Meet the Officer: Tom Belknap

How did you get into the law/your area of practice? Why did you become a lawyer?

Probably like many other lawyers, I grew up sitting around the dinner table talking about what my Dad did at work all day. He was a lawyer, and so in the back of my mind that was always something I figured I might do as well. It was only in college, though, when I took an undergraduate international law class, that I realised I really found it interesting in its own right.

When I started law school, the one thing I was sure about was that I didn't want to be a litigator. Then, of course, I started getting exposed to different classes, and by the time I graduated I had decided that I wanted to practice commercial international litigation. I found maritime law quite by accident when I ended up at a boutique firm – after all, what practice is more international and commercial than maritime law!

If you were not a lawyer, what would you do?

I'd like to think that I would have gone off to be a rock star and toured the world, but more likely I would have ended up in middle management in a mid-market conglomerate.

What advice would you give someone new to your area of practice/your jurisdiction/being a lawyer?

Don't rush into law school. Take some time to get some practical experience first. It will make you a better law student, a more attractive job applicant and a better lawyer. World experience is invaluable!

What area of your work do you enjoy the most?

Some people enjoy litigation for the fight, but I most like helping clients solve their problems in a commercial and practical way. Litigation is a tool to solve disputes, not an end to itself, and I am happiest when I can get a client out of a sticky spot with the minimum of pain and anguish.

The other thing that I truly love about my practice is getting the opportunity to meet my colleagues all around the world. Ours is a truly international practice, and we see the world in a very different way. I just love meeting like-minded souls all around the world.

What are the current challenges facing your area of practice?

Recruiting top tier maritime lawyers is always a challenge – especially in New York. There are a lot of great firms competing for talent, and a lot of practice areas with a more 'glamorous' aura than maritime. True, we have the best stories, but most young lawyers don't know much about the industry or the practice, which makes it difficult to persuade folks to dive in. And you can't really dabble in maritime law – you need to know the industry and you need to know the practice.

If you could put together a wish list of changes you would bring about in the profession, or to your area of practice, what would it include?

We have to figure out how to slow the pace back down a bit. Lawyers used to have time to really think about problems and to carefully develop solutions. Now, everyone has to be a short-order chef. The flow of email traffic every day is just relentless. Besides making it much easier to make mistakes or to miss opportunities, it also just takes the fun out of the work. It also sure makes it difficult to enjoy a vacation!

What do you do in your free time? How do you relax?

Many people will know that I love music. Besides the IBA Seven Seas band, which has been such a joy, I also have my own band called Small Craft Warning (check us out on Spotify, etc). We have written a lot of our own music, and I really love writing and developing new songs. I am also an avid sailor and love to race one-design boats in the evenings and on weekends. It's always good to get back out on the water.