Josh Aronoff

Co-Founder and CEO, Herbie

Years at Cravath: 2016-2019

The level of ownership and responsibility of my experience at Cravath prepared me to confidently navigate the knowns and unknowns of building a startup. Day to day, at our early stage, my time is spread across everything all the time, including product development, corporate administrative tasks, growth marketing, and talking to end users and strategic partners. I’m also conspicuously offline between 8-9am and 6-8pm, wrangling a 2-year-old and a 2-month-old. 

My dad (whose name was Herbert, aka “Herbie” to friends and family) passed away several years ago, and administering his estate highlighted the cost, complexity and stress of traditional estate planning and administration. My mission in building Herbie is to help everyone avoid the problems that I faced by creating, updating and sharing user-friendly estate plans. The maturation of AI has enabled my team and I to tackle those problems with technology. 

The biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity facing the estate planning industry is the “silver tsunami,” or Great Wealth Transfer. As an increasingly large portion of the U.S. is older than 65, practical estate planning needs to adapt. Today, only one-third of adults have a will, let alone a complete estate plan that they have shared with their families. Without higher adoption of user-friendly estate plans, the “sandwich generation”—Gen Xers and millennials with aging Baby Boomer parents—will experience a tremendous amount of economic waste from administering their parents’ estates.

Daniel Barabander

General Counsel and Investment Partner, Variant Fund

Years at Cravath: 2021-2024

I entered crypto through the legal industry, which is a bit backwards from the typical story. Most people fall in love with crypto first and then decide they want to practice law in the space. For me, it was the opposite: I was already a lawyer, and it was through the legal work that I fell in love with crypto.

My background is in software engineering and founding companies, so when I joined Cravath, I naturally gravitated toward the most technical areas of legal practice. Crypto immediately stood out because, unlike in most industries, the technology and the law are deeply intertwined—you can’t meaningfully practice in this area without understanding how the systems work under the hood.

That intersection became my obsession. I found that I could create real value as a lawyer by getting deeply technical and using that expertise to craft more persuasive legal arguments. And while doing that work, I genuinely fell in love with the technology itself. That’s what ultimately pulled me fully into the industry and convinced me this was the world I wanted to dedicate my life to.

The biggest driver of opportunity in crypto today is, without question, the explosion of stablecoins. The much bigger opportunity is the second-order effect: once value is on crypto rails, what else becomes possible? That shift—from using crypto rails for efficiency to using them because they open entirely new avenues of utility—is, in my view, the most underappreciated opportunity in the entire ecosystem. It’s the gateway to everything that follows.

Ben Barocas

Chief Financial Officer, Overland AI

Years at Cravath: 2019-2021

There's an unwritten principle I took from Cravath: “If you’re wondering who should be doing something, it’s probably you.” I'm not sure the Firm would describe it as such, but that was the ethos I saw. Don’t wait for someone else to figure it out. If you see a path forward, take ownership. That mentality is essential at a startup, where roles are fluid and speed matters.

I also think there’s something meaningful about Cravath’s history at the forefront of American economic transformation, from pioneering transactions that shaped our country’s early history to representing founders building transformative companies. That tradition of supporting founder-led innovation resonates with what we’re doing at Overland AI. We’re not just building a company, we’re defining ground autonomy as an industry.

The military has explored autonomous ground vehicles for more than two decades, but the off-road segment is still relatively nascent. There is the challenge of bridging innovation with the defense acquisition apparatus, which wasn't designed for the speed of modern technology development. Finding pathways to demonstrate capability, prove value, and scale rapidly while respecting necessary oversight: that's the balancing act. 

I believe bringing legal thinking into a business role without actually being “the lawyer” is an accelerator, not a brake. When you spot issues early, understand the policy landscape, anticipate downstream implications, and structure with intention, you maintain speed because you understand the terrain, not just the next move. Contrary to the stereotype, the right legal thinking helps you move faster. 

Sean Fernandez-Ledon

Chief Legal Officer, Octane Lending

Years at Cravath: 2015-2017

My interest in startups and technology began in law school, through coursework in venture capital finance, and as an associate at Cravath I had the opportunity for early exposure to live dealmaking, which necessitated a learn-as-you-go mentality. That has paid tremendous dividends for me today.

While my time at Cravath provided an invaluable foundation in corporate governance, securities, and finance law, I had a recurring desire to see what life was like on the operating side—specifically, how businesses thought through strategic and operational decisions in practice. I was lucky to find an opportunity at Octane that combined technology, finance, and leadership exposure, allowing me to immediately provide value and rapidly develop my own skillset. The pace and speed of Octane's growth means that I encounter novel issues and opportunities every day. 

As my team has grown, my day-to-day focus has shifted toward strategic oversight, team development and corporate strategy. My subject matter attention is typically split between our capital markets practice, regulatory work for our nationwide consumer lending product, and corporate governance. On any given day, I may be focusing on complex state lending laws, a tender offer, or a new forward flow facility, among myriad other matters.

As with any disruptive technology company, innovation is our strong suit. However, to succeed in fintech lending, innovation must be paired with strong fundamentals. While many overlook them, mastery of capital markets, credit underwriting, and compliance are table stakes in our business. Octane’s obsession with both cutting-edge innovation and the fundamentals of responsible lending is what truly allows us to compete and grab market share from less tech-forward incumbents.

Tammuz Huberman 

Counsel – Private Investments, Viking Global Investors 

Years at Cravath: 2019-2024

There isn’t really a typical day at Viking, and that’s one of the most appealing parts of the job. Some days are spent looking at new investments, working with the investment team to evaluate opportunities, understand the risks, and structure terms that create a strong foundation for the go-forward relationship with our portfolio companies. Other days are focused on our existing portfolio. That might involve helping with a new financing, advising on governance or management questions, or preparing for a significant strategic transaction like an exit. 

Much of my work sits where legal judgment and business strategy meet, and I try to approach each day with an eye toward advancing disciplined legal outcomes with commercial objectives. I also spend time on fund‑level matters, including regulatory considerations, overall fund performance and investor communications. Fund priorities can shift quickly, so adaptability is essential. My role is to protect the fund’s interests while implementing legally sound solutions that support long‑term success.

At Cravath, I worked with many different types of clients, but I consistently found myself most engaged when I was working with emerging growth companies. There was something especially motivating about being part of businesses that were still being built—the legal work felt closer to the action and more directly tied to the company’s direction and success. I especially enjoyed how collaborative those client relationships were. I liked being in a position where I could help founders and management teams think through difficult choices and move forward with confidence. The legal advice wasn’t theoretical or routine; it was tied to real decisions that had immediate and meaningful consequences. 

Over time, I realized that kind of partnership was what I wanted to focus on long‑term, and my current role gives me that opportunity in a broader way. I get to work deeply with one core client, Viking, while also staying closely involved with a wide range of our portfolio companies. It feels like being a true advisor to many teams at key moments in their growth, which is exactly the kind of work I was hoping to do.

Amanda Kauth

General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Check Technologies 

Years at Cravath: 2010-2018

I have always been drawn to mission-driven companies that aim to disrupt dominant players—a thread that connects my work at WeWork, Buzzer and now Check. At Check, we are transforming payroll by enabling platforms to embed it directly into their own products, making the complex task of paying people simple. I became a lawyer because I wanted to advocate for those who needed a voice and to use my competitive spirit for good. Today, I find the most fulfillment in being a trusted advisor to brilliant non-lawyers, helping them navigate risk so they can turn bold ideas into a thriving business.  

The fintech space sits at a unique intersection of rapid innovation and a complex, shifting patchwork of federal and state regulations. While many see this uncertainty as a hurdle, I view it as our greatest opportunity. A deep, sophisticated understanding of the regulatory landscape is exactly what allows a company to successfully define a new product category. In this environment, providing legal counsel isn't just about compliance; it is about building the very foundation that enables innovation to scale.

I often think back to my time at Cravath, whose influence shows up daily in two specific ways. First is the generalist training from the rotation system. In my current role, I’m expected to be an expert across vastly different fields—from money transmission licensing and AI usage to debt financing and intellectual property creation/protection. Cravath taught me how to dive into a new, complex topic quickly and provide targeted recommendations, anticipating issues and without unnecessary hedging.

Second is the team model. I have such vivid memories of the camaraderie formed while proofreading summary judgment briefs until midnight or navigating intense trials in the Michigan winter. That experience taught me that we are more effective when we work toward tangible, collective goals (and have fun). Today, I apply that by building deep cross-functional partnerships with Sales, R&D and Finance, empowering my colleagues to act because we are all on the same team.

Joyce Kim

Counsel – Investments, S2G Investments 

Years at Cravath: 2015-2020

I was drawn to the emerging companies and venture capital space through a combination of professional exposure and personal background. After Cravath, I joined a firm with a nationally recognized EC/VC practice, where I worked closely with founders and investors across a range of industries. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, I was energized by the process of building companies and found the work both intellectually engaging and rewarding. These experiences laid the foundation for my interest in the broader investment ecosystem.

In parallel, my interest in sustainability developed over time. I was raised with an awareness of consumption and finite resources, and that perspective sharpened during my years living and working in New York, where the scale of everyday waste was difficult to ignore. I began engaging more intentionally with sustainable practices in both my professional habits and personal life, and over time sustainability became an integral part of how my family and I approach daily decision making.

When I learned about my current firm and its mandate to invest in companies advancing sustainability across food and agriculture, oceans and renewable energy, the alignment felt immediate. The role brings together my experience advising companies and investors with a deeply held commitment to supporting a healthier and more humane world. It allows me to contribute to the growth of innovative businesses while engaging with solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Today, as in-house counsel, my client is the firm itself, and I support all investment activity, portfolio company matters and internal legal needs across a global portfolio representing approximately $2.5 billion in assets under management. My Cravath training continues to shape how I work, through rigorous analysis, clear communication, discipline under pressure and a commitment to quality. It also encompasses the formative life experiences I had during my time at the Firm—including both the profound loss of my mother and the profound joy of welcoming my daughter—which reinforced the importance of resilience, perspective and empathy, and continue to inform how I lead, collaborate and build meaningful relationships today.

Ian Lampl

Co-Founder and CEO, LoanStreet

Years at Cravath: 2005-2009

I started LoanStreet due to a combination of my life experiences from my time at Cravath to my work at the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and my undergraduate studies as an electrical engineer. It became clear to me that community financial institutions desperately needed to syndicate the loans they originated while purchasing loans from other similar but geographically diverse institutions. At the same time, the sizes of the loans required vastly more automation and standardization. 

To that end, we created LoanStreet, which standardized the arrangement among lenders to remove negotiation friction and automate the inter-lender agency financial and regulatory reporting process so that any institution regardless of size could buy and sell loans.

My day is driven by context switching. Generally, I have meetings with external stakeholders like investors or clients, and then internal stakeholders from sales to engineering. If I divide thinking strategies between fast and slow, the bulk of my day demands that I’m effective at fast thinking, whereas I generally perform my slow thinking during evenings and weekends, when I can contemplate issues longer.

That said, as a CEO, I find the most interesting and challenging part of the role is that everyone who reports to you knows more than you about whatever it is they do. Your head of engineering knows more about engineering; your head of design knows more about design; your head of marketing knows more about marketing; and so on. (Probably the toughest job at LoanStreet is the general counsel role, because it is an area where I actually know a thing or two.)  

Dominic Nelson

Venture Capital Deal Counsel, Brevan Howard Digital

Years at Cravath: 2015-2018

My first introduction to the digital asset space came while I was at Cravath. I made investments in both Ethereum and Bitcoin back in 2015 and then, to be honest, forgot about them for years. Fast forward to early 2022 and I was working on a particularly challenging venture capital investment involving a large crypto decentralized exchange. That transaction reignited my interest in the space and ultimately inspired me to pursue a role focused exclusively on digital assets and venture capital.

My Cravath experience instilled a mindset of deep understanding and total ownership. It taught me to anticipate issues from every angle and to strive for clarity and excellence in execution. That pursuit of excellence never really leaves you. It’s something I try to embed in everything I do now—not just in the work product itself, but in how I approach challenges, learn continuously, and think entrepreneurially about better ways to achieve exceptional outcomes.

I’ve always been drawn to emerging technologies and I believe the digital asset space represents a new frontier, the next “tech bubble” in the best sense of the phrase. No day is ever the same and that’s what makes my role so exciting. With crypto markets operating 24/7, you can wake up to a completely new set of issues each day, ranging from trading questions to investment documentation, portfolio management matters, or operational challenges. 

My work spans the full lifecycle of a deal, from early stage investment considerations and structuring to negotiating legal agreements and advising on operational implementation. It’s a fast-paced environment that constantly pushes me to learn and adapt, and I find that energy and variety incredibly rewarding.