Steve Lugerner (Corporate M&A, 2014-2018), chief investment and legal officer of the Tao Group, practiced in the firm’s Corporate Department. Steve received his B.A. in Political Science from Emory University and his J.D. from Columbia Law School.

1. What’s the most interesting and/or rewarding aspect of your role as chief investment and legal officer of the Tao Group?

Having the opportunity to make a significant impact every day on the success of a world-class hospitality company. We employ over 6,000 team members worldwide. In my dual role, I play a key part in making sure our team members have a safe and rewarding employment experience, but also lead on new venue expansion, which provides advancement opportunities for our existing team and new opportunities for others to join Tao Group Hospitality.

2. What attracted you to join Tao's legal team, and how did your background prepare you for the unique legal challenges of working at a large hospitality company?

At Paul, Weiss, I was very fortunate to work with a number of interesting clients, including the owners of Tao in its sale to Madison Square Garden in 2017. I was attracted to Tao’s entrepreneurial spirit and unique ability to create memorable experiences for its guests. Working in Paul, Weiss’s Corporate Department as an M&A attorney gave me a great legal foundation to transition over to Tao as in-house counsel.

3. What traits would you say make a good chief investment and legal officer?

As an in-house attorney, it is always easy to argue against something and simply say “no” to the business teams; it is much harder to work collaboratively across departments, figuring out how to get to “yes.” The role requires creative problem-solving through a business-oriented lens, and a tremendous amount of patience.