There are those who live within the lines of the status quo. It provides comfort and ease, and for them, a calm ocean is beautiful. There are those, however, who seek to constantly evolve—and improve. Growth motivates and, for them, there is beauty in ripples. Raul Gerodias loves to make waves.

‘THE LETTER’

On August 31, 2005, Raul penned a letter to his fellow partners throwing his hat into the ring as a possible managing partner for the firm. It listed the attributes he felt qualified him for such a position and outlined his ideas and initiatives born from the issues he felt needed to be addressed. It was straight forward and professional, logical and bereft of emotion or angst.

To be sure it was a bold move. He was a young 42, with other senior partners at least 10 years older than him, but he had 15 years of work experience. He joined the firm as a senior associate in January 1992, admitted as a partner in July 1994 and became a name partner in January 1996. Raul’s stellar rise through the ranks allowed him to attach his name to the standard of a well-known law firm. Yet, all that was not enough.

Unfortunately, he was passed over for the position and the repercussions of that letter left Raul taking stock of life and wondering to do next. But, as it is often with Raul, not for long.

“You could say I’m a risk-taker,” he says. “It’s a bit impulsive; it’s confidence. I’m not the type who takes a lot of time deciding.”

He knew he could not stay. There was a fundamental incongruity with how he felt and the conditions under which he worked. To verbalize his issues, he sought out a colleague. “Toby was the very first person I spoke to about it,” he says, looking back. “At that time, he had lost his parents. We had worked together a lot and I had an affinity for him because of his family situation.”

It was here that Raul explored the idea of, not just leaving, but forming his own law firm.

He put his convictions into a series of steps that would manifest into reality. Those in Raul’s inner circle know of “the letter,” by the end of 2005, he had secured his clients, along with the lawyers who shared his vision and dream that would shape his future.

A firm believer in his instincts, Raul often acts quickly and decisively, so when he has an idea, trying to convince him otherwise is often an exercise in futility. “I’m not afraid to make mistakes. If it does not work out, no big deal. I don’t dwell and I don’t think of it as a failure,” he muses. “You’re all about the choices you make. There is no right or wrong. Whatever you decide on or do is a part of learning and growing up.”

ON HIS OWN TERMS

By the end of 2005, with dream in hand and lawyers in tote, he started to put into place the framework for what would become Gerodias Suchianco and Estrella (GSE) Law Firm.

Raul envisioned a place steeped in his guiding principles of honesty, trust, belief in yourself and others. He wanted to eschew the old standards of top-down management and create an atmosphere focused on empowering others to make a difference. The old school mentality of an established hierarchy of work and etiquette was one of the issues that Raul felt he needed to address.

From the beginning, he never differentiated between partner, associate or support staff. He was never choosy about whom he hung out with—whether it’s having lunch with another partner or drinks with associates and staff. This bristled some of the partners in his old firm and he wanted to make sure that in his own firm, there would not be the same unwritten rules.

He points out: “I want to treat people as co-equals. I don’t like to make an unnecessary gap, [and] I’ve always been against inequality and disparity. We’re officemates; we work together.”

The groundwork established that year still permeates through all areas of GSE. “Family” is a word that is often used to describe the firm and it isn’t meant facetiously. “Even up to this day, I always try to be there for the support staff, younger lawyers,” says Raul. “I’d like to make everyone comfortable. That’s very different from other firms. Here, it’s not a put on.”

Raul’s fundamental beliefs of equality and family are the bedrock of the firm. Even beyond the firm’s esteemed work ethic and established quality of work, there must be a feeling that everyone is in this endeavor together, marching forward believing in the same principles. What started out as nine lawyers and five staff grew and evolved over 15 years to a full-service force of 38 lawyers and over 40 support staff. This far exceeds Raul’s expectations and is rightfully a point of pride for him, “GSE is bigger than any of my past offices. I broke away not with particular plans of how big I wanted to make it, but because I wanted it on my own terms.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

In hindsight, one could say that Raul had a fairly safe and comfortable career in his previous firm. He rose to prominence quickly and established his name within the industry. He made good money and was respected wherever he went. Was it for vanity or ambition? Did he feel slighted or done wrong?

Raul shrugs off that notion. “At my very core, I want independence. I wanted freedom to do things. I want to pursue things because I believe in it, because I can, because I believe in myself. I wanted to do meaningful things.”

Starting your own firm means you have carte blanche deciding the culture and values you want to establish. On top of providing great personal care for his clients, Raul had a personal mandate to do something worthwhile to concretize the edict: “To whom much is given, much is expected.”

“Almost immediately upon creation of GSE I wanted to help out,” says Raul. “It was something I wanted to do and didn’t get to do in my old firm because I wasn’t in control. I’m particularly proud of being helpful to society, our outreach, legal missions, tree planting and go green advocacies.” He proclaims confidently, “For me, it’s more of what do I want to do and what can I do.” And with that short statement, Raul is defined.

POWER OF THREE

Strong-willed and determined as he is, Raul will tell you that he is not alone in this endeavor. The success of GSE is shared among the other letters of the Firm’s standard. Dimples Suchianco was brought along to head the litigation department, and Toby Estrella was asked to lead the labor department and immigration. Together they formed a formidable core for a full service firm. Professionally they were the perfect complement of experience and ability.

Serendipitously, their personalities meshed well together, too, pointing out how each of them complemented the other. Toby’s polite diplomacy and prudence balances out Raul’s frank and honest nature. “I’m humbled in his presence and he keeps me grounded,” he shares. Dimples’ assertiveness and strength of character, on the other hand, is the perfect contrast to his reticent youth. “I’ve struggled in the past because I was very shy, and I tend not to give my opinion to others freely. But I’ve learned a lot from her [about] dealing with other people.”

Three distinct personalities bringing their own styles and voices to a conversation can be challenging at times but their mutual respect and dedication to a shared vison generally prevails. “I respect them for who they are,” explains Raul. “When we argue we always keep it professional; we agree to disagree. In the end it is not what I want, it’s always more for the welfare of others.”

From these three pioneers grew a firm of empowered individuals advancing a dream. With the culture set, the firm set out to populate its ranks with those who had potential and similar beliefs. Raul’s philosophy was simple: “I like empowering people. I like the idea of helping people achieve the best versions of themselves. Develop your confidence. Believe in yourself and your abilities. If you don’t believe in yourself, who else is going to believe in you?”

BEING RIGHT

In as much as Raul had a dream and the confidence to be fiercely independent, he knows he could not have done it alone. He attributes much of his success to the people around him—those who chose to leave their jobs, put their careers and families at risk, and start anew; those who had to sacrifice to facilitate his dream. He felt the burden of those who chose him and his vision and knows where his gratitude falls. “I owe these people so much,” he asserts. “I think they believed in me before I even fully believed in myself. Whatever confidence I had in the beginning was because of the confidence they gave me.”

In school, he was always asked to be in a leadership role, and that extended to being asked to be president for his batch and representative to the alumni association. He never understood why he was always chosen for leadership roles and yet, people sense his passion and trust in his ability. “Looking back, it was all providential,” he says in hindsight. “It was leap of faith.”

A firm 15 years in the making. A firm inspired by a man’s desire for change and a yearning to make something more relevant to him and his beliefs. A firm that is as much a family as it is a business. “So much for someone who never even dreamed of becoming a lawyer,” he would say.

Raul sees what he helped create and has an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. He has given so much of himself in this undertaking and its success is his dream realized. He knew there was something he could do that would be better than what was already there, and believed it was worth it regardless of what it took. Raul is often asked why he changed the status quo when it had already proven successful for him, with the common misconception that he was just being ambitious. His steadfast reply: “It’s not about ambition, it’s about being right.”

And now, as it was in 2005, GSE follows his example and the values he upholds: Honesty, trust, belief in yourself and others, empowering others, and making a difference. ■ Earl Custodio