At Dad’s Business Gala, My Badge Said ‘IT Support’—Then The Keynote Speaker Bowed
The Invisible Daughter at the Gala
The name badge they’d given me read Maya Patel guest IT support. My father’s assistant had printed it without asking what I actually did at his law firm’s annual gala.
Surrounded by attorneys in thousand suits I was labeled tech support. Why there you are. Dad approached with two senior partners his martini already half empty.
Gentlemen this is my daughter she does something with computers we don’t really understand it. The partners smiled politely already losing interest in their world.
If you weren’t a lawyer doctor or banker you didn’t matter. Nice to meet you one said his eyes already scanning the room for more important conversations.
I was 29 years old. I’d founded Securet Systems 6 years ago a cyber security firm specializing in protecting legal and financial institutions from data breaches.
Last year’s revenue $52 million. This year’s projection $78 million. Our client list included 12 of the top 20 law firms in the country not including my father’s firm Harrington and Associates.
They dismissed my pitch 3 years ago. We have it handled the managing partner had said but thanks for thinking of us Maya.
Two months ago they’d suffered a ransomware attack. They lost 3 weeks of billable hours and paid $400,000 to decrypt their files.
The story had spread through legal industry circles like wildfire. Dad I said quietly i actually need to talk to you about uting.
He turned back to his partners. Maya is very sweet but she never wanted a real career. Computers are her hobby.
We keep hoping she’ll go to law school. Law school. I turned down Harvard Law to build my company.
Excuse me I said and walked away before I said something I’d regret. The gala was held at the Ritz Carlton 400 attorneys celebrating another profitable year.
My father’s firm specialized in corporate law handling mergers and acquisitions for midsized companies. Respectable traditional completely unprepared for the digital transformation of their industry.
I found a corner table and checked my phone. Tomorrow was the National Cyber Security Innovation Awards in San Francisco.
Securet had been nominated in three categories. The ceremony would be livereamed to industry professionals worldwide including I discovered last week the keynote speaker James Chin.
Former FBI cyber division director and current chief security adviser to the Department of Justice. He’d been one of my earliest mentors back when I was a graduate student at MIT presenting research on encryption protocols.
He’d also personally invited me to speak on a panel about the future of legal cyber security. The same panel that would be broadcast tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m eastern right in the middle of Dad’s Gala.
Is this seat taken a woman’s voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see Amanda Walsh senior partner at Morrison and Klein one of the largest law firms in Chicago and Securet’s biggest client.
She was brilliant sharpeyed and responsible for recommending our services to half a dozen other firms. Amanda I didn’t know you’d be here. Your father’s firm invited us.
