“Often when you are at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.” Fred Rogers
“Old leasing lawyers never die, they just fade away.” General Douglas MacArthur
“You know you’re getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you’re down there.” George Burns
“That’s all, folks!” Porky Pig
The hot off the presses takeaway from today’s newsletter is that as of the end of this calendar year I will be retiring from the practice of law and with me goes Leasing Illustrated.
You might say that based on my recent legal work you thought I retired a few years ago.
Good point.
It has been a nice long trek as a lawyer — 37 plus years (I started practicing in junior high).
I started publishing Leasing Illustrated in 2012. The newsletter has been a great way to stay in touch with friends, clients and other assorted aficionados of commercial leasing.
I have always tried to write in a way that was not too legal (i.e., somewhat intelligible) and perhaps entertaining.
It is not often (perhaps with good reason) that one finds Game of Thrones, the NY Mets and other discrete modern oddities in close proximity to operating expense escalation clauses, subordination provisions and other commercial leasing topics.
Some people read Leasing Illustrated for the legal insights (what were they thinking?).
Some read the newsletter to see what nonsense I was spouting as a lead-in to the legal topic (that’s more like it).
The more sophisticated readers just immediately deleted it.
In any event, I have greatly enjoyed writing the newsletter and appreciate your readership and support over the years.
As for me, I am excited about the future.
Many people are attributing their retirement to the COVID pandemic. For me, COVID has been more of an accelerant.
I was never going to be a lawyer happily working on his documents into his 80’s, but the pandemic has certainly made me focus more on the importance of “who you have” rather than “what you have” and I want to be able to spend more time acting on that insight.
I have learned and grown a great deal in my time practicing but I have reached a point where I know it is time to move on.
I can tell myself that I am going out on top. Like Sandy Koufax. Or Dave DeBusschere for you (few) Knick fans out there.
I am open to new challenges and after a little detox break will see what pops up.
I would never want to practice law at any private law firm other than Mintz & Gold and hope you will still look to M&G’s truly fine team of attorneys for your commercial leasing needs.
My best move as an attorney has been surrounding myself with other lawyers who are smarter than me (okay, maybe they are not so hard to find).
Not exactly a “team of rivals”, but they have been the ones to help me solve difficult issues and get deals done and they will still be plugging away in my absence. I also will not disappear in case they need any prehistoric input.
I may not be done putting my meager skills to use and do not intend to go gentle into that good night.
Who knows, maybe we can work together again down the road.
Perhaps you might need me to wash your car or blacktop your driveway. Nothing is off the table.
I know, very cliché, but I have also considered doing some writing.
You are no doubt thinking, “Well, why didn’t you think of doing some writing when you started this newsletter instead of feeding us this drivel.”
Another good point.
But a number of you have reached out about having me do some writing, newsletter or otherwise (while emphasizing not at my current billable rate) and I am looking forward to exploring those opportunities.
And perhaps you may not be out of the woods yet and I may one day darken your emailbox doorstep again with a newsletter or blog covering more topics than commercial leasing.
In any case, thank you for reading the newsletter and double thank you to those who have reached out at times to comment on an issue or genuflect over the fine prose.
[Mic drop]