After helping grow a Colorado firm into one of the state’s largest, Jay Kamlet stepped away from Big Law in 2012 to build his own “escape pod,” he said, or an innovative network of independent attorneys designed to collaborate without the usual hierarchy.
His model, called LawBank, allows him to scale teams around a deal. Operating out of a collaborative physical space in Denver, Kamlet can tap into the expertise of independent practitioners across 30 different practice areas.
As an entrepreneur who has “sat on both sides of the desk,” Kamlet said he understands business objectives, strict budgets and the priority of protecting a company long-term. “My desire is to facilitate deals, not kill them,” he noted.
Kamlet’s practice covers the lifecycle of commercial real estate projects, from ground-up developments and financing to the leasing and selling of 100-story skyscrapers. His network serves a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies and some of the largest private equity firms in the nation.
Drawing on 37 years in the profession, Kamlet believes wisdom and humility go a long way toward practicing law well.
“You don’t have to prove you’re the smartest lawyer in the room,” he said. “You can leave room for other people to shine.”
For Kamlet, wisdom is not merely knowledge of the law; it requires reflection and vulnerability.
This perspective on wisdom is one he appreciates within the real estate bar — a section of the Colorado Bar he praises for being especially collaborative.
“Ask for help, and don’t be afraid to show that you have some insecurity about something,” he said. “Expect that people will offer their advice freely, with compassion and a willingness to help you advance.”
Lately, Kamlet’s years of transactional work have found a new sparring partner: Artificial Intelligence. As clients increasingly look to automated options for guidance, Kamlet has found himself defending the nuanced reality of the market against algorithms.
“AI doesn’t have an idea of the time and place of things,” Kamlet said. “It takes experience to know what applies in a specific time and place and what a buyer will actually accept in this market.”