Carol J. Marshall
"Each venture is a new beginning . . . "
[T.S. Eliot, East Coker]
A Raid on the Inarticulate:
The passage from one year to the next is always a time for remembering the past and planning for the future. Passing as we are, on this occasion, from an especially sorrowful and troubling 2001 into a 2002 which hold so much uncertainty for the world, it is especially difficult to express the complexity of thought and feeling which this particular annual passage engenders. At best, one can only hope to make, as Eliot described of his writing ventures, "a raid on the inarticulate with shabby equipment always deteriorating in the general mess of imprecision of feeling." If there are any points of clarity which have come out of the events of 2001, they are these: life is capricious, brief and unfathomable and the individual has little control over the larger forces which shape his or her daily existence. Yet, the unexpected, unwelcome, and unnerving events of 2001 did compel many of us to reconsider what is meaningful and what is not. We have come to realize that, in re-ordering our personal priorities, we can at least gain new dominion over those areas of our lives which we do control. The trick will be to hold on to that understanding, and live our lives accordingly, when the good times roll again and memories of the sad times fade. If we can do that, we may have drawn from the terrible events of 2001 a blueprint for a new personal beginning.
A New Type of Law Firm:
The creation of Marshall.Suzuki Law Group (MSLG) in August 2001 was another kind of new beginning, full of promise and positive excitement. It was in fact the product of the same sort of growing awareness and understanding that it is important to figure out one's priorities and live by them. From my perspective, it was definitely time to re-prioritize professional goals. I wanted to work myself loose from the energy-sapping tentacles of trivial concerns which had somehow wound themselves around my professional life. I also wanted to be a part of an organization which understood and respected the importance and value of individual contribution and which was willing to toss out dated notions of hierarchy and rank. Finally, because of my personal interest in fostering sound mutually-beneficial international connections (a concept which became more and more significant as the events of 2001 unfolded), I was searching for a professional group with a more global perspective.
To accomplish all that, it was important to create a totally new kind of law firm. It is a joy to have come together with like-minded individuals who value the type of environment and application of morality and ideals which we try to foster at MSLG. MSLG is a place where the diverse talents, unique experiences and particular perspectives of each of the members of the group are drawn upon and appreciated, where we strive to help clients from all around the globe in their efforts to forge strong and beneficial business connections across geographic, political and cultural boundaries, where the members of the group truly work as a team and actually like, respect and care about one another, where we trust and respect our clients and work hard every day to try to make sure that they will feel the same way about all of us, where we prosper in our endeavors, but not at the expense of others, where each group member's goals and aspirations are recognized and encouraged, and where creative and exciting ideas for MSLG's future are always given a warm reception. In 2001, we began to change a mere concept for a different kind of law firm into a realty. In 2002, we plan to improve upon that reality, strengthen and nurture it, and watch it grow.
Practice Changes and Goals:
Year 2001 also brought significant change to my personal practice. As many of you know, I have been an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) neutral for nearly twenty years. ADR is a concept to which I am dedicated and in which I strongly believe. I was pleased therefore to strengthen and enlarge my ADR practice even further in 2001, joining several additional panels of neutrals, including a few on-line services, and contributing to the resolution of many more matters, either through mediation or binding arbitration. ADR now occupies a significant portion of my professional time. In 2002, in cooperation with my colleagues at MSLG and others, I plan to enhance that aspect of my practice, moving further into the area of cross-cultural and international disputes.
On the litigation side, 2001 provided me the opportunity to handle several complex commercial and business matters which involved strong international components and/or cross-cultural issues. Two of these matters involved high-tech businesses, and one case had a significant trade secret component. In addition to having had the opportunity to delve deeply into new technology and international business deals in connection with such cases, I continued in 2001, as I have done for many years, to handle significant environmental litigation and the usual array of business and commercial cases. It was a busy and interesting year on the litigation front.
I was also pleased to have had the opportunity in 2001 to assist my MSLG colleagues with some exciting transactional matters, especially those involving international relationships and technology ventures.
Because I have particularly strong personal ties to Western Europe, one of my goals for 2002 and beyond is to expand that aspect of MSLG's practice. MSLG already represents European clients and some of our Pacific Rim and American clients do business in Europe or with European companies. Our further expansion into that area of practice will permit us to offer an enhanced level of service to existing clients as well as service to the new European clients we hope to add to the MSLG family. Maintaining and expanding our global perspective is an important firm goal. Providing full service to our clients is another. In today's world, our clients are doing business all over the globe and/or with other entities around the world. We have already made great strides toward being there to service our clients' legal needs wherever their businesses and lives may take them. We plan to continue to take additional steps in that direction in 2002.
The Time Has Come To Talk of Many Things
On a personal note, 2001 was another kind of new beginning for me, and one which was long overdue. Over the course of my twenty-three years in the legal profession and my thirty-two years as wife and mother, I had gradually and almost completely lost touch with many of the things which had always been such an important part of my identity. In 2001, I went back with renewed intensity to the writing, photography and other creative endeavors which I have always loved. This particular change has re-energized every aspect of my life. In 2002, I hope to complete many of the creative projects I began in the past year and to begin many more . . . each venture a new beginning.
