Meet Neal Bookspan | Equity Partner at Jaburg Wilk

We had the good fortune of connecting with Neal Bookspan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Neal, what do you attribute your success to?

I view the most important factor behind my success as continually being willing to try new business development and marketing ideas to build my practice and my brand. This includes continuing with and improving on ideas that are working and abandoning ideas that are not working. I always am trying to come up with new ideas or tweaks for ideas that are working, some of which I have been working and improving for years. I also believe that once you give an idea sufficient time and opportunity to be successful and it isn’t, you need to move on. It’s not time lost. Instead, it was a learning opportunity.

I believe in writing a plan each year and revisiting it regularly to be able to adjust in real time. If you write down goals and the steps to reach those goals, there is a better chance to reach them. After drafting it, I don’t just file the plan away. I keep a hard copy on my desk and a copy on my computer desktop where I can see and review it. Doing so allows me to revisit and rework goals throughout the year.

All of this is supported by hard work. I believe hard work doesn’t guaranty success, but it gives you a chance for success. No one who has success didn’t work hard to get where they are.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

My practice involves advising mostly Arizona based companies and their owners in an effort to help them manage their legal risks. This can be in relation to business issues, employee issues, or when they are ready to sell their business. I spend my days overseeing a team of litigation attorneys and a team of transactional attorneys. My work includes working on the strategy side of litigation and working on transaction including the purchase or sale of businesses and commercial real estate transactions, including a good deal of work in the multifamily space.

I have worked at Jaburg Wilk for most of my career and have been an Equity Partner for approximately 14 years. For me, the firm has provided a supportive environment within which to work and serve my clients. The firm has a defined culture we refer to as the JW Way (https://www.jaburgwilk.com/jw-way-fundamentals), which we strive to live up to and which has helped it be the great place it is to work. This sets Jaburg Wilk apart from other similar firms.

I’m proud of the team the firm has from staff to attorneys. It takes a team to reach success in the legal field. Without the great attorneys and paralegals who work with me and assist my clients or my assistant, I couldn’t do what I do. It’s never lost on me that my success is built upon the shoulders of others.

All of the support at Jaburg Wilk, along with the support of my family, has led me to professional success I never imagined. It’s helped me build my name as an attorney and a practice I enjoy, which makes walking off of the elevator into our office something I look forward to.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live near the Phoenix Mountain Preserve so we would have to go on a hike. With some many trails the hike would depend on the person’s fitness level, but we could find one that would work. Next we would get cleaned up and head to Richardson’s for brunch. After filling up on that tasty food, I would take them down to Roosevelt Row to walk off brunch, and after that we would head north and meet up with good friends at a good dive bar such as The Swizzle Inn or The Playa. Later there would be a meet up at my home with the same and likely more good friends for a night of pizza or grilling, some good tunes, and some great conversation.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

My wife Jennifer Bookspan, who is a successful recruiter running her own business, has supported me in ways that have allowed me to work hard and achieve success. Given that we have four children this definitely has been harder at some times than others because we both have a lot of responsibility on a daily basis.

My colleagues at Jaburg Wilk also play a big role in the success I have had through years.

Website: https://www.jaburgwilk.com/our-people/neal-h-bookspan

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealbookspan/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BusinessLawGuy

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