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When it comes to the areas of litigation, compliance, and data privacy at PRA Group, the intersection of those three non-overlapping departments is Rami Haddad. That he not only can handle, but thrive in managing three different areas of business at a company of PRA’s size tells you just about everything you need to know about him. Read on to learn the rest.
Name: Rami Haddad
Job Title: Deputy General Counsel – Litigation, Compliance, Data Privacy
Company: PRA Group, Inc.
Length of time at current company: 13 years
Length of time in industry: 13 years
How did you get your start in the industry?
I started my career in the industry as litigation counsel for PRA in 2012. My role at the time was to defend PRA in litigation. I subsequently moved into a Compliance Role; later adding Data Privacy to my list of duties.
What is your career highlight so far?
My career highlight is becoming Deputy General Counsel overseeing Litigation, Compliance and Data Privacy for PRA.
When or how are you most productive?
I am most productive very early in the morning or late at night.
Which industry professional do you admire most?
Too many to name! I am fortunate to work in an industry with so many accomplished professionals.
What is one thing you do better than everyone else?
Multi-tasking. I oversee three distinct non-overlapping subject areas. At any given moment I could be fielding a complex litigation question while having to pivot instantaneously to data privacy.
What do you like most about this industry?
Despite being an otherwise niche industry, there’s always something new to learn. After being in the industry for this long, I am still surprised about how much there is to learn and how often things change.
What is one thing you wish you could change about this industry?
The public perception of the nonperforming loan industry. It’s a highly regulated industry governed by licensure and occupied by skilled professionals. The age-old stereotypes about our industry do not seem to have gone away and I would love to have more literacy around our industry to better educate the public and legislators about the profession and those who work in it.
If you weren’t in this industry, what would you be doing?
I would be doing prosecutorial work, which is where I started. But as a non-lawyer I would definitely be in some commercial kitchen as a chef. I love to cook and was always drawn to the notion of being a chef.
Describe a typical work day.
A typical day starts and ends with meetings, which I find to be the best way to collaborate with colleagues. Throughout the day I am handling three separate areas of law such that I could be working on AI and privacy one hour and then pivoting to litigation the next. It’s both challenging and rewarding.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Cooking and traveling
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Find the one subject that no one in the room wants to handle and master it.
What are you currently reading?
NYC’s New Shield Rule, what else!
What is one fact you’d like everyone in the industry to know about you?
I grew up in small business and was a business owner myself prior to going to law school.
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
John McNamara
