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ASSOCIATES Whether a phone call comes in at eight in the morning or eight at night or 12 at night, they're paying for a service. You can't lose sight of that. That next deal might not come unless you're attentive to the one that you're on. Sometimes it takes you into late nights. It's all part of the game." When the deal's done, the champagne corks go off. And if it's been an all-night- er, the bubbly gets mixed with orange juice for a morning mimosa. "Everyone walks out with a smile on their face." Piasta did his undergrad degree in fi- nance and was always oriented toward business law. But his articling term was a bit of a diversion, clerking at the Al- berta Court of Appeal and Court of Queen's Bench. "When I got the offer, I realized it was an opportunity I couldn't turn down," he recalls. "It was a chance to see the inner workings of the system and deal with heavy legal issues. I'm glad I did it." Working for judges was a different ball game than doing business law, says Pia- sta. "From a corporate perspective, cli- ents want to get from A to B. Often they don't care how you do it, as long as you get there. They trust you to get the job done, and they don't have time to walk through every step of the transaction. Working at the court, on the other hand, was a lot more about how you get from A to B." Having said that, working at the court proved to be valuable training for the work Piasta is doing now. "It was my introduction into advising people," he explains. "These judges are pillars of the legal community. They didn't get to where they are without being so. They're looking for intelligent responses. So you have to bring your A-game every day." Keeping pace with judges' demands was also good preparation for meet- ing the demands of clients and law firm partners. "Bringing you're A-game to every question is important. That's how you get to the next step of being an ad- viser, as opposed to just a lawyer." Piasta's view is that "nothing less than perfection is acceptable. That's my mantra. It's just how the legal profession has to be." His advice for associates who want to succeed? Simple. "Ask questions," he says. "There's no such thing as a stupid ques- tion. Your knowledge comes deal by deal. You gain experience. And a lot of junior lawyers don't ask enough questions." The best strategy is to "do your job until you hit the wall and you can't fig- ure it out on your own. Then ask. You're not expected to know it all. So don't be shy. The knowledge and experience of the people above you will guide you to the right place." After eight years of practice, he's still learning all the time. "I don't know half of what somebody five years ahead of me knows," he says. "So I ask questions on a daily basis." And of course, when you're on a mega-deal, don't be afraid of the zeros. Just try not to spill coffee on them. Are you an associate with an interesting story to tell, or do you know someone who does? E-mail the editor, gcohen@clbmedia.ca, and tell us about it. Taking the FIRST step doesn't have to be this risky As a residential real estate lawyer you probably include title insurance automatically on most transactions these days. After all, not only does it help manage risk for you and your clients, it's a simple and fast process. The same can be said for your commercial deals. Take the risk-free step and call us for coverage information or for unique ideas on how you can structure the next commercial deal that comes your way. We won't leave you hanging. Insurance by with the exception of commercial policies by Trademark of The First American Corporation. . Services by First Canadian Title Company Limited. This material is intended to provide general information only. For specific coverage and exclusions, refer to the policy. Copies are available upon request. Some products/services may vary by province. Prices and products offered are subject to change without notice. TM www. C ANADIAN mag.com APRIL 2008 17