Matthew Salzwedel
Senior Counsel at HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate
Fox Rothschild, 2005-2008
- J.D., University of Minnesota Law School, 2001
- B.A., Drake University, 1998
What attracted you to your current role at HomeServices of America?
I wanted to focus on one client and help the company grow, comply with the laws that govern its different business operations and be more efficient. During my nine-year tenure at HomeServices of America, I’ve had the opportunity, among other things, to help close many small and large acquisitions and work on enterprise-wide projects that have made the company’s operations more efficient.
What trends do you see in your industry?
HomeServices of America is a real estate holding company that owns brokerage, mortgage, title/escrow, insurance and relocation subsidiaries that operate in 32 states. Given the breadth of our operations, focusing on compliance and managing risk is important. In the past few years, mitigating cybersecurity risk has been a big focus of my practice. HomeServices has used Fox to help us with some of these cybersecurity-related matters.
Mitigating cybersecurity risk is important for HomeServices, and every employee is required to play a part. We vet our third-party vendors to ensure they do not pose unreasonable security risks and to make sure they can comply with laws that regulate the retention, processing and use of consumers’ personal information. Preventing the threats posed by ransomware and other serious security breaches is a major focus of our compliance efforts. Businesses that are not now addressing these business-critical security risks are already late to the game.
Which mentor influenced you the most and why?
Judge Eric Tostrud, a federal district court judge in Minneapolis, was a partner who I worked with at a former firm. Judge Tostrud was tough. He instilled in me the basic traits of successful lawyers. For example, he expected that if I gave him a brief to review, it should be ready to be filed with the court. Often, I would receive edits from him to a first draft that had more red ink than my original writing. But that’s how I learned how to write well. He emphasized attention to detail and quality work product. I also clerked for G. Barry Anderson, now a justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court, who also taught me much about being a successful lawyer and how to be a good person to boot. I also had many mentors at Fox. I appreciated my time at Fox, in particular the lawyers and staff who I worked with. I always felt like Fox was doing all it could to help me be a better lawyer.
What nuggets of advice would you give a recent law school graduate or associate?
Good lawyers have developed the internal drive to consistently create quality work product. The main way a lawyer can get ahead in his or her career is by doing good work routinely, and there’s no way to get around that. Good lawyers know how to set (and reset) expectations and boundaries, especially when people like opposing counsel are being unreasonable. A successful lawyer is confident but not arrogant. Being humble is important. You inevitably will make mistakes, but the best thing that you can do is own them and learn from them. Doing so shows strength, not weakness. When I realized how important these personal traits were, it had a huge effect on both my career and personal life.
Where would we find you when you’re not working?
On the golf course and training for half-marathons. I also enjoy gardening. Through trial and error, I’ve learned about the characteristics of different plants and what plants work and don’t work in different locations. When I’m running or gardening, I can shut off my brain and get a mental break from work.
