Turiciano lives to litigate conflict

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David Turiciano does not shy away from conflict, he embraces it.

“I just love working for clients who have built their companies with their own hands,” said the Mawicke & Goisman SC shareholder. “I love serving them as their mercenary. That’s my lot in life. I love conflict.”

As an attorney for construction companies, manufacturers and contractors, Turiciano has gotten plenty of conflict since he graduated from the Loyola University School of Law in 1999 and joined his firm 10 years ago.

“No construction job that has ever been performed from the Bible until now has ever gone off without a dispute over money,” said Turiciano, who practices contract law and handles property disputes and bankruptcies, in addition to construction and commercial litigation.

“Resolving conflict — that is all life is,” he said. “We dominate the planet because we work together. And working together isn’t an Oprah a-ha kumbaya moment. It’s conflict and resolving conflict.

“Conflict is good.”

The Daily Reporter: What do you consider your biggest career achievement to date and why?

David Turiciano: Building the practice I have, given that I don’t like people. And being able to work with such a variety of clients, given that I’m very introverted.

TDR: What is the top legal issue construction firms need to be aware of today and why?

Turiciano: They need to read their contracts and really negotiate their contracts because there are no profit margins.

TDR: What is one thing attorneys should know that they won’t learn in law school?

Turiciano: They should have tremendous and vast stores of data on all aspects of humanity and common sense. Most people don’t want to learn things. They want to believe they know things.

TDR: Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Turiciano: I probably overuse ‘vis-a-vis,’ the Latin phrase, way too much. I don’t even know what it was truly meant to be used for. I curse frequently and voraciously, and I shouldn’t do it.

TDR: What was your least favorite course in law school and why?

Turiciano: Employment law because at its premise it theorizes that an employer is a cheat, and the opposite is true. It is only their skill and tremendous energy that provides anything for people.

TDR: If you hadn’t become a lawyer, what career would you have chosen?

Turiciano: Pirate. I’m doing quite well as a lawyer; I have unfettered access to money and women and children and booty. But If I ever dry up, I’ll let you know.

TDR: Who are your heroes?

Turiciano: We’ll go with fictional, so we don’t hurt anyone’s feelings: Sancho Panza from ‘Don Quixote.’ Oh, we’ll go nonfictional, Cervantes himself. Then, well, another fictional: Cyrano de Bergerac. And then we’ll go with Christ. Those are my big three.

TDR: What is your definition of success?

Turiciano: Success is not having to be political, not having to say those things except those that you truly mean or are true, not to curry the favor of the inane or to convince the rabble of one thing or another. Success is being able to truly enjoy the fruits of your labor. To live well and speak the truth: that’s success for me. In many places on Earth, you could not succeed by my definition.

TDR: What are your words to live by?

Turiciano: Veritas. Truth always. That’s it. Just the truth. It always works. People won’t like you. They won’t like you at all. Some people would just go out of their way to spite you. But it still feels fantastic. It feels fantastic to tell the truth all the time.