Page 28 - Palm Beach Vol 6 No 4

2017 South Florida Superstar
AALM: When did you rst know you wanted to become an attorney? What drew you to this career?
Steinfeld: During a summer intern- ship in Tokyo with a Japanese company in the early ’90s, I was asked to review the grammar in an English language contract. In the agreement, the company was going to pay a California man to travel to Tokyo to produce retail co ee table models, pro- vide lodging, and pay for him to see his family in Los Angeles. Although I was only a college student, as I read the docu- ment I started thinking about unde ned terms like what if he is injured, how many models does he have to make, and how o en he could return home. at experi- ence ignited my interest in the law and to the possibility of a legal career.
Steinfeld: In some international law classes I took from Professor Bernie Ox- man at the University of Miami he in- structed about oceanic territorial limits that once saved the day. When I was in Army Intelligence, I was on a U.S. Navy ship in the East China Sea operating very close to the naval border with North Korea. e North sent out several ships to investi- gate why we were there and being the only one on board with top secret clearance, I had to be sure they didn’t interrogate me. So, I explained to the captain what Profes- sor Oxman had taught about those limits and that North Korea didn’t respect them and he turned the ship around and le the area. It was an interesting experience and belied my thoughts that I would never use that information in practice.
Steinfeld: e satisfaction that my cli- ents express about my services is what is rewarding about my practice. Our busi- ness demographic is largely closely held enterprises that can’t always a ord large legal bills. So, one challenge I face as a sole practitioner in business litigation is to pro- vide legal services to businesses and their owners that convey a bene t at an a ord- able price. As many of us know, our so- ciety has a deeply rooted prejudice about lawyers. Providing targeted legal services at a fair price helps change attitudes about
AALM: Do you have any mentors or pro- fessors that encouraged you along the way? What is the best lesson they taught you?
AALM: What do you nd particularly rewarding about your practice?
DAVID STEINFELD
Pride in Service
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attorneys, so I hope I am improving the pub- lic’s perception of our profession.
AALM: What accomplishment are you most proud of achieving?
AALM: What traits do you think make an attorney exceptional? What’s the di er- ence between a good attorney and an out- standing one?
Steinfeld: Board certi cation. Board certi cation in business litigation tells pro- spective clients that the attorney has the trial experience to be able to properly evaluate their case. As an Army JAG attorney, I tried many criminal cases, but when I transi- tioned to business litigation in private prac- tice I started over because the evaluation of a case is entirely di erent. It took me many years to learn that and to try enough bench and jury trials to qualify to take the exam. I now proudly wear my certi cation pin when I go to court and regularly encourage fellow business litigators to seek certi cation.
Steinfeld: Without claiming to be a per- fect attorney, in the 20 years that I have been in practice, from criminal law in the U.S. Army to corporate law in private practice, I have observed and interacted with enough attorneys to recognize that patience makes an attorney exceptional. e better prac- titioners I have seen evaluate and then ad- vocate; they don’t internalize their client’s issues or proceed on assumptions without question. ey take the time to evaluate facts before drawing conclusions. is is a learned and di cult skill because it counters human nature particularly today when we are bombarded with great amounts of infor- mation that force quick decisions and breed snap judgments. So, what makes an attorney exceptional? Patience.
AALM: What do you most hope to ac- complish in the future? Where do you see yourself in ve years? In 10?
Steinfeld: In the coming years, I would like to serve as a circuit court judge. Several attorneys and judges have encouraged me to seek that position and I would be honored to serve the Bar and the community in that ca-
... Providing targeted legal services at a fair price helps change attitudes about attorneys ...
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