A lot of what I do involves talking with people—often engineers—who have come up with new products or services, figuring out what the hell they're doing, figuring out what parts of it other people are likely to have done before, and then drafting patent applications for the new stuff. Nearly all of my practice involves computers, software, and networks, and much of that relates to applying these things to various fields of business.

One consequence of the twisted path that led me to this place is that for, seemingly, nearly every new matter in our department, I can say, truthfully, "I used to do that for a living." For example, a client is working on a new kind of tradable index that is based on certain financial derivatives. I used to trade derivatives for a living.

The good part of this is that I have a high profile and am as indispensable as any associate can be at a big law firm.¹ The bad part is that all kinds of shit gets dumped in my inbox because it's impenetrable to anyone else. For example, a client is working on a new kind of tradable index that is based on certain financial derivatives. I used to trade derivatives for a living. No one else here has a clue. So guess who gets to bang his head against his desk repeatedly until the mathematical models make sense?²

¹Which is to say, not very.

²Hint: It's not Chiang Kai-Shek.