BusinessReport.com

For Carmen Lavergne, the devil’s in the details.

Lavergne fell into the world of bond transactions when she graduated from LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center with interests in corporate securities and governmental relations as practice areas. Working in the public-finance sector requires aptitude in both.

“In a way, it’s [bond transaction] very technical, and you have to pay attention to detail because you’re dealing with documents,” she says. “But at the same time, you deal with politicians and government processes so you need the people skills, too.”

It’s obvious Lavergne is up to the task. In less than three years, she made partner at McGlinchey Stafford and had two children after an ovarian cancer diagnosis left her with little hope of having them. The challenge of public finance, Lavergne says, lies in being a young lawyer in a highly specialized field where youth is a rarity and work is dominated by tradition as much as the written law.

So how does Lavergne compete with professionals 30 years her senior?

“You have to work hard and have a good relationship with your clients,” she says. “That’s where the rubber meets the road. Now that the bond market is moving again, you have to reach out to your clients.”

Lavergne admits that even a year ago, her focus was mainly on her career, children and volunteer work that includes a seat on the Baton Rouge Little Theater’s Board of Governors and membership in the Baton Rouge Junior League.

“Getting out of law school, establishing yourself professionally and having kids, it’s like you’re always moving on to the next thing in line,” she says. “It’s sad, because you live in this bubble and you don’t really see the community you live in.”

A wake-up call was acceptance into the Baton Rouge Area Chamber’s Leadership Baton Rouge series, which opened her eyes to the city as a whole. Lavergne is in the process of creating a similar initiative through the Junior League.

“When the Junior League sends ladies out, the volunteer work they do is important,” she says. “This will give them the tools they need to understand the community and learn about the city.”

Age: 34

If you could have a job other than your own, what would it be? “Own an antique store. I love antiques and old things. Since I’m in a noncreative field and I have a creative part of my personality that can feel stifled, that’s what I’d like to do.”

Click here for the complete list of 2009's Forty Under 40 winners.