Alina Matei: Thank you, Master, because you have agreed to grant us an interview for JURIDICE.ro community. First question: While you were a student of the Faculty of Technological Equipment of Bucharest you have graduated the exam at the Faculty of Law, University of Bucharest. How did you open the door of legal profession in your life? It sounds like a real jump from the Technological Equipment to Legal Profession.

Gabriel Grigoraş: The exam at Faculty of Law I supported after I graduated from the Faculty of Technological Equipment.

Although I graduated Technological Equipment Faculty in 1983, while I was a trainee engineer, I enrolled the entrance exam to Law Faculty because, on the one hand, I always liked humanities as well, and, on the other hand, I felt it wasn`t enough what I was doing as an engineer.

Alina Matei: Mathematics is not the strongest point of the lawyers, but for you it is. How is familiarity with the concepts of mathematics advantageous for a lawyer? Or these make everything more confusing?

Gabriel Grigoraş: Mathematics and generally everything I studied at the Faculty of Technological Equipment helped me greatly in the legal profession, as I have formed a technical thinking and an applied one. First, it was easy to systematize and structure the theoretical problems of law and, ultimately, the entire professional law activity has been an applied one, pragmatic and very effective. Moreover, in the domains of real estate and construction, both in litigation, but also on the advisory, the knowledge acquired in the Faculty of Technological Equipment helped a lot in solving complicated legal problems that my clients had.

Alina Matei: How mathematical is the sense of justice? …

Gabriel Grigoraş: For sure, mathematics greatly aids the development of many human senses and I specifically think that it helps to grow the sense of justice. But if we don`t speak of a sense of justice that can not be subjective from person to person when it comes to justice, it must always be accurate as mathematics. If justice were applied as mathematics, then we could say that we have an almost perfect justice.

Alina Matei: You started studying law at a time when the legislation is not changed, modified and appeared rapidly – not only literally, but sometimes even figuratively – as it is the case for several decades. Have you thought when you were a student that regimes may die as people? And it may have the luck of another world.

Gabriel Grigoraş: Regimes, like people, come and go. It was clear that things could not continue as if everything was against nature. What I did not know was if I will live such a change. Thank the good Lord that for me that things have changed on time!

Alina Matei: Beginnings in any profession are difficult. But if there is passion, they become beautiful. Why did you choose law? Being a judge, prosecutor or notary why do not be tempted?

Gabriel Grigoraş: You said well, if there is passion the beginnings are beautiful. I loved this profession from the very beginning and probably therefore, I can say that this profession has given me more than I deserved. This profession is a living one, it does not compare to anything else. Every day there are things and new problems, new people who you must interact with and last but not least, all these gives you more satisfactions. Satisfactions that a solved case gives of which is hanging the wealth or liberty of a person are incomparable.

Alina Matei: Your Master was Master Vasiliu. How did you meet and how he stayed in your mind and soul?

Gabriel Grigoraş: A special man, one of the best in the matter of civil law I worked with (he graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics). I think once I said it was hard to be his disciple as you become obsessed with the idea of being as good as he is.

Alina Matei: The lawyers of the law firm whose founder you are, GRIGORAŞ & PARTNERS, see you as a master? What is the relationship with them? You are rather rough or rather empathetic? Do you talk to them about their professional development? How do you find the new generation of lawyers?

Gabriel Grigoraş: Our relations are more than collegial, just friendship I could say. In this profession you can not ever know it all, this is why the concept of master is nice, but we must recognize, it is too subjective. On his domain, anyone can be the best, the only condition is to want to do this.

Alina Matei: How do you handle attorney-client relationship? What is your approach? The principle of non nocet Abundans cautela (more caution, more safety) is prominently on your law firm site – www.grigoraslawyers.ro.

Gabriel Grigoraş: There are different kinds of people. In general, someone comes to a lawyer when he has problems, so he needs to understand not only the case, but also him as human. Most of my clients have become friends over the years, this being another beautiful side of this profession.

Alina Matei: Your mission is that of lawyer, but if you were a client what you would expect from a lawyer? What the ethics of a lawyer should be based on?

Gabriel Grigoraş: I wish the principles that are prominently on our site, that’s the precaution and safety.

Alina Matei: Lawyers of GRIGORAŞ & PARTNERS are covering multiple majors. The main activity of the company is the litigation and consulting. In terms of advice, do you feel somehow on this segment, a pressure of multinationals or even of so-called lawyers who practice law illegally? The internet with models and answers to legal questions can be a form of pressure?

Gabriel Grigoraş: What is done by multinational or by so-called lawyers who practice law illegally can not be considered law. Regarding the law done on the internet is a joke. I have not felt such pressure, even more from other law firms.

Alina Matei: Recently, the company GRIGORAŞ & PARTNERS was awarded by the Society of Legal Sciences with a degree of appreciation for contributions in terms of promoting the legal culture. But to be able to contribute to promoting the legal culture you need for a certain position of power, environment and best possible positioning. How do you see the future of the legal profession and of lawyers? How important is legal knowledge? How important is reputation?

Gabriel Grigoraş: My view is that promoting legal culture should be the concern of every lawyer. Obviously, as you say, it takes time, research, environment, etc., but I think this can be done through daily work we perform as lawyers.

Unfortunately, it seems that the trend is that this profession to become a very commercial one (regarding your question on the law carried out by multinational or illegal lawyers etc.). I would be sorry in the future, this profession to turn into a commercial one, with CAEN code.

However, I believe in the future of this profession, the more so since, lately, it seems that the status of the lawyer began to find his place and respect he deserves.

Alina Matei: After 25 years of practicing the legal profession, how would you define the lawyer? How he must be, what career to pursue in life, what to expect, what not to do?

Gabriel Grigoraş: The man who often must solve the impossible. Without passion, perseverance and loyalty it is hard to succeed in this profession. You must never give up. Nichita Stănescu said that life should be lived and fought out, even out of curiosity.

Alina Matei: A message, please, for JURIDICE.ro community.

Gabriel Grigoraş: I congratulate you for everything you do for the entire legal community in general, and I congratulate you especially for what you do for the legal profession.

Alina Matei: Thank you for talking to me.

Gabriel Grigoraş: Thank you, too!