Professional Profile: Darren Stakey 2016
Darren Stakey - 2016Name: Darren Stakey - 2016
Title: Associate
Company: Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman
Location: East Meadow, NY
Birthplace: Southampton, NY
Education: Juris Doctor: Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, Salutatorian Spring 2015 (Summa Cum Laude); Bachelor of Arts and Science: Hofstra University (Phi Beta Kappa)
First job outside of real estate: Paraeducator and one-on-one aid for autistic children
First job in real estate or allied field: Mortgage banking
What do you do now and what are you planning for the future? I try to consistently set both realistic and idealistic goals for myself and the person I want to become in the future. Realistically, I would like to teach a course in the law as an adjunct professor in the near future, as I have always had an aptitude for and an attraction to teaching. More idealistically, I hope to pursue a political career at some point in the future. For now, I am focused on the exciting task of facilitating large commercial and residential development projects at Certilman Balin.
How do you unwind from a busy day in real estate? I am an adventure seeker, so releasing tension for me can involve anything from scuba diving to zip lining. I also love to travel and enjoy exploring foreign cultures, engrossing myself as a sort of participant-observer. But, on a regular day, I like to unwind by playing the guitar or the piano and by spending quality time with friends and loved ones.
Favorite book or author: “Leaves of Grass” by Walt Whitman
Favorite movie: “Groundhog Day”
Last song you purchased/downloaded? One Dance by Drake
One word to describe your work environment: Refined
Rules to live by in business: Profitability and ethicality are not mutually exclusive. When negotiating, choose your battles wisely, always favoring substance above form. The little things really matter, both in business and in life.
If you could invite one person to dinner (living or dead, but not related to you) who would it be and where would you go? This kind of question is always difficult because there are so many figures from history who have influenced my thinking and philosophies. However, as a big fan of Roman history, I have always been intrigued by Lucius Cornelius Sulla. He did not always follow the traditional path of leaders in his time, nor were his actions as a leader entirely admirable, but, in many ways, he set the stage for the transition from Republican Rome to the Roman Empire. My interest in Sulla stems in part from his superb depiction in Steven Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa historical fiction series, which I highly encourage you to read.
What is your DREAM job? (something other than your current job) Article III judge. I interned for federal district Senior Judge Leonard D. Wexler during law school and it had a profound influence on my understanding of the law in action. It would be a dream come true to follow in his footsteps.