1. How do you define your practice and areas of experience:
Wow, that is a surprisingly hard question. The easy answer, I suppose, is that I am a tax lawyer, but I think I have grown beyond that narrow definition. I represent a lot of investment funds and technology companies, so I have learned a fair amount about securities laws, IP, and similar areas. My wife likes to say that I have become a “trusted adviser.”
2. Tell us about your legal career journey. How did you get here?
I began as an associate at Dechert, LLP where I rose through the ranks and eventually became an equity partner. I have a special needs son. He was not thriving, so I left my position at Dechert and was a stay-at-home father for three years. During that time, I would walk him to and from school and sit with him at the dining table after school to help him with homework (he recently became a nurse, so I am enormously proud of his success). Once he had a stable routine, I started taking on legal projects and I then co-founded Practus, which gave me the flexibility to care for my son and do top quality legal work.
3. What is your professional secret sauce? The secret of your success?
I help good people to solve vexing problems. My father, who was also a lawyer, told me that someone is going to look at a bill for every task I completed and that I should be incredibly careful to deliver value commensurate with whatever was on the bill.
4. Which lawyer depicted by Hollywood do you most relate to? Who is your Hollywood alter ego?
While I lack his connections to the criminal world (and, of course, George Clooney’s good looks), I really admire Michael Clayton. He solved problems in a pragmatic and creative manner. I aspire to do the same.
5. What would people be most surprised to know about you?
I was in the movie “Eddie and the Cruisers”! The movie was filmed at Haverford College while I was studying there. I got a job as an extra. Mostly I am in crowd scenes, but I am clearly visible in one scene featuring Tom Berenger and Ellen Barkin on the college green.
6. Pick one of the following questions to answer:
- Tacos or pizza? TEAM PIZZA 100%, Seriously, is that even a reasonable question?
- Beach or mountains? Beach!
