What Sam Altman's lawyer learned from RBG and driving a cab

"RBG was a lawyer's lawyer before she became a judge's judge. She had many legal superpowers, but one habit of mind that distinguished her: She would always always begin reasoning from first principles. She knew, and taught her clerks, that every point she'd argued and every issue she'd resolve was only the small tip of a very large pyramid with a very large base. To understand the point at the top, you had to understand eve"

"Savitt, like many lawyers, prefers to resolve a dispute and avoid the spotlight of a public lawsuit. But if the battle reaches a courtroom, Savitt relishes the litigation process. The "light of cross-examination," he told Business Insider, is "one of the greatest devices for the exposure of reality.""

"William Savitt has been spending the last couple of weeks in an Oakland, California courtroom representing Sam Altman and OpenAI in a blockbuster trial brought by Elon Musk. As the co-chair of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz's executive committee and its litigation practice, he's the elite Wall Street firm's top enforcer."

"Before his 25-year career at Wachtell, Savitt had an unusual career path. A Philadelphia native, he drove cabs and played in a series of rock bands before going to Columbia Law School. Savitt clerked for Judge Pierre Leval on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals and then Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before landing at Wachtell."

William Savitt, a Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz litigation leader, represents Sam Altman and OpenAI in a high-profile case brought by Elon Musk. Savitt previously drove New York City cabs and played in rock bands before attending Columbia Law School. He clerked for Judge Pierre Leval and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, then built a 25-year career at Wachtell representing major companies and Brad Pitt. Savitt prefers resolving disputes without public lawsuits, but he values courtroom litigation when it reaches trial. He describes cross-examination as a powerful tool for revealing reality. He also credits RBG with a habit of mind focused on reasoning from first principles and understanding issues as part of a larger foundation.

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