This story goes back to 2015.
I had the wild idea of walking my first Camino de Santiago before starting my master at Harvard.
At the time, I was applying for scholarships and raising funds (anyone who has done a master degree in the United States knows how insanely expensive it can be). I already had a Fulbright in my pocket, but you know—the more, the better.
There was a scholarship managed by the Association of Structured Law Firms in Italy. If you take the top Italian law firms by revenue, it’s almost certain they’re part of it. They were offering two small scholarships for students intending to do a master’s in the U.S., so I applied.
I made it to the interview stage (thank God, I had a decent resume). And because of the Camino (you know, life is a matter of priorities), I had the possibility of doing the interview via phone. However, I was unlucky because, on that day, I was reaching El Cebreiro, the highest mountain of the French Way and the most remote part of the Camino.
I still remember that call—an unstable connection, in a bar with a bunch of drunk Spanish farmers—me and the Founder/President of the Association, one of the leading lawyers in Italy, managing partner of one of the top Italian law firms.
While other candidates were suited up in Milan, hoping for five minutes of his time, I was in the middle of nowhere, wearing a T-shirt, backpack on my shoulders, articulating my thoughts.
That event was so surreal that I remember everything we shared, including this quote from me: “If you want a lawyer who aims to be the best corporate lawyer on the market, I’m not sure I’m your guy. But if you want someone who will impact the Italian legal profession 10 years from now, you should bet on me.”
Looking back, I realize humility wasn’t my strongest suit back then. Hopefully, I’ve gained a bit more wisdom since.
Long story short, I didn’t win the scholarship. There were only two slots, and I came in third. But the interviewer (a Harvardian himself) decided to bet on me anyway—offering me the same amount from his own resources.
After my master program, he became my boss and one of my dearest mentors. There’s so much more to this story, but what it shows is that vision can open doors. And gratitude? Well, that’s a tool every professional should carry (Thanks, Giovanni, by the way!).
Not so long after my master in the States, I became Italy’s first innohead for law firms. During those years, we did some really cool stuff—introduced litigation funding to the Italian market, worked on legal design before it was trendy, started AI projects long before GPTs. We published a couple of social reports (rare for law firms) and achieved a lot I’m proud of. Speaking of gratitude, credit goes firstly to the firm and everyone involved in these projects.
Now, nearly 10 years have passed since that interview, and I’ve been reflecting on my legal trajectory. More than anything, I’ve been asking myself whether my statement has been a credible one. I’ve always believed in walking the talk more than talking the talk.
I don’t know the full (or right) answer yet, but one thing is clear to me:
As a mediator, I’ve impacted the legal profession more than I did as a lawyer.
As head of innovation, I’ve impacted it more than I did as a lawyer and mediator.
And as founder of Better Ipsum, I (well, we) have the potential to raise the threshold and do even more.
When I talk to colleagues in the legal field, I see some of them focused obsessively on titles—partner, lawyer, managing, etc.—rather than on what truly matters. If you’re a lawyer, it’s about helping your client. If you’re passionate about the legal field, it’s about making law or the legal profession better. Then there are lots of nuances (money matters as well), but the core is there.
So here I am—the lawyer, the mediator, the innohead, the entrepreneur. Titles, only titles.
At the end of the day, I’m just Marco—the guy who wakes up every morning wanting to make the world a better place.
Because, you know, if Lorem Ipsum can become Better Ipsum, why can’t the legal profession become a better one?