Message from Christopher Hughes, Chair of the Business Law Section

Our best work is ahead of us.

Thinking back on the previous term, that’s the sentence that keeps coming to mind.  Of course, this optimism for the future exists because of the tremendous accomplishments we achieved in this last term and previous terms.  Our Business Law Section’s ExCom officers, members, and advisors should be applauded for all of their successes, big and small, this last term.  Indeed, some of the smallest successes took the most effort to achieve, and in some ways, may have been far more rewarding than our largest successes. 

But, we must always strive to reach even greater heights for our constituents.  And to do this, we need to spend some time listening.  What did we do right?  What did we do wrong?  What legislative issues are important to your profession?  Are there any issues you would like to see us champion next term?  Are there statutes or regulations that need to be introduced, repealed, or amended?  What educational topics would you like us to focus on?   Is there an area of the law that has you concerned or has piqued your interest?  How can we make your experience with the BLS better?  Please do not be shy.  Reach out to members of your ExCom team or feel free to email me directly.  We would be thrilled to hear from you.  And I promise that we will listen to you. 

Each day, I am inspired by the profound role BLS attorneys play in this ever-changing world.  We advance business law, but we also shape the legal and commercial framework of California and even beyond its borders.  Our work is meaningful.  Our voices are loud.  Our reach is vast.  We are stewards of integrity, civility, innovation, and the rule of law.  By supporting one another, pairing experienced attorneys with newer voices, and weaving our attorney oath into the fabric of our daily practice, we reaffirm our dedication to fairness, inclusion, and public trust.

United by purpose and energized by the limitless possibilities of what is to come, I believe we will achieve great things in the coming years.  But, this requires leaders.  Not just leaders in official roles within the BLS, but leaders who take on the day-to-day challenges we must overcome to make our organization better, so we serve our constituents better.

Let each of us be those leaders.  Let us build on our strengths and strive for new achievements.  Let us unite through our passion for serving the legal and business communities.  Let us listen to our constituents and then strive to make the BLS, our communities, and our legal profession better for everyone.  Let us work together, shoulder-to-shoulder, embracing new opportunities, raising our voices for positive change, and building on our legacy of impact.

The best is yet to come!

The views expressed herein represent those of the author and not necessarily those of the author’s firm or its partners or employees.