From the mad mad world of “Mad Men” to the equally mad mad world of Hamptons real estate, Haley Willis returned to the Hamptons to join the Adam Miller Group in Bridgehampton. Raised in Southampton, she went away to the Groton School and headed out to USC for her BA. After working in the intense writer’s room of “Mad Men,” she challenged herself by returning east to Fordham University School of Law and began her legal career at Clifford Chance in New York City where her practice areas included asset finance, capital markets, and real estate transactions. She now lives on the East End on a farm with her husband, fifth-generation farmer Peter Ludlow. She hit the ground running at the Adam Miller Group when soon after she joined the firm, the population on the East End exploded as a result of the Pandemic.
We caught up with Willis to learn more.
Tell us about growing up in Southampton.
I grew up in Southampton because my parents didn’t want to raise a child in the city. My father, a management consultant, did the Monday morning early train/Friday night late Jitney commute throughout my childhood, and I followed in his footsteps in law school and during my time at Clifford Chance (my husband has very strong local roots, and obviously the farm can’t pick up and move with him, so I spent weekends out East while attending Fordham Law and working at Clifford Chance).
Why did you go to California? Were you an aspiring actor, writer? How did you end up working on “Mad Men”?
I went to California to attend the University of Southern California where I studied acting. After college I stayed in Los Angeles to pursue a career behind the camera and was lucky enough to work in the writers’ room of one of the hottest shows at the time (and arguably one of the best TV shows of all time) — funnily enough, I got that job through a local Hamptons connection from my church. This was a dream job and put me in the same room with some of Hollywood’s hottest players — but I longed for friendships and strong bonds that were difficult to come by in the industry-driven, superficial world of Los Angeles. The East Coast was calling me back, and I knew I needed a change that would take me out of the “industry.” Matthew Weiner, the creator and showrunner of “Mad Men” who became a dear friend and mentor during my time with the show, actually wrote my law school recommendation letter. I probably owe my legal career to what must have been the best-written recommendation letter of all time!
What made you decide to become an attorney?
I really missed using my brain. Working on “Mad Men” reminded me how much I love writing and how powerful the written word can be. I knew that if I left LA I would need to make a big change, and law school seemed like the best fit for me. I also felt like I needed to go back to school because my conservatory-style college experience didn’t allow me to exercise my mind in a way that would make me a viable professional in another career.
What was being at a big firm in NYC like? What was the best aspect and what did you most dislike?
Clifford Chance is one of the preeminent law firms in the world, and currently boasts one of the top Real Estate practices in the world. The education I got there was invaluable and second to none. I was fortunate enough to get involved with the real estate group early on and worked on a billion-dollar REIT real property acquisition during my time with the firm (the transaction made headlines early on in the pandemic for how the team needed to work quickly and creatively to salvage the deal). The only thing I disliked was the commute!
What was the impetus to move out east?
Peter and I had just moved into a house on the farm and were planning our wedding — I wanted to be closer to family and to the home I was making here. It didn’t hurt that my move coincided with the pandemic and an unprecedented demand in the local real estate market. I worked as an intern at Adam Miller Group during law school, and it had always been in the back of my mind as the place I’d really like to end up. The atmosphere that Adam has created is warm and welcoming, and Adam is a natural-born teacher. I knew I could learn a lot from him.
You got married last year to local dairy farmer Peter Ludlow?
We got married on June 19! I do live on a farm, which has honestly been a dream of mine since I was a little girl and had a dairy farm play set that I loved. He is a fifth-generation farmer with deep ties to the community and to the land itself. He also plays the organ at St. John’s Episcopal Church and St. Andrew’s Dune Church, where we married, in Southampton, which is how we met when I sang in his choir — I should say reconnected, because we both attended Hampton Day School back in the day, though there’s a four-year age gap. He reminded me how valuable it is to put down roots, inspired me to be passionate about my work, and to give back to the community that raised me.
How are you enjoying practicing law out here? How has the pandemic changed the way you practice?
Now that the world is starting to open up again, I’m finally enjoying putting some faces to the names I’ve been learning over the last year. I’ve seen how small the community is and how we all support each other in the local real estate community. From my perspective, the pandemic gave me the opportunity to see more volume in one year than I would have seen in possibly several years under normal circumstances, so I’ve learned a lot in a short time.