomfortable. If you pay attention, you will notice that I never ball up napkins—I fold them over.
Kathryn Hauff
Name a person whom you deeply admire. What do you find admirable about them?
Lately I've been thinking about Julian Bond with his passing away earlier this summer. He was the chairman of the NAACP and a civil rights activist, and he contributed greatly as a public servant. I heard him speak a few years back, and he was incredibly inspiring.
Tell us one of your guilty pleasures.
Let's just say I was seriously worried when I saw there was a Yogurt Lab in the Crystal Court.
Tell us a surprising fact about yourself.
Instead of going on a post-bar trip, I played golf every day in August and took up tennis, playing 4-5 times a week.
Wade Hauser
What was your favorite band/musical artist when you were 16?
The Rolling Stones. My opinion on them has evolved, but not fundamentally changed. When I was 16, Mick and the gang were legendary icons. Now, they are even older and more legendary.
If you could live anywhere but Minneapolis, where would you choose?
St. Paul. Sorry, that’s a joke. I’d never live there. (Another joke). I’ve always had a farfetched desire to live in Amsterdam. It is beautiful, bike friendly, and has great beer.
How much time do you spend getting ready in the morning?
Far too much. I have a slow ritual involving yogurt, cereal, and NPR. It’s important.
Leah Leyendecker
What was your favorite band/musical artist when you were 16?
My favorite band at age 16 was Yellowcard. I went through a faux punk rock stage that I have very much grown out of.
How much time do you spend getting ready in the morning?
I spend about an hour getting ready in the morning, about 80% of which is spent taming my hair.
Tell us one of your guilty pleasures.
One of my favorite guilty pleasures is binge watching Netflix (I'm talking 8-hour days without leaving the couch).
Kiesha Mayes
What was your favorite band/musical artist when you were 16?
I’d have to say it’s a tie between Toni Braxton and Mary J. Blige. The first CD I ever purchased with my own money was Toni Braxton’s 1993 debut album Toni Braxton (okay, I was a little younger than 16 at the time), and my first concert was Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama” concert in 2002. Both are contemporary R&B artists with powerful, soulful voices. Over the course of more than twenty years, music from both artists has remained in heavy rotation on my boom-box, Walkman, Discman, iPod, and now iPhone.
What was the first social networking site you signed up for?
Facebook—first joined in 2007 during law school. I’ve tried to move on to cooler things like Snapchat, Twitter, and Vine. After about a week, I realized the majority of folks on these “cool” sites don’t find the stuff I do interesting (i.e., working, reading my car’s owner’s manual, painting my bathroom, making lists, organizing Tupperware). Facebook is more my speed—I'm comfortable there!
You and your friends are snowed-in at the cabin for the weekend. What board game do you choose first?
Monopoly. I think the number one complaint about this game is that it takes too long. If there are at least 6 friends snowed in, Monopoly should take us straight through the weekend.
Abigail McGibbon
You and your friends are snowed-in at the cabin for the weekend. What board game do you choose first?
No board games necessary; we’d go outside, build a luge track, and race down it on saucers.
What’s your least favorite holiday?
New Year's Eve. It is overrated and doesn't revolve around food.
Tell us a surprising fact about yourself.
I have traveled to 11 countries in the past two years.
Margaret Sayre
What was your favorite band/musical artist when you were 16?
When I was 16, I loved NSYNC. I'm still a fan of Justin Timberlake, especially his comedy bits—his rap medley on Fallon this week was amazing! Now I spend more time listening to country than pop.
If you could be a world-renowned expert on any topic, what would that topic be?
I would love to be an expert on the artist Pierre Bonnard. After college, I interned in the publishing office of the National Gallery of Art, where I had the opportunity to study Bonnard and his works. I'm passionate about art and even took a course in art law in law school.
Tell us a surprising fact about yourself.
I was a bystander on The Bachelor. My husband and I were walking to dinner in downtown Des Moines, and we stumbled upon the camera crew for the bachelor Chris Soules' hometown date. We met Chris and had the thrill of seeing ourselves on TV several months later.
Amanda Sicoli
You and your friends are snowed-in at the cabin for the weekend. What board game do you choose first?
My friends and I are huge cards players. No matter where we are—snowed-in, rained-in, or just sitting around—someone always manages to pull out a deck or two of cards and get a game of pinochle, euchre, or poker going. My favorite board game of the moment is Settlers of Catan. The game is different each time you play so it doesn’t get boring.
If you could live anywhere but Minneapolis, where would you choose?
Despite my never having visited, I would live in Cosenza, Italy. My father’s entire extended family remained in Italy when my grandparents moved their family to the United States. I remain in touch with cousins, aunts, and uncles and they seem to know how to live well—food, wine, the Calabrese beach, and family!
What was the first social networking site you signed up for?
My first social networking site was MySpace. I do not still use it and in fact, I couldn’t even tell you what mine looked like!