Sep. 2, 2010

Silicon Valley Attorney Brings His 'A' Game

By Lisa Kestenbaum Daily Journal Staff Writer Eric Reifschneider, managing partner of Dewey & LeBoeuf's Palo Alto office, has been involved in some tense, high-stakes negotiations. But none have made the technology transactions partner as nervous as stepping out on the floor, or up to the rings, during a big meet. As tri-captain of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's gymnastics team, Reifschneider flipped, twisted and vaulted his way through four years of physics and mathematics as an undergrad. Gymnastics helped him learn to deal with pressure, he said. "When you're out there, all eyes on you, and the judges are watching, you only get one chance and no do-overs," he said. "You've trained and trained and trained, and then this is it... If you mess up, too bad." When he graduated from MIT and enrolled at Harvard Law School, Reifschneider realized the increasing demands of gymnastics on his body. After talking to a close friend who was also a professional squash player, Reifschneider decided to try his hand at the racquet sport. Since then, he has played and placed in several squash tournaments, including the "A" level championship at the Pacific Athletic Club in Redwood Shores. He tries to squeeze a game or two in some mornings before work. "It's nicer when it's not the morning after you've been in the office until 1:30 [a.m.]," he said. "But once you get out there, it feels good." A different athletic endeavor took Reifschneider off of the court and onto the field during the Oakland Athletics's fantasy baseball camps in 2008 and 2009. Each January, baseball enthusiasts travel to Phoenix, Ariz., for the week-long camps, which include special clinics and chances to play with the pros, like American League pitcher Dave Stewart, former second baseman and A's post-game show commentator Shooty Babitt, and former centerfielder Dave Henderson, the camp's owner and operator. At the end of the week, players are drafted for the Fantasy League teams and then play each other in a tournament. In 2009, Reifschneider, who plays shortstop, was named tournament MVP. Growing up in St. Louis, Mo., Reifschneider remembers a childhood filled with backyard football matches, soccer clubs and Little League games. With no Internet, cell phones and other distractions, kids played outside back then, he mused. Now, Reifschneider balances his busy transactions practice and the management of Dewey's Palo Alto office with coaching his two sons' Little League teams. "It sounds cliché" he said, "but the times we spend at practices and games - those are the moments they're going to remember." lisa_kestenbaum@dailyjournal.com