We sat down with Park to delve deeper into his background and learn how his dual expertise in law and business has empowered him to evolve into the leader he is today.

Kogod: You were recently elected as non-executive Chair of Dentons’ Global Board. Congratulations! What inspired you to accept and commit to this role? 

Park: I believe I am well-positioned to provide cross-cultural clarity and awareness to harmonize the needs of our different member regions. As the world’s largest law firm, it’s important to maintain our core strengths by having strong local practices and presence, global reach, and polycentricity. I hope to preserve these as founding principles so the firm can benefit from its members’ diversity.

In this new role, you’re advising the CEO and board members on decision-making to best advance your clients’ business needs. Could you share an example to illustrate how you’re doing so?

The global board's work is crucial in shaping the future of our firm in collaboration with our partners. When we come together to make decisions, these choices have far-reaching consequences, affecting how the firm operates, how we serve our clients, and how we connect talent with opportunities. Our work here goes beyond mere business; we are the architects of our strategy and guide the management team, including our CEO and other officers, in executing that strategy. 

What has been most fulfilling about this work so far—and most challenging? 

The most fulfilling part is having the opportunity to connect with some of our most talented leaders across the globe, and at the same time helping spur interaction between different colleagues to create more opportunities that build our business. The most challenging part lies in the same front: Having to create consensus while easing tensions between different interests within the firm.  

In what ways has having experience in both law and business been beneficial?

The education and training I received at American University’s Washington College of Law and Kogod School of Business have complimented each other in different ways. On the one hand, law school does not provide training on how to manage a business, market to clients, or network. Most lawyers need to learn these skills on their own. Lawyers are also generally risk-averse by nature, so I was fortunate to learn these skills at Kogod, both at school and later on by keeping in touch with my classmates. But law school does provide crucial training on issue spotting, analysis, and logical reasoning—skills necessary for managing a large organization. 

What advice would you give to an aspiring business leader or lawyer interested in pursuing both fields? Is there something you wish you knew starting off that might have helped you along the way? 

To succeed in life, you will need things like grit, determination, confidence, hard work, and most importantly, social skills. Open your eyes and look at the bigger picture, find things that you love, make friends, make a family, and find your passions and pursue them. 

How would you describe your vision for your continued leadership at Dentons—as both board chair and managing attorney? 

I believe that a successful managing partner and global chair must be able to draw on experience in various practices, industries, and regions to bridge gaps between the needs and desires of diverse practitioners in the firm. There is no point in being the largest law firm in the world if groups of people feel alienated or disregarded. I hope to create an environment that promotes increased cross-regional interaction. The vision is more cohesiveness between our professionals and more business development on an international level.

At Kogod, we believe business is a force for meaningful change. What does using business—and law—for meaningful change mean to you? 

At Dentons, I believe it is our duty and responsibility to lead by example and show what a truly global organization can do for its people, clients, and community. No other firm has the reach and breadth that we do to bring about positive change at this scale. I hope that our culture creates an environment where all of our people feel valued and respected—and that this also extends to how interact with our clients and communities.