...Where It Happens

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"Let's check with Dan and see what he thinks" is the highest and most humbling compliment I've received as an attorney. When I retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after 21 years of service in 2016, I was the only Marine attorney to have served as the principal legal advisor at the Battalion, Regiment, Division, and Marine Expeditionary Force levels. I advised Marine leaders in the combat zones of Ramadi and Fallujah, Iraq and the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Back home, I navigated the challenges that come with working on Marine Infantry-centric staffs chock full of Type A personalities. Hard earned lessons and experiences as a trusted legal advisor in the Marine Corps translated directly to the business world. While the organizational goal--success in combat--may not be the same, the pressures business leaders face as well as their aspirations create the same need for steady, practical legal advice that balances the needs of the business and the dictates of the law. And "it depends" is not a helpful answer but one you're more likely to get when your attorney has not spent years working closely with decisionmakers, in the rooms where "it" happens. The hallmark of my practice is forming a relationship with leaders built on trust, where I understand what they need and they know they can rely on me to provide them with exactly that. So, when the chips are down and a difficult decision needs to be made, leaders know they have a trusted advisor to turn to "and see what he thinks."