Dan DeBolt

Dan DeBolt

Partner, Trevett Cristo

Years in current role: 19

What has been your biggest success over the past year?

Bringing several long-running negotiations to successful conclusions.

What advice would you give someone just starting out in labor and employment law?

Knowing the relevant law is only part of the equation. Particularly in labor law, the motivations, idiosyncrasies, egos, etc. of the people involved are critical. To successfully negotiate you have to find a way to have both sides see it as a win.

If you could practice one area of law that you haven’t practiced in your career, what would it be and why?

Constitutional law. It would be nice sometimes to step away from the day-to-day details of specific, narrowly focused issues and deal with broader concepts and theories that have far-ranging implications and impacts.

What do you enjoy most about practicing law in the Rochester area?

The general civility and congeniality of the attorneys. It is possible to zealously represent the interests of your client without being hostile to the opposition and without engaging in unnecessary posturing or “sharp” practice — and most attorneys in our area seem to get that, which is not necessarily the case everywhere.