Banner Witcoff is proud to have several veterans on our team, and a veterans’ affinity group to provide them with a community to network and bond together on common issues including the advancement of veteran team members and identifying pro bono cases related to veterans’ issues.
We appreciate their service and are grateful to all those who have served and continue to serve.
This year, in honor of Veterans Day, we asked one of our veterans — Banner Witcoff attorney Chris Galfano — a few questions about his service.
Q: Can you tell us about your military career?
A: I was a Marine Corps officer. I spent most of my time flying F-18s as a weapon systems officer, and as a ground forward-air controller assigned to Marine infantry units.
Q: How does your military experience help with your legal practice?
A: The most valuable experience I learned from the military was how to work as a team to accomplish the stated mission. The ability to work in a team translates into working together as a group at the firm to accomplish our mission: Winning for the Client. Whether that win is procuring a patent for a client, defending a client’s patent in an IPR, or winning a motion favorable for the client in litigation, it does not matter if someone is a senior partner, a new associate, a paralegal, or other business professionals – everyone at the firm is part of the team and necessary to accomplish the mission.
For example, an attorney may draft an incredible motion, but if the attorney misses the filing deadline, the firm cannot accomplish the mission. Docketing is the backstop to prevent such a mistake and is critical to help accomplish the mission. Every attorney’s legal practice requires a team to be successful.
Q: What advice would you give to current service members who want to pursue a law degree?
A: I would recommend that service members who are interested in becoming lawyers contact law schools that they would like to attend and request information on veterans attending the school. The service member can reach out via email expressing their desire to attend law school and ask if former military members would be interested in discussing their path to law school and becoming an attorney.
Q: What does Veterans Day mean to you?
For me, Veterans Day is an opportunity to remember those who gave their lives for this country.
Posted: November 11, 2021
