1. How do you define your legal practice and typical clients?
I tend to work with founder led companies but not necessarily start-ups. I particularly tend to do sell-side M&A projects or other significant transactions (joint ventures, key contractual arrangements, etc.). I also work with executives on their employment agreements, equity grants and equity roll-over documents in an M&A context as those documents are presented by the acquiror. At this point I would say I am industry agnostic but have done multiple deals with wealth management advisors, insurance managing general agencies and other service companies.
2. Tell us about your legal career journey. What made you become a lawyer and how did you land at Practus?
I became a lawyer for the worst reason possible – I didn’t like my job prospects out of college so I stayed in school. I studied economics undergrad (and loved it) so I joined the corporate and securities law track at George Mason University School of Law. The entire law school was based on the “Chicago School” Law and Economics approach and this program was most aligned with my interests.
I passed the bar and quickly went to a white-shoe firm to represent Bank of New York, Deutsche Bank and other big money center banks. Then the kids started coming. I lasted 18 months in the city after my first son was born and came back to Richmond, Virginia in 2000 to work for a regional firm (LeClairRyan). That firm grew from roughly 45 attorneys to 385 and was AmLaw 200. That firm went bankrupt in 2019. I like to say that I helped build a firm and helped bury it. LOTS of lessons learned.
Shortly after that I met John Lively and joined Practus in 2020. I needed to rebuild my practice (because I focused so much on law firm management the five years before). and it made more sense to bet on myself in our business model than to go to some other regional firm in Richmond or uproot the family. Practus was (clearly) the right choice.
3. What about the Practus model serves you as a legal professional, and as a person?
I enjoy the flexibility of working how I like and accepting the kind of work that I believe I would be best suited for. Our partners have been great at referring work to me internally and I have a good network that feeds me opportunities locally. I think my experience in being an executive and leader of a law firm helps me advise my clients better…whether things are on the upswing (like Practus) or lessons learned when I was “the last man standing” at my prior firm. My clients appreciate that I don’t have hours to fill or associates to keep busy so they get access to me and my expertise irrespective of the size of the project. If I need to “scale up”, I can find contract attorneys to assist. If I need greater expertise or can refer something internally, I do that as well. Our clients put a great deal of value on us being their “trusted advisor”, so I think of that every way I can when addressing the issues they bring to me.
4. What is your definition of professional success?
I find that to be a really difficult question. I am of the generation that does not differentiate who I am from what I do. As a result, it makes “success” a difficult thing to describe. I know too many profoundly miserable rich people who most folks would consider successful. I see them as muddling through life with big houses and expensive cars (things that don’t love you back). I strive for balance and am thankful that my wife and I are still together (she has known me since high school) and my kids like to spend time with me (they are 27, 24 and 22 years old). I don’t know if that constitutes “professional success”, but we are in an industry that is marred by depression, drug abuse, suicide and a long list of horribles…so I feel good about that. I do believe that I have helped our clients achieve great things, and they have been appreciative of the role we play in contributing to their success.
5. What is the one thing you wish people about to hire a lawyer with your expertise knew?
We are in a funny business in that most clients are generally not good at judging the quality of the work they receive from lawyers or law firms. That is not universally true (but I find it generally true). They are sensitive to things like cost, how long it takes for their counsel to respond and whether they are nice to talk to…but they are generally not good at judging the quality of the legal work they receive. It is funny how AI is exacerbating this issue. On two instances this year, I have had clients hire me to review the work product of computers they used to generate the initial drafts. They thought “everything looked good” but wanted me to pass upon it myself. I was not impressed. I am sure it will get better over time, but I do wish that people had a better sense of the quality of the work they are purchasing from other law firms or pulling down off the internet.
6. Sometimes our best quality is also the one that get us in tough situations. Tell us about your best quality and how it has mostly worked for you, except that one time …
I think one of my better qualities is that I tend to be calm when stakes are high. I have “seen a lot” and I believe I add value to a situation when I am the calming presence in the room. It also means I don’t get too excited during good times, and people have perceived that to mean there is an apparent lack of enthusiasm or I am disinterested. It does not. I just try to be the duck (still on top of the water but paddling really hard underneath). I do get noticeably excited about sinking long birdie putts and my new found passion for the mighty Brighton and Hove Albion Seagulls.
7. What would your colleagues be totally shocked (or mildly surprised) to find out about you? Do you kill at karaoke? Write political thrillers? Watch Star Trek (original) reruns?
I still listen to a shocking amount of rap / hip hop. Started in high school and I lived in Brooklyn at a great time in music history. My kids share stuff with me and I attempt to stay relatively current. I listen to lots of other music as well, but the rap music part really throws off folks at the country club.
Can we give you a rap name? G Law Lange maybe?
Please don’t. I already have that base covered. Folks have called me Clubber Lang since high school. If you don’t know who that is, feel free to google Clubber Lang and you will know why. The resemblance is striking.
Bonus Question:
Alright, Clubber. If you had a bumper sticker that defines your basic philosophy for how you live your life, what would it say. And please don’t tell us, “If you can read this your too close.”
Ironically, I really don’t like bumper stickers, and prefer to punt, but this would be a great sticker on my car. You can learn more about the association here.
AND…this is the one and only sticker I ever had on my car in my life (glad to see it is still available on the internet)
So, no bumper stickers, but you would be open to a Belgian Family Brewers sticker because you love traditional and modern Belgian ales. And you’ve provided an image of a sticker that was on your car for years – the only one ever. For someone who wanted to punt this question, you’ve kind of gone above and beyond to establish your bumper sticker vibe.
You asked.
