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a whole team of lawyers and support sta . And everyone buys into our mission and our vision for where we’re headed. at’s amaz- ing – to go from being a solo practitioner to having a real team. I love the process of build- ing something. I love the people I work with every day. ey’re like my second family. I love ghting for what I think is right. I love helping people who’ve been kicked around and treated unfairly. I love when people write me or my team o and don’t take us seriously, only to be beaten by us. I’m used to it. Grow- ing up, a lot of people told me I was nobody and would never amount to anything. It’s per- sonal. It’s all personal.
of action. ey’re drivers. ey drive the case forward; regardless of what side they’re on. ey have the ability to be a strong advocate for their position while still remaining inter- nally objective. ey play a long game. My old boss at Boies Schiller – Stuart Singer – is a textbook example. Stuart is a brilliant lawyer.
AALM: What do you nd challenging about your practice?
Pollard: I’m not a company man. I started my own shop because I wanted it all. I wanted to call my own shots, run my own cases, make my own money, live life on my terms and sink or swim on my own merits. And when I win, everybody has to accept the fact that I did it; that I’m the brains behind the operation; that I’m the one who destroyed them. If I don’t like a prospective client, I re- ject them. If I don’t like a current client, I re them. If I want to spend the morning having a very important meeting with a 9-year-old kid who is interested in intellectual property law – true story – then I can do it. (Shout out to Kendall!). If I want to leave my o ce and walk up the street to smoke a cigar, I do it. I’d rather work 15 hours a day for myself than work 12 hours a day for someone else. I am what I am.
Pollard: We defend a lot of non-compete cases. We defend everyone from $10/hr fac- tory workers up to C-level executives. More than any other area of law, non-compete law is poorly understood and incorrectly applied. Companies routinely abuse non-compete agreements. Lawyers frequently don’t under- stand this area of law. And judges who do not understand this area law routinely make the wrong decisions.
at’s the biggest challenge. Some lawyers and some judges look at me like I’m crazy when the law is on my side. Courts routinely get it wrong and the defendant doesn’t have the money to appeal. e court engages in this legally incorrect moralizing, the plainti and their big corporate lawyer feel vindicated, the defendant is out of work, the law stays messed up and we move on. It’s business as usual.
AALM: How would you describe the cul- ture of the rm?
AALM: What traits do you think make an attorney exceptional?
Pollard: I think the term “brilliant” or “exceptional” is badly overused when it comes to lawyers. I think lawyers at large are pretty bad. In terms of exceptional law- yers, to me, that’s the top 1 percent. From my experience, the truly elite lawyers are invari- ably real intellectuals. ey’re thinkers. ey take every case on its own merits. ey don’t default to tired old strategies and recycled pleadings. ey wrestle with the hard issues, attack every possible argument and position, especially their own. ey have a bias in favor
AALM: What accomplishment are you most proud of achieving?
AALM: What compelled you to start your own practice?
e only way to ght back is to keep win- ning cases. Keep changing the law bit by bit. It’s basically a crisis at this point and has se- verely negative consequences, not only for employees and their families, but also for businesses trying to expand and hire talent. I’m ghting this battle every day. It’s not an easy one.
Pollard: A team of world-beaters who pride themselves on excellence, mastery of their cra , honesty, integrity and collabora- tion. Still a bit young overall, but building and going in a great direction. We aren’t your stu y, old-school law rm. We aren’t just about making money and billing hours. We want to win. We aspire to be the greatest law- yers practicing in our area of law. We’re gloves o and brutally honest at all times. We are very collaborative. Everybody is incredibly smart and everybody’s opinion gets thrown on the table. ere’s a lot of ego checking. And everyone is secure enough in themselves to operate in that sort of environment. It’s like a big family.
Pollard: I’m not sure it’s a relevant ac- complishment. But I’ve been a good son, a good brother, a good friend and helped some people along the way. at’s what I’m proud- est of, period.
AALM: What do you most hope to ac- complish in the future? Where do you see yourself in ve years? In 10?
Pollard: Only an idiot would tell you his plans. Go read Sun Tzu.
Vol. 6 No. 4 Attorney at Law Magazine® South Florida | 21
At a Glance
Pollard PLLC
401 E. Las Olas Blvd. #1400 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 (954) 332-2380 www.pollardllc.com
Practice Areas
Antitrust Non-Compete Law Trade Secret Law Trademark Law Employment Law Commercial Litigation Arbitration
Education
Juris Doctor, Georgetown, 2009 Bachelor of Arts, Cornell University,
2004
Honors
Phi Beta Kappa
Super Lawyers Rising Star Proclamation for Volunteerism,
Lauderdale Lakes, FL Pro Bono Honor Roll, SDFL
Community Involvement
Pro bono work. Youth mentoring. ChildNet. Carrie’s Kids. Jewish Federation.
Hobbies
Enjoying my Life
Time With Family
Lifting Weights Volunteering & Mentoring Traveling & Hiking Drinking Good Wine
Favorite Quote
The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. – Ernest Hemingway