Insight_2nd Edition

Second Edition | Marquis Who ’ s Who Insight 9 much out of their feedback as I give to them. Some of them are afraid to challenge an older guy, so I have to work to get them to, of course. I was young once, I had ideas, and I challenged. The older folks learned from me and now, I am learning from a younger generation. What is the most important issue/challenge you are dealing with in your industry right now? I think the biggest challenge is that many peo- ple getting into construction today have no history of construc- tion. They have a history of high intelligence, tre- mendous knowledge of finance, but do not have an understanding of con- struction itself and the process, and that does not enable them to pro- vide the give and take that is necessary to get a building built properly and to a high design. How do you feel your industry has changed/ evolved over time? In the old days, people that were in construction understood the field — they constructed many properties, oftentimes with their own money and not with the help of investors. Today, construction is a world of finance with an object to create buildings. What new innovations or technologies do you feel will shape the future of your industry? I could have answered that 25 or 30 years ago. I can’t answer that today because the attitudes, technology, approaches, and the investors are very, very different, and in many instances, more creative but less experienced. There is one other thing: in the old days, there was an unwritten code that developers would do what was right under the circumstances. Today, it’s more about what the contract permits someone to do or not do. The industry is much more focused on the contract than the process. I remember clients coming in 35-40 years ago who would literally present deals on napkins. That is not the way it is today at all. What excites you the most about your industry? New situations. Rosenberg & Estis didn’t have a con- struction law department. I discovered they had many lawyers that knew a fair amount about con- struction. In fact, one per- son knew a great deal. He decided to build our con- struction department. We have more lawyers now in the construction area than we had when I came here. I am as excited to- day as I was the week after I got here. I have the same level of excitement — I still jump out of bed, I still want to get to work, I am still excited by the challenges, and there are new challenges all the time. I am working on a matter right now that is very challenging and technical, legally and other- wise, on a very, very important future landmark building in the city. I am energized by this kind of stuff. “ Many people getting into construction today have no history of construction. They have a history of high intelligence, tremendous knowledge of finance, but do not have an under- standing of construction itself and the process. ”