I once had a client who told me that what he really wanted was a one-armed lawyer, because he was fed up with lawyers saying, “on the one hand everything is going to be peachy keen, but on the other hand, the world is going to end.”
Newly qualified lawyers are not known for being mature, confident, well-rounded, and psychologically sound. And why should we expect them to be? Most of them are young, having just emerged from years of student life. Few have had a significant prior career. They have likely graduated, with substantial debt, from schools that have not adequately trained them to practice law.
I am just back from a two-month cruise, which started with a few days in Santiago, Chile.
You may not know this, but in Chile, when you use a foreign credit card, you have to select an option on the machine to indicate that you are a foreigner. It has something to do with taxes. If I had known that, and/or my Spanish was any good, I would have chosen the correct option, my card would not have registered that I had tried my pin too many times, and I would not have been locked out. But I did not know that, my Spanish is not very good, and so, just like that, on Day 1 of my vacation, I was no longer able to use my TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Card, for its intended purpose, being travelling.
I am not one of those people who rail against the Banks. But I do wonder whether they have a department in charge of making things difficult for their customers.
Today I will tell you about CIBC. Next time, it will be TD’s turn.
Back when I was practicing law, I was so clued out about physical work that I thought that Manual Labour was the President of Mexico. After I became a lawyer, the only work that I did with my hands was typing. For many years I was thoughtful, creative, and strategic. I hired people to do the physical work that I needed done, so that I could devote myself to what I arrogantly thought were more sophisticated pursuits.
Vicky was my associate many years ago. She was bright and ambitious. She wanted to learn and she worked hard. If you taught Vicky how to do something once, she would get it right every time after that.
Do you remember the old stories about coal miners forced to rent their homes from the company they worked for?
The tech industry is pulling the exact same scam on your firm today. We happily traded ownership of our software for the convenience of the cloud. We are stuck renting our own data back from tech monopolies who change the rules, raise the prices, and take zero responsibility.
Some years ago, I visited the Kennedy Space Centre and learned that our mobile phones have more computing power than the roomful of computers that launched the first spacecraft to the moon. That got me thinking about some people who I know who use these technology powerhouses for nothing more than checking their email, playing games, and laughing at videos about cats.
My cruise took me to Saigon the other day. My tour guide was an enthusiastic young man named Hung. He explained that his generation wants to focus on making money and supporting their families, rather than dwelling in the past. When it comes to what the Vietnamese refer to as the “American War,” he said that they are willing to forgive, but not to forget.
I did great legal work for Dr. Bob. He even said so. My service was impeccable. My fees were reasonable. It was a great relationship.
One day, Doctor Bob called to tell me that he had sold his clinic, and he asked me to provide the deal lawyer with any required assistance. And just like that, I found out that my relationship with Dr. Bob might have been a mile wide, but it was only an inch thick. You see, I was not his “trusted advisor.”