Monday Mentors with Dallas Construction Lawyer Brandon Waddell

Brandon Waddell, construction lawyer and managing shareholder at Waddell Serafino in Dallas, joins us on today's show. Brandon talks about representing design professionals, your one reputation, and the importance of integrity.

His firm/practice

• Represents design professionals (architects, engineers, etc.) from the start of a project (contract drafting) to litigation matters pertaining to professional liability
• Brand new offices with lots of collaboration space and a massive coffee bar.
• Hot button topic right now is the doctrine that allows contractors to be liable for the conduct of design professionals. Texas is the only one that has it, and a current senate bill 219 could do away with it.

COVID update (as of March 24, 2021)

• Fortunate to have a high-tech firm that was already virtually paperless
• Tough to replace site visits for investigations but have adapted with technology

Advice for lawyers in practice

• You have one reputation
• Try to think if you were the shareholder, how would you want an associate to handle this project
  • Don't come in and say "what do you think about these legal issues," instead say "Here is what I think about these four legal issues and the strategy I think we should implement to address them."
• Be proactive
• Be a professional; get your work done whenever/however
• If you mess something up, tell someone. Don't try to hide it. It's an integrity issue. Perfection isn't the standard.
• Take advantage of the collective wisdom of your colleagues

Advice for lawyers on the job search

• In his practice, you are going to have to learn architecture, engineering, etc., so he looks for people who are learners
  • Just because you graduated law school doesn't mean you are done learning
  • If you love the Discovery channel, great, because that's 50% of the practice
• Integrity; looking for people who are true to themselves and true to the firm
• Looking for a good fit; it's a family at their firm
• He is the first one to talk in interviews, and he tells candidates they should be interviewing him as much as anything else. He wants candidates to know exactly what the job is and what they are in for.
  • Candidates should feel comfortable they are going to enjoy the work and enjoy the people
  • He is going to be selling his firm and practice to the candidate, but ultimately the candidate needs be honest with themselves about whether they are qualified and a good fit. You can fake your way through an interview, but you can't fake your way through a job
• People need to have a passion for the work
• Before taking an offer, talk to people in the industry who know you and see if they think you would be a good fit with a firm.

Rapid fire questions:

• Name one trait or characteristic you most want to see in an associate: Integrity
• What habit has been key to your success: Diligence
• Favorite app/productivity tool: Spotify
• Favorite pen: Pilot Precise V5 (extra fine for marking up plans)
• Favorite social distancing activity: playing with his kids
• Favorite legal movie: The Firm

Thanks again to Brandon Waddell for joining us on today's show!