Most Dynamic Attorneys of the Year | Michael Gulotta

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MICHAEL GULOTTA

JINHEE WILDE

THE DYNAMIC ATTORNEY

Knowledge is power and

being a good attorney means respecting the knowledge you've obtained, striving to attain more, and using it to help those who do not possess the same expertise.

Michael Gulotta is dynamic, resilient and committed attorney with the vision to help people through his law practice. Upon the death of his father, Anthony Gulotta, he immediately took over the reins of Gulotta & Gulotta, PLLC — giving life to the new irm.

Continuing the Gulotta legacy, Michael is making sure Gulotta & Gulotta, PLLC is a place where members of the community can seek help with their legal troubles. He says, “Being a good attorney is realizing that you were gifted with the education and capability to help people who really have nowhere else to turn.”

As a pioneering leader, Michael has built his moral compass to guide him in a way that is consistent to his values. Moreover, he has relied on many leadership styles — being both collaborative and transformational — to build morale, motivation, and an individualistic sense of being for his team and clients.

Subsequently, his clients mean everything to him as he prides himself and his talented team to achieve the desired outcomes. He feels that his clients deserve nothing but the best. Combined with his team's rich knowledge, experience, and legal expertise, he is driven to provide the best legal services with utmost respect and professionalism.

A BALANCED PERSPECTIVE

It is vital to consider the impact of a

scheduled work-life balance in a leader's life. The 'work' aspect ensures that every waking hour is spent in maximizing impact, productivity and achieving goals while the other aspect gives a wellrounded perspective on life's other important goals like — family time, health and mental wellbeing, and passions.

However, in Michael's life one day bleeds into the next. Days become months, and months become years seemingly overnight. He shares that he still hasn't achieved a perfect work-life balance.

His typical day begins with him checking work emails from his bed. Then, he gets ready and heads to the ofice, court, or his home ofice to tackle time-sensitive tasks. “I have been criticized for failing to remember to take a break and eat some lunch. I do try to end my inofice time no later than 5 p.m. At home, I try to prepare dinner, do some laundry, and watch a little television before bed,” he adds.

However, his eye wanders occasionally back to his work email and this is why he advises to have no access to your mobile device before hitting the bed. Michael thinks that the balance shouldn't feel like a daily juggling act. Rather, he believes that “we should all allow ourselves to have busy days or even months devoted to work. Subsequently, he shares that the balance comes in taking a few days or weeks off-work to devote back to other aspects of your life.” That is, in his opinion, the only realistic worklife balance one can achieve if one is an entrepreneur.

CHAMPIONING HIS VISION IN ADVERSITY

It is important to recognize that you are only as resilient as your foundation and that requires time, patience and focus to continue building on it. While the road to success includes many setbacks and breakthroughs, focus and clear prioritization help in lourishing and thriving professionally.

Similarly, for Michael each case presents its own set of challenges. Sometimes, he inds a familiar pattern developing. For instance, some clients would require a lot more attention than others, necessitating unrealistic weekly or daily updates on a case that may take years to play out; while other clients have unrealistic expectations due to private google searches they have performed or friends and family that have given their “expert legal advice.”

Michael believes these activities help him to hedge these challenges with honesty and transparency. He adds, “If you explain to a client up-front how long a case may take and the different trajectories it could travel in, then he or she is less likely to have unrealistic expectations when it comes to a timeline, requiring less frequent updates.”

Effective communication unfolds clarity of thought, actions and processes. Michael realizes the importance of this and makes sure that there is no scope of miscommunication from his end. In his own words, he shares, “Communication is key on the attorney's end.”

But along with communication, patience also plays a key role in inluential leadership. When caught

“Being a good attorney is realizing that you were gifted with the education and capability to help people who really have nowhere else to turn.”

His enabling legacy

Michael's association with being an attorney is a generational trait. In fact, every generation of his family has had an attorney in it. He also realizes that it's crucial to put together all the related items while thinking of the bigger picture.

He shares, “I have had family members sitting as the Presiding Justice of the New York State Court of Appeals, County Executives, business owners, and public servants.” This laid the foundation of him choosing and applying to law school.

His father always suggested that he become a lawyer against the advice of counsel. Even after admission to the bar, Michael, unlike so many of his classmates, consciously decided to not work for his father. Instead, he represented children in family court and became a senior court attorney for the New York State Supreme Court.

Once his father passed away, he understood the importance of keeping his legacy alive. He noticed the effect of his father's work on many lives. Michael then proceeded to change the name of the irm to include his father, and he infuses his presence in everything he does — including this feature.

However, one of the most heartfelt pieces of advice Michael received recently was not to hold himself to any standard - to be his own person. He adds, “Despite any family legacies, you cannot put the pressure of any family legacy on yourself. Being true to yourself is how you will be able to continue that legacy.”

“Despite

any family legacies, you cannot put the pressure of any family legacy on yourself. Being true to yourself is how you will be able to continue that legacy.”

in the eye of the storm, retaining composure deines true leadership skills. It also reduces the possibility of snap judgments and improves the quality of decision-making.

Similarly, Michael also believes in the power of patience as this encourages high emotional intelligence which further helps in creating long-lasting, meaningful and deep relationships with everyone — his clients, employees and other stakeholders.

He also insists that clients need to understand the essence of patience and allow an attorney the chance to get back to them with an effective resolution as opposed to quick and half-baked solutions.

HARNESSING HIS TEAM'S TALENT

There is a stark contrast between teams of today from the past: they are more versatile, lexible, dynamic, and digital. But the one core principle that they strongly hinge on is the importance of collective collaboration.

Michael takes great pride in his team and its achievements. He has been successful in creating a compelling direction that inspires, engages, and energizes his team members. Consequently, the strong structure of his high-performing team has encouraged positive team dynamics leading to greater, effective, and sustainable results.

He especially mentions Jacqueline Verni, his principle personal injury paralegal, who has immense experience and multi-tasks like a true professional. Her ability to attend to every client's need immediately while being a mother of two children under the age of 5, is

both astonishing and commendable.

His other asset to the team - Vivian Contressa, the head real estate paralegal, has decades of experience handling purchases and sales. Michael shares, “ I cannot go to a closing without hearing our clients rave about what an amazing experience it has been to work with our irm because of Vivian.” Although buying or selling your home can be a very stressful life experience, Vivian deinitely sets his clients at ease, communicates with everyone involved in the transaction regularly, and has multiple self-checks of her work.

Although COVID-19 has hit everyone very hard, he is extremely proud of his team's achievements and contributions. “We have all been able to work diligently from home when needed and get the job done,” he asserts.

ON BEING YOUR ADVOCATE

In the midst of a growing series of contrasting outcomes: reduce costs and increase productivity, think globally and act locally; there is a demand for dynamic and versatile leadership.

Enabling leadership involves inclusiveness and involvement of everyone to bring out the best in others. Michael has borrowed this trait from his community and family where the focus is on ever-evolving feedback and overall development.

In fact, Michael enjoys the same hard-earned respect and reverence as his father did within the legal community, and he uses every resource available to make sure that

his clients are well taken care of.

With his law irm focusing on areas across personal injury cases, real estate, divorce, family law, and other civil matters, his advice to future attorneys is remarkable and straightforward — “Only do this if you have a genuine interest and passion for it.”

Michael is a well-rounded personality and is not afraid to stretch his boundaries to be more aware and futuristic. He showcases the right skillset to shoulder the responsibilities of his people, team and clients in a rapidly growing world.

Additionally, he encourages aspiring and practicing attorneys to explore different areas of the law to diversify their experiences and ind out what they like. He believes it's important to be open and advocate for yourself, while striving to grow and be productive.

He strongly recommends trying different types of work — the public and private sectors— to understand the differences, beneits, and areas of improvements. The insights from these experiences are especially valuable as they will guide, help, and build people to igure out what works best for them, and their lifestyle.

JINHEE WILDE

LEADING WITH EXAMPLE

Setting an example of leadership is easier said than done. It involves a dedicated individual to set a standard that urges others to replicate the same.

Jinhee Wilde, Founding Partner of WA Law Group, is one such pioneering example of a leader who makes her mark among her subordinates by leading with example. According to her, "A true leader is one who would lead by example instead of "do what I say, not as I do" type of person.”

Exeleon proudly looks at the story of Jinhee Wilde and her journey towards becoming a leading attorney.

EARLY YEARS

Jinhee came to America during her teenage years. Being a minority woman with little knowledge of the English language, she faced a lot of discrimination. Moreover, the cultural shock and discrimination made it further dificult for Jinhee.

"Being made fun of because I spoke halting English or my eyes looked slanted showed me that advocating for myself was very important," recalls Jinhee. As Jinhee grew up, she noticed this systemic racism against people who did not know how to speak up for themselves. She made a conscious choice to be the voice for these people through her actions.

ENSURING CLIENT SATISFACTION

Prior to starting WA Law Group, Jinhee was a partner at a few large as well as small law irms. Based on her

experience, she mentions "I saw that law business focused too much on billable hours and proits of the law irm instead of providing exceptional customer service to the clients.”

Jinhee established WA Law Group with a single goal in her mind – to treat clients the way we would like to be treated ourselves. She understands that treating clients with utmost respect and bringing them with success/approvals through her solutions would enable referrals for additional clients.

She points out an age-old jargon used in the Real Estate industry – if you build it, people will come.

The immigration process of the US is one that is extremely long and arduous. Jinhee claims that It can also be very subjective with a lot of discretion given to the adjudicator. "Although same criteria are met, the probative value of the evidence could be seen differently depending on the individual looking at it.”

Her job as lawyers is to present each case with a detailed explanation for how the adjudicators should see the evidence in the same view/light, thereby making it as easy as possible for them.

At WA Law Group, Jinhee and her team have established a process that enables optimal client satisfaction in every step of the way. The team takes time to answer its clients' questions via phone an emails within a 24-hour period, even if that might be to acknowledge the client about the communication.

As an immigrant herself, Jinhee understands how stressful not knowing or understanding the immigration status can be. "We don't count billable hours for every email or phone calls with our clients so that we could take time to explain and assure them of their case progress. Again, doing what is right for our clients resulted in more business for our irm."

THE JOURNEY

Jinhee's journey from shifting to the America, entering the ield of Law, and subsequently setting up WA Law

Group has been riddled with challenges. Moreover, her background also made it dificult for her to ind a mentor who would guide her or groom her along this journey.

She recalls, "My work has been discounted and my ideas totally ignored by some partners, while some white male counterparts went out goling with them and leapfrogged over me.”

Jinhee mentions that at the end of the day, she had to take detours and backtrack on her decisions and actions several times to get to the point that she is today. Further, she realized that doing the right things for her clients even at the expense of short periods of inancial loss would eventually all come together to ensure consistent proits.

The passionate attorney asserts, "Doing the right thing allows me to hold my head up high with no regrets –money comes and goes, but my integrity is forever.”

Looking back at her journey, Jinhee mentions that she would have set-up WA Law Group much sooner, instead of working with partners who did not appreciate her work or efforts.

From her own experiences itself, she advices emerging attorneys to look for a mentor who understands and supports their ideas and to be not afraid of striking out on your own path.

THE FUTURE

Talking about the future of WA Law Group, she claims "Our irm continues to grow even with the immigration practice that is contingent on the ickle administration policies, which is a testament to our clients' loyalty and referrals.”

In the coming years, Jinhee and her team will continue to provide the exceptional service that they have been known for. Furthermore, she wants to maintain the stellar approval track of her irm in order to help more immigrants who suffer through this tiresome process.

THE STALWART DUO SETTING STANDARDS OF SUCCESS

HANA BORUCHOV

Taking control of your

own personal development and growth is crucial in today's competitive environment, given the changes that occur in business environments, markets, and industries. Personal and professional development gives you a competitive edge in a crowded workforce, helping you differentiate yourself and stand out differently in the world. Whether it be attaining better presentation skills, learning to communicate effectively, improving your leadership approach,, or even helping discover hidden strengths within yourself, personal and professional development is essential.

For Hana Boruchov, Founding Partner at Boruchov, Gabovich & Associates, her personal and professional growth helped her become the pioneer that she is today. Although she claims to be

never a leader to start with, her will to lead by example on a daily basis and inding solutions to the problems at hand resulted in her leading a prominent law irm.

Nestled in the heart of Manhattan, NYC, Boruchov, Gabovich & Associates, P.C. is a full-service boutique domestic and international tax controversy, immigration, and commercial law irm. The irm is a renowned name for handling law cases related to tax litigation, FBAR compliance, trust fund recovery penalties, individual and corporate audits, voluntary disclosures, installment agreements, 1031 exchanges, contract negotiation, offers in compromise, entity formation, seizures, business immigration services, and much more.

A PROGRESSIVE START

Hana grew up in a bilingual, multicultural household and lived across several countries. She spent her childhood on three different continents attending three elementary schools and three other high schools. Hana's educational front was primarily distinguished as she was the irst female to get a bachelor's degree on either side of her family and the irst person to get a graduate degree.

While she never envisioned herself to become a leader, she always did what she believed was necessary and right.

DOING RIGHT BY EVERYONE

Hana had a career prior to joining the legal space and did not start college until later in her life. What persuaded her to become an attorney was her

interest in the notion of justice and fairness. She says, "I wanted to make a difference in the world, and I believed that a law degree would be the right way to help me accomplish my goals."

However, years later, when Boruchov, Gabovich & Associates commenced its operations, the whole world was ighting the peak phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the time when headlines spoke of employees getting laid off, and dark clouds loomed over many industries.

Additionally, during this time, Hana was pregnant with her irst child and knew she had to take signiicant risks to make a better life for her daughter and herself. At the same time, she also knew that people out in the world needed her help.

And now, as the Partner, she is proud of the irm's 'white-glove' service that makes sure she and her associates' best abilities,

compassion, and understanding are available to the clients when they need it the most. Alongside the esteemed services, Hana also makes sure to give each and every client individualized service. "We strongly believe in communication and give our clients the peace of mind they deserve."

OVERCOMING PERSONAL CHALLENGES

Hana overcame her professional challenges by offering esteemed services and looking after the people that needed help. However, there was a signiicant hurdle that restricted her growth personally on the personal side of things.

She explains, “With an infant and running a law irm, I have found it a little challenging to sort out my work-life balance. I believe both are important and iguring out a solution that leaves you with personal and professional

satisfaction has been a steep learning curve for me.”

Having a good work-life balance is also what she advises emerging leaders in the legal industry to work on. This delicate balance reminds her of one of the quotes by Nelson Mandela — “It always seems impossible until it's done.”

For the future, this is exactly what Hana envisions to achievea perfect work-life balance. “I plan to ind that work-life balance and to continue to grow both professionally and personally.”

Hana's professional journey has shown us that good things happen when you put others ahead of yourself and set your own interests and desires to grow. And her career proves this is true not only for attorneys but for anyone looking for success in any ield.

OUTSTANDING RECOGNITIONS

According to Hana, a transformational leader is one that has gone through a transformation themselves and uses their understanding through their development to assist others. Through personal growth she went through her own phase of transformation, one which ultimately led her to become a renowned name and win multiple accolades.

Hana is an honoree of Superlawyer's Rising Star Award for 2019 & 2020, Outstanding Women in Law Award for 2020, Top Attorney in America Award for 2020, Diversity in Business Award for 2020, Avvo Clients' Choice Award for 2019, and was named the 40 Under 40 by Long Island Business News. Moreover, she is also recognized for being an exceptional speaker and author.

Founding

By deinition, a business is

simply an organization designed to provide goods and services to consumers. However, by itself, it can't achieve anything unless people are working on it. Hence, no matter how excellent a service a business offers, having great employees keep customers coming back and the business growing.

Leo Gabovich, Founding Partner at Boruchov, Gabovich & Associates, P. C, also carries the same sentiment and believes that a transformational leader not only enhances his own business or the industry but values and lifts the employees that complement the same vision.

Being a Founding Partner at the irm, Leo primarily focuses on the cases pertaining to New York State and Federal tax controversy and compliance matters. He leads the irm with his prior experience of innerworkings of the state

LEO GABOVICH

department and the years he served before the IRS in representing his clients for a range of matters.

LEARNING THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST

When asked about his mindset of leading the irm, Leo hints that even though his irm is relatively small and early in the industry, everything is kept transparent with the employees. He truly understands the signiicance people bring in towards building an empire. This is something that he had experienced when he was in Middle School, although in a small capacity.

In the 7th grade, Leo was part of an extracurricular writing program that produced a monthly journal for the school. He spent a year in the program, which included poems and prose, and vied and successfully secured enough votes from the other members to become the Prose Editor. “I really enjoyed writing stories and had quite a

few fans of them in my school, but I recall the effort it took to get the other members of the journal to feel conident enough in me to select me as their prose editor,” recalls Leo.

It was the moment he realized the power people hold when it comes to taking a leader to the heights of success.

FORAY INTO THE LEGAL SPACE

Leo's footsteps into the legal world can be called a wonder that happened by chance. While pursuing his inance degree, he was in the honors program and was required to take a Business Honors Law prerequisite class during those college years. It was when Leo loved every aspect of that class and instantly fell in love with law. “I found the cases interesting and engaging and the application of the law fascinating.” However, he had already selected and was partway through completing it at this point in his college career.

Leo Gabovich, Founding Partner Boruchov, Gabovich & Associates, P. C

Years down the line, Leo became a colleague of Hana Boruchov in one of their corporate stints, and realized that they both were perfect partners when it came to working together. They it well together and quickly helped each other when necessary. “We were taking clients from inception through completion of a matter and could always rely on each other when the other needed help,” says Leo. He continues, “This strong partnership helped lead us to strike out on our own and start our own irm.”

While going out on their own seemed like a good idea, it was far from easy. It was the biggest roadblock and scary initiative for Leo to start a irm by himself. “There is so much work that goes into starting a business, and even more so a law irm with the extra layer of regulations and compliance,” he details. However, he was grateful that Hana was standing right beside him and how they got to share the journey together.

Consequently, his early school

memory of becoming a Prose Editor and support from Hana to stand his irm in the later years cemented his understanding of relying on others to reach collective growth. He asserts, “I've been raised and taught to always rely on myself professionally, but I've found that by being open and willing to receive help from others, together you can achieve so much more.”

This trust and openness are also why both Leo and Hana are proud of the irm's 'White-glove' services. In Leo's own words, “The white-glove personal service and empathy we provide to our customers make us stand out. When someone walks through our door, they know they can rely on us to be understanding of their situation but to have the experience and knowledge necessary to get them the best possible outcome.”

The irm makes it a priority to achieve optimal client satisfaction through transparency and availability.

LEARNING FROM THE BEST

Leo has also made it upfront to set realistic outcomes and not just best-case scenarios. This combination of setting realistic but reasonable expectations along with the willingness to work with the clients has positioned the company to achieve great heights..

A PROMISING LOOKOUT

Leo envisions his future to be bright for both his professional and personal sides. He feels blessed to have a wonderful wife who drives him every day to do better. They are also looking to start their family real soon.

On the professional side of things, keeping faith and trust in his employees, Leo has set his eyes on his irm to grow leaps and bounds in the coming years. They will be moving into a larger ofice space and soon require hiring more associates.

It has been a long journey for Leo to have reached the point where he stands today. He has spent many years working for the government, large corporations, and big and small irms alike. However, he never felt satisfaction in any of those works, until he started his own irm. And this is something he wants young aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs in the legal space to remember.

He says, “Never be afraid to take risks and always learn. We are innately in a profession that requires research and analysis on a daily basis. You should apply the same drive and effort you use to get your work done into your own professional development.”

Q.

INTERVIEW WITH NIV V. DAVIDOVICH

What according to you makes for an inspiring leader? How do you integrate the same thought into your leadership?

An inspiring leader is, irst and foremost, someone who is willing to put the interests of those they lead above their own, and learn from those they lead. A good leader is one who understands that, rather than his employees working for him/her, the leader works for them. A inspiring leader is one who leads primarily by example, and never asks his subordinates to do something he/she wouldn't be willing to do themselves. Every day, I try to remember these principles and incorporate them into my daily activities and my interactions with my employees, clients, and vendors.

What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the ield of law?

Initially, because I was a professional songwriter/producer, I was really interested in entertainment law so I could integrate my creative and business activities. When the economy fell out in 2008, I transitioned to working in real estate and construction and I've been in that ield ever since.

Q.

What makes Davidovich Stein Law Group a stand out irm? How do you ensure optimal client satisfaction?

I like to say that we provide a “concierge” level of service, meaning, when we're needed, we're available, attentive, and zealous in our efforts to serve our client's concerns and needs. My goal is always to provide a quality of work which is equal to or better than Big Law, without breaking the bank. My clients' pocket book comes FIRST, before my own. I always advocate from a dispassionate perspective, helping my clients overcome any emotional roadblocks to get to the smartest decision, not the one that necessarily feels good in the moment.

It's been pretty amazing. I deinitely feel like G-d has been steering me with a steady hand towards where I am right now, always pushing away interests and goals that were not the best for me. That process is sometimes dificult to swallow while you're in it, but in hindsight, I wouldn't change anything that's happened along the way. Q.

Q.

What has the journey been like for Niv V. Davidovich over the years?

Looking back, what would you have done different when starting out?

Q. Q. Q.

Not much. I've worked in a variety of industries, companies, law irms, and with a vast variety of people, each one of which has been an invaluable learning experience that has enriched my understanding, knowledge, and abilities. I suppose, if I had to change something, I would have bought more stock in Amazon earlier on.

What has been the biggest driving factor for you as an attorney? What would be your advice for aspiring attorneys?

Q. Q. Q.

What was the impact of COVID-19 both on your irm and on a personal level?

The uncertainty has been very challenging. As a irm with a large eviction practice, that was probably the largest inancial impact. I would say that the positive part about it is that it gave us an opportunity to work our creative muscles, as well as our ability to trust that everything comes together for the good in the end, even after COVID.

What has been the biggest roadblock during your journey? What has been your biggest learning?

That’s easy: humility. Q.

My driving factor is to provide a stable future for my employees and family for the foreseeable future, and provide my clients a safety net to know that I always have their back, and they can feel secure with my staff and I in their corner.

To aspiring attorneys, I say: irst, don't do this if you're not ready to work really hard. I don't know a lot of successful, lazy attorneys. No matter what anyone tells you, it's never a 9-5 job, at least not all the time. Second, no one is impressed with how great you think you are or how many years you've been doing this. Stay humble, stay kind, but maintain strength. Just cause you're a lawyer doesn't mean you have to be an unpleasant person.

Davidovich Stein Law Group is known for its wide area of expertise. What other areas does the irm plan on expanding its reach?

We recently opened our personal injury department, and we're really focused on cultivating that while honing and expanding our services in the real estate/construction/landlord-tenant departments.

I can't say I've experienced “roadblocks,” merely daily challenges that tested my ability to stay focused on the big picture and not get bogged down by frustrations. I feel like the lesson I am always trying to learn is to not be disappointed or frustrated by how things turn out. Just to pray for the best to happen, and realize that if it's not what I expected, it doesn't mean it isn't the best thing for me.

Moving forward, what does the future look like for Davidovich Stein Law Group? And personally, where do you see yourself standing in the coming years?

My goal is to just keep on expanding and inviting more quality individuals into our organization so we can continue to provide the highest quality possible level of service to our clients. I see myself exactly where I am now, but hopefully leaving the ofice a little earlier and spending more time with my family.

Finally, what do you think is the most important trait for a leader and why?

Rise Lawyers of

in a Digital World

Written by Erik P.M. Vermeulen

Everyone seems to agree that tech pioneers, software

developers, and coders will be at the center of solving the world's most pressing challenges. But my prediction is that lawyers will also be crucial in designing and building the infrastructure of the future.

I accept that this is a slightly contrarian view.

Many commentators have predicted that the digital age marks the demise of the legal profession. And I admit that there is something to this prediction. 80% of current legal work is “standardized” and it is easy to imagine that such standardized work will be fully automated within the next decade or so.

And most entrepreneurs and innovators see lawyers as a “necessary evil.” My wife owns a restaurant, and her complaints are familiar. Lawyers don't listen or care, they engage in “overlawyering,” or they behave like “vultures” trying to extract as much money as possible from a client/deal.

This is why — for most people — avoiding lawyers is the preferred option.

Recent stories on Medium reveal a similar attitude. They too highlight the terrible performance of lawyers in a digitized and decentralized world. Again, the list of complaints is familiar. Lawyers are the worst entrepreneurs, they don't adapt quickly enough, and (anyway) in technology-driven environments they will be far less relevant.

“MY NAME IS …, AND I AM A LAWYER”

I must admit that I have often struggled with the image and role of lawyers. It is sometimes better to conceal my legal background. I tended to share the skeptical view of lawyers not being able to adjust to the digital transformation. I too was persuaded that lawyer would face dificult times in the new world of technology.

But recently, I have changed my mind. This story about the future of lawyers is wrong.

Now I believe that lawyers will be crucial in “shaping a new global architecture for the 4th Industrial Revolution” (to refer to this year's theme of the World Economic Forum in Davos).

Let me explain.

NEW YEAR IN MINNEAPOLIS

I always start the new year coteaching a two-weeks course at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis and spending a weekend in Chicago. This year was no different. On January 6, I was on the light to the Twin Cities in Minnesota.

The course is about disruptive innovation and what it means for lawyers. We discuss general trends in innovation and the organization and drivers for innovation. More importantly, we focus on two elements: (1) the latest developments in “LegalTech” and “RegTech,” and (2) the use of artiicially intelligent solutions, smart contracts and blockchain technology in the future toolkit of lawyers.

But on my light to Minneapolis this year, I realized that a third element needs to be added.

T he crucial role of lawyers in the design of a new digital and decentralized global architecture .

It is clear that the global architecture of the future will revolve around digital technologies and digitization. That much is clear. New technologies, such as artiicial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data analytics, are enabling the emergence of new economies with new types of organizations and innovative business models.

Think about it. Terms like sharing economy, gig economy, circular economy, platform economy, millennial economy are frequently heard and used interchangeably. Some of it is hyped or exaggerated.

But a fact is that digital technologies have changed and will continue to change consumer behavior. Employer-employee relationships are changing. We think differently about status and ownership. Automation of manual and knowledge work is happening and cannot be stopped. Algorithms increasingly determine our choices. Sensors and biometrics will enable us to do business in new ways. Companies are witnessing the transformation from products to services. We will increasingly assume digital identities. Assets, such as real estate, cars, etc., will also be digitized in the future. We are creating a digital world that mimics the “real world.” Technology leads to latter and more decentralized organizations and business models. Platform companies are transforming industries. Nano technology will have a signiicant impact on our life expectancy. Drones and earth observation data can help us save our planet.

The list goes on and it is clear that in our digital society, the coordination and incentive structures will be signiicantly different from the hierarchical, proceduralized and regulated structures in our current more centralized societies.

JOBS FOR LAWYERS

So, why are lawyers so important in the design and architecture of this latter world?

Steve Jobs alluded to the answer in his “lost interview” in 1995:

“Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer,

should learn a computer language, because it teaches you how to think. It's like going to law school. I don't think anybody should be a lawyer but going to law school can actually be useful because it teaches you how to think in a certain way …. I view computer science as a liberal art.”

Steve Jobs didn't explain what he meant by this “certain way” of thinking or why that might be a powerful quality/skill in a digital world. But my experience makes me think that Steve Jobs was right. Legal thinking will play a crucial

“MY NAME IS …, AND I AM A LAWYER”

role in the digital age.

THE LEGAL WAY

Here then are three skills that — taken together — distinguish legal thinking and which are relevant for the digital transformation.

Ÿ Complex Problem-SolvingLegal thinking is all about creative problem-solving involving highly complex fact patterns. This mean critical thinking, analyzing, and applying. Lawyers are trained to think in and with sophisticated

concepts, and this is an important skill in solving the known and unknown challenges of the future.

Ÿ Incentive-Based ThinkingLegal thinking traditionally involves the analysis and study of the impact of rules and regulation on human behavior. This incentive-based thinking can also be very powerful in the digital age in which traditional systems, models and assumptions will be overhauled and thinking about the effects of technological architecture on

human behavior will be crucial in making choices about the best architecture.

Ÿ Storytelling and PersuasionThere are often more answers to legal problems and a premium is on constructing a convincing story and persuading others as to your point of view. These values seem consistent with the needs of a digital world in which the best solution is by no means obvious, and storytelling comes to the fore.

BUT STILL…

Of course, legal reasoning traditionally involves “looking backwards” and building on precedents and analogies with an emphasis on previous experience and rules. Legal reasoning in a digital age therefore needs to be adjusted and out-of-the-box thinking needs to be incorporated. New “legal” models need to be created in order for lawyers to take center stage.

And this is what we are trying to do in Minneapolis. Helping change the mindset of lawyers, focusing on the core values of legal thinking and adjusting legal training to make it more appropriate for a digital age.

This new digital training will make lawyers a preferred partner for tech developers and programmers, and to become key actors in constructing the much-needed decentralized architecture of the future. After all, this new architecture will drive the digital opportunities that determine the future of life, work, and education.

Difficult

Difficult Scenarios Finding Simple Solutions For

Not many would claim

that a television series has altered their lives. But that is the case with Yurika Pistorius. A legal drama series called L.A. Law had a major impact on her during her formative years and it made her opt for law as a profession. It was the way the lawyers were always ighting for the cause and especially rooting for the underdog that left an indelible mark on her.

Like many, she found the lives of a trial attorney, in a big law irm, doing big things, for big clients, making lots of money, quite glamorous. However, this was just an inluencer for a brief period of time. She soon realized that “everyone has the

right to be represented and to be assisted, and that small matters often have an enormous impact on individual lives.” The realization was like an epiphany and she found the 'why' that drove her so far and kept her on track.

It was not the wins, the glamor of the ield, or the perks that come hand in hand with a job in an eminent company. The 'why' that inspired her moves was an innate desire to make a difference. Yurika discerned that she covets an opportunity to make a lasting impact and no matter what the size of the case is, she is ready to persevere.

Each and every step she has taken since that momentous day

is to ensure a steadfast vision and an honest approach to her work so that it mirrors what she believes.

HER COURSE OF ACTION

With an unwavering focus, Yurika went for both Bachelor of Civil Law and Bachelor of Law (LLB) degrees. It was then followed by her time as articles of clerkship and legal training at a law irm before being admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa.

This was a remarkable feat in itself from Yurika' perspective. She then joined the same irm's commercial litigation department as a practicing attorney. There she honed her

skills to become an expert in high court litigation, commercial litigation, contract law, banking and insurance practice, family law, and medical negligence.

Yurika had this honor later to join the winning legal team at a law irm, where she got an opportunity to assist in a landmark case, Barkhuizen v Napier. The case ushered in a change. She recalls, “It was a monumental win for all insurers in South Africa when the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court held that timelimitation clauses in insurance contracts are permissible and were found not to be unconstitutional, nor in violation of the Bill of Rights of The Constitution.”

This added wind to her sails and she found herself approached by several corporate insurers. She chose Zurich Insurance, where she got to be part of its Global Association Rotation Program as one of only two South African candidates of 80 nominees from 170 countries. There she learned how business and law are inextricably intertwined and how leadership can transform policyholders' lives.

But one thing Yurika maintained during her time in these companies. She never stopped learning and building a knowledge base, which now proves its worth by assisting her in coming up with easy solutions for complicated issues. She went for various certiications in commercial and contract law, Oxford Fintech Programme, COBIT 2019 certiication, corporate governance and compliance management.

Her Views On Entrepreneurship

She believes what Steve Jobs said about inding the right profession. As an entrepreneur, people should strive for work that can bring in satisfaction, that can make the people fall in love with it. She puts her heart in whatever she does and Yurika knows she has this responsibility of setting examples as well so that others can model their lives on it.

As Yurika opines, the sure-shot recipe for emerging as a successful entrepreneur is to ind a viewpoint that can provide simpliied solutions. Some are gifted with that, but others have to earn it, and there is no shortcut.

Her hard work paid off when she was awarded “the professional designation of compliance practitioner (CPrac) through the Compliance Institute of Southern Africa.”

All these acts helped her learn that alone, one cannot achieve much. That is why she wished that she had collaborated more. The best solution is always an outcome of a blend of different backgrounds, skills, education, experience, viewpoints, and cultures. This also taught her how to plan her course of action for the future and Yurika now looks for role players to optimize solutions and results.

HER ROADBLOCKS

When it is about understanding law, isolation is not the best way to move forward. It requires a comprehensive knowledge of the strategic vision of the business, the numbers, the people, technology and ultimately, the customers to ensure success for any business. This helps form a strategy that can inspire enriched legal and compliance solutions to ensure the business runs smoothly without any obstacles.

THE COMPLIANCE CULTURE

The compliance function plays a pivotal role when it comes to

developing and maintaining a compliance culture that would weave different strata of business together. Yurika's inputs in forming such a culture are crucial.

The entire approach of the compliance function has transformed in drastic ways. It no longer involves sitting in a dark ofice and ticking the box. Instead, it has evolved from “a tick box approach to a risk-based approach, enabling and aiding the business.” The compliance oficers have now turned into trusted advisers. This has happened as the constantly developing legal landscape and application of regulations are making the process more complicated, and businessmen are looking for a credible solution.

A holistic compliance approach is not just about advice and guidance on national and international laws. Yurika believes that it includes conducting impact assessments and implementing necessary changes as well. However, an all-inclusive approach only comes to life when the compliance oficer involved in the process knows in and out about the changes impacting business strategies across the world.

One such major change could be the COVID-19 pandemic, as it has forced employees to work from remote locations, which propelled the chances of a data breach. In fact, Yurika claims that this should now be the main concern of companies.

HER TAKE ON LEADERSHIP

As a servant leader, Yurika focuses more on understanding the business strategy as it will facilitate

the process of developing a simple solution for an otherwise dificult situation. She believes a leader should always have empathy and people around him or her who are eager to join the force with the leader to pave ways for progress.

This idea of a leader stems from Theodore Roosevelt's quote where

he says, “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred with dust and sweat; who strives valiantly, who errs and may fall again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming.”