What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects of your job and why?
The most rewarding aspect of my job is helping people achieve peace of mind. Whether it’s assisting a client with the sale of his or her business, shepherding a startup off the ground, or coming up with solutions for challenging business realities, hearing the confidence in my clients’ voices and seeing the relief on their faces is extremely satisfying.
As for challenges, providing concrete answers and solutions for clients in the face of regulatory vagaries and the uncertainties of court interpretation and human behavior can make it difficult to deliver peace of mind to clients. However, it is precisely this challenging aspect of the profession that makes arriving at solutions so rewarding.
Who do you look up to or admire in business and why?
In general, I admire the entrepreneurial clients with whom I work. There is an old saying that “luck favors the bold” and I find this to be true. The legal profession is a fairly risk-averse profession, constantly trying to figure out all the possible ways in which a client can get themselves or their business in trouble. Dealing with these myriad risks on a daily basis makes the prospect of being an entrepreneur a very daunting proposition, so to work with so many bold and energetic entrepreneurs is really inspiring to me.
I also look up to those businesses and professionals who take time to give back to their communities, not just with money but with their time. I am a member of the Madison South Rotary (MSR) which, among other things, operates a brat stand for all home Badger games (its next to the Madison fire station across from Camp Randall). The proceeds raised by the MSR are distributed to nonprofits in Dane County that benefit the community’s youth, at-risk, and disadvantaged populations. The members of the MSR are not only my friends, but I admire their recognition of the principle that when the lives of our community members improve, our own lives improve. Seeing these people work together week in and week out and taking time from their family and professional lives to work toward a better community gives me a tremendous amount of pride and admiration for my colleagues.
What has been the high point of your career so far?
The high point of my career is undoubtedly being welcomed by von Briesen & Roper s.c. (vBR) as a shareholder. vBR’s decision was based on several of their attorneys’ interactions with me while I was on opposite sides of a handful of transactions. I can think of few higher compliments or achievements than receiving the acknowledgment of my former opponents regarding the quality of my work and the strength of my character.
Thinking back on your career, what advice would you give your 21-year-old self?
I came to the practice of law later in life than most attorneys and I don’t regret any of the major choices or steps along the way (running a restaurant in my 20s, attending graduate school, moving from Wisconsin to California and then back, etc.). I honestly don’t know what I could tell my 21-year-old self that he would even listen to. However, I suppose I would try to assure him that through hard work and, as the saying goes, going where the action is, that eventually you will get where you want to go.
What would you say are the best things about living and working in Dane County?
Dane County is an exceptional area to raise a family. From its tremendous public school system to the vibrancy that the university brings to the area to the exceptional community resources (the lakes, bike trails, ski hills, museums, golf courses, etc.), my wife and I could not have been luckier to have had two kids born and raised here.
Do you have any secret talents or abilities that people would be surprised to discover?
Do not let my penchant for flowery language and limited physical stature fool you, I actually possess some fairly significant carpentry skills. During the lockdown, I finished off the basement of my family’s home and made built-in bookcases around an old fireplace by hand. I’m currently in the process of building a breakfast nook and refurbishing a deck and every time I end up covered in saw dust or wood stain, I chuckle at the juxtaposition with my buttoned-up daily office life.
What are your guilty pleasures?
I am a complete sucker for old movies, particularly comedies from the Marx Brothers and Mel Brooks, and always have been. In college, my roommates used to say that any movie I described as a “classic” was just another way of saying “bad movie.” However, this secret passion has helped me hone my dad-joke game, which according to my 8-year-old, is incredibly strong.
Click here to sign up for IB’s e-newsletters — your resource for the local business news you need to know. If you are not already a subscriber to In Business magazine, be sure to sign up for our monthly print edition here.
