1. Tell us about your business and what is your business philosophy?
My practice at Bogin, Munns & Munns involves business law, real estate, and banking. My business work involves company formations, contracts, transactions, finance, dispositions, inter-owner relations, and human resources management. My real estate work involves both commercial and residential purchases and sales, landlord and tenant side leasing, and finance; and my banking work involves both borrower and lender representation. I also enjoy doing equine industry transaction and negotiation projects. And I teach at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and the Warrington College of Business. All-in-all, a well-rounded and satisfying commercial law practice.
2. Why are you passionate about your commitment to United Way’s Community Investment Fund?
For many years, actually decades, I have been aware of the United Way’s “Main Street” work. In the past, I was once even on a grants panel. And, my wife works in a public school, which has made me acutely aware of the basic life and education needs facing the students and the teachers who work with them. To demonstrate my commitment, I recently satisfied my initial one-year commitment, and then re-upped for another three years.
3. What is something interesting or surprising that most people don’t know about you?
I have played guitar since 1973 and bass guitar since 1975. I have a number of high school and college friends who went on to become famous actors. (No, I do not still communicate with them given the passage of time.) If I won the lottery, I might go on to write plays and opera librettos. Except I almost never buy lottery tickets.
4. What would your older self-tell your younger self?
I do not tend towards quotes, but it appears “Don’t sweat the small stuff…and it’s all small stuff” is one sensible recommendation. That thought is, of course, difficult to reconcile against the business notion “Time kills deals.” But, that “yin/yang” tension is what makes life particularly interesting. To me.
5. Favorite quote?
I am not naturally a “quotes” person, but my undergraduate degree is in philosophy, which is still of tremendous and daily interest, so here I go…
“To be is to do”—Socrates.
“To do is to be”—Jean-Paul Sartre.
“Do be do be do”—Frank Sinatra.