2022 Distinguished Leaders Q&A : George Pallas

George Pallas, managing partner, Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman

The past two years have required leadership to pivot to new ways of running a law firm; from operating a fully remote business to ensuring clients receive sound legal guidance and excellent service, Pallas works tirelessly with the leadership team to support attorneys and staff while maintaining relationships with clients and trade organizations.

Because navigating changing guidelines for health and safety during a global pandemic isn’t quite enough, he also oversaw the Philadelphia office’s move to a new space at 1600 Market Street.

What’s the first piece of advice would you give someone when dealing with a crisis?

Call your lawyer. Kidding aside, the best thing to do, though perhaps the hardest, is to temper the impulse to react right away without thinking—and talking—things through. Better to take another hour and talk to your team, a trusted advisor, a communications professional, whomever needs to be involved, to come up with a deliberate strategy for handling the crisis. When Covid-19 hit, many of us felt overwhelmed and uncertain about the decisions we needed to make, particularly since we didn’t expect to be managing a workplace through a global pandemic. Coming together as a leadership team allowed us to consider the micro and macro pictures—some individuals focused on what employees would need for the day-to-day, while others considered the long-term impact on our clients and our services. That calm, thoughtful approach has helped us weather one of the biggest crises imaginable.

What is the most valued piece of advice you ever received?

“Be a driver in life, not a passenger.” I carry this tidbit of wisdom with me every day and it helps me to be an active decision-maker and participant in all aspects of my life.

If you did not become a lawyer, what career path would you have pursued?

I would own a Greek restaurant.

Who is a mentor you admire and why?

Firm founder Roy Cohen epitomizes what it means to be a good lawyer, leader and friend. Working with him for the past 20-plus years (almost 30!) has been an honor and an ongoing lesson in how to practice law and run a business. Roy’s ability to create and nurture relationships with clients and colleagues is an inspiration and a great reminder that relationships matter.

The legal field is constantly facing new challenges every year. What does the legal profession need to do to prepare the next generation of lawyers?

Keep up with technology. Adapt to different and new approaches while still teaching the fundamentals of good lawyering. Keep our young lawyers learning every day—the more opportunities they get as a first or third or fourth year, the better prepared they will be 10 years down the road. It is up to us to mentor, listen and to provide the constructive criticism that builds the foundations young attorneys need to grow as lawyers. We also need to recognize how the workplace, and how we work, has changed and continue to be flexible.

Reprinted with permission from the “June 17, 2022 edition of the “The Legal Intelligencer”© 2022 ALM Global Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited, contact 877-256-2472 or reprints@alm.com.