Get to know William Vita, partner at our American member firm Shook Hardy & Bacon, in our latest “Meet our Interact Law Board” feature!
How long have you been a member of Interact Law and how did you come to join the Board?
I attended my first Interact meeting in Madrid in November of 2018. I have attended every meeting since then, with the exception of the meeting in Rome, in 2022, which I had to miss because I had to conduct a month long jury trial in New York. When I first met the members in Madrid, I was amazed at how accomplished and how friendly everyone was. I felt at home from the first reception and that feeling only increased as I spent more and more time with each member. I was invited to attend the Madrid meeting by Evelyn Ashley, a fellow American attorney, who I had worked with on several legal matters. She convinced me that it was worth it to take on a little risk and travel across the ocean to experience this network. She was completely correct. Traveling to my first meeting in Spain was one of the best decisions that I ever made. I was impressed by the quality of discussions about legal issues and also by the curiosity each member had about the common challenges we all face in the practice of law. When I returned for the next meeting, in Lisbon, in May of 2019, I felt like I was meeting with old friends and I have felt that way ever since. In many ways, what I experienced is the key to Interact. It provides a forum to get to really know and understand fellow members from around the world. This friendship creates and constantly refreshes a wonderful sense of trust among our members. In turn, the trust allows everyone to know that if a client is referred to a fellow Interact attorney, that client will be represented by a highly accomplished, knowledgeable and skillful attorney, In other words, your client will be treated as you would treat them. It was therefore a deep honor when the Board asked me join it, in May of 2024.
What do you enjoy about your role on the Board?
Interact has helped my legal practice immensely, both with referrals and with knowledge of legal regulations around the world. I therefore enjoy the opportunity to give something back to the organization that has enriched my life. In particular, I enjoy helping guide Interact into the future.
We are a tremendous group of attorneys. In order to keep up with an ever changing world, we must continue to grow as an organization. We must also continue to provide new ideas and new ways to enhance our law practices, so that we can constantly provide worthwhile benefits to our member firms. And we must provide those benefits in a way that distinguishes Interact from other legal networks and at the same time is highly cost-effective. Working as a Board member to keep Interact the premier organization it has become is challenging but also immensely rewarding.
How do you encourage lawyers to maximise their Interact Law membership?
I encourage our members to fully engage and take advantage of everything Interact has to offer: attend every meeting, join committees, keep us up to date on what your law firm is doing in your country and how the ideas that you are generating in your practice may be useful for other member firms. Pass along Interact’s newsletters and LinkedIn posts to your colleagues and friends. Invite attorneys you work with in other jurisdictions to join us. Most of all, enjoy the friendships that you make with the other members. Stay curious about their experiences and their knowledge. All of this makes the practice of law so much more enjoyable and rewarding.
