Imoh Akpan spent the better part of his high school years working in his father’s law office, ensuring the bills were paid and helping in other ways to support his dad’s business. But the thought of pursuing a career in law himself wasn’t something that was necessarily on his radar.
“I actually always saw myself going into medicine,” Imoh recalled, “but after college, I kind of took a different path and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I took the pharmacy school admissions test, took the LSAT, took the GRE. And that’s when I kind of formulated the idea that I wanted to go to law school.”
Perhaps it was fate. After all, the practice of law evolved quite literally into the Akpan family business.
“My father was a practicing immigration lawyer,” said Imoh. “My older sister also went to law school before I went. And my little sister’s also an attorney. So, it’s become sort of a family profession.”
Today, Imoh is a Baltimore-based partner in Goldberg Segalla’s Retail and Hospitality practice group. A versatile and accomplished litigator whose practice also spans the Transportation, Global Insurance Services, Product Liability, Appellate, and Civil Litigation and Trial arenas, he has two decades of experience successfully representing corporations and insurers in a variety of matters ranging from catastrophic injury and wrongful death to general negligence, civil rights, and product liability. Imoh was also elected recently to serve as a national director on DRI’s Board of Directors.
“I wanted to be a trial lawyer, but I kind of saw myself as a criminal defense attorney,” Imoh said. “I clerked at the D.C. Public Defender’s Office, but it was very difficult at that time to get a job. So, I clerked for a Circuit Court judge here in Maryland, and then I ended up clerking for an Appellate Court judge. The economy was terrible, but I was able to find a job doing insurance defense work. And so that was my first job, and I’ve stayed in insurance defense ever since.
“I think what I like about being a trial lawyer is the competition,” Imoh added. “The competition fuels me. But I like the people too. As trial lawyers we’re in a ‘people business.’ I enjoy interacting, talking, and connecting with people. Communication is what makes a relationship. It’s part of our professional responsibility and paramount in building trust with a client.”
Imoh’s ability to connect with others lies at the heart of the relationships he builds with those he represents and the client-first service he delivers.
“I focus on listening and not talking,” he said. “You have to have your ears open to really understand a problem that someone is coming to you with. It’s always paramount to listen and listen closely. Then, have an engaging conversation about the issue they came to you with so that they feel confident you’ve heard them and know what they’re talking about. But it starts from listening.”
The way in which an attorney communicates is also key inside the courtroom, especially in the post-COVID era. As technology continues to advance, Imoh said, jurors are no longer content simply sitting through testimony. They also want — and expect — to be engaged.
“I think in the in the post-pandemic era we’ve definitely seen changes in the way that courts are administering cases, and the way that the plaintiff’s bar is approaching cases, and it’s something the defense bar needs to adjust to,” he said. “And that has impacted the way that juries are receiving cases. Technology has had an impact too. I don’t think that you can be an effective trial lawyer going forward without incorporating technology. Juries have shorter attention spans and so you have to have a different way to engage, other than just talking directly to people. You need to incorporate technology. I think jurors in this day-and-age are expecting that.”
Thankfully, Imoh said, the vast resources offered within Goldberg Segalla, and the spirit of teamwork for which the firm is known across its national footprint, ensures he’s always prepared to help his clients succeed on their terms.
“Goldberg Segalla’s team approach is something that I appreciate. It’s an environment that I feel most comfortable working in. I do think that that’s what sets us apart. There’s a team aspect. We’re trying to help each other ultimately get to a common goal.”
As a member of Goldberg Segalla’s Diversity Task Force, Imoh said he’s also appreciative of the firm’s commitment to ensuring all voices are heard in decision making at the highest level.
“I believe intelligence and skill has no race, color or creed. I’m a firm believer in diversity of thought, and a firm believer that diversity of opinions will bring about the best result,” he said. “The legal profession is a perfect example of where diverse thought and diverse argument should lead to better results. My efforts and work in the diversity space are something I believe in.”
At its very core, said Imoh, practicing law is about ‘people.’ And now 20 years into his career, it’s Imoh’s love of connecting with people – from his clients to his GS co-workers — that motivates him in his work each day, something for which he credits his father.
“I would hope that I developed his intellect, but most certainly, I developed his temperament and his appreciation for people — the way he treated people, the way he talked to people,” said Imoh. “He was always civil, always considerate, always thoughtful. And I hope I emulate those qualities.
“When I retire, I want people to look back on my career and say that I was a well-respected trial lawyer, that I was a formidable opponent and that I was a lawyer’s lawyer. Success comes and goes. It’s the ‘people aspect.’ I want to see my colleagues and my partners do well. The staff that I oversee, I want them to be happy. I want them to be content. I want them to be well paid. I don’t think that you can do this job, and do it well for a long time, if you don’t have a passion for it and if you don’t have a passion for people.”