Leadership Spotlight: 10 Questions for General Counsel Bryce Seki
1. Briefly tell us what you do as General Counsel at Legence?
In short, I am responsible for providing legal advice and guidance to the Legence executive and management team and for overseeing all legal matters that arise within the organization.
2. What work and life experiences have most helped you in your current job?
In the over two decades since graduating from law school, I have been a judicial clerk for the highest criminal court in Texas (dealing with some truly heinous cases that test your faith in humanity), worked for a large international law firm on real estate-related matters (less humanity testing) and have been the general counsel at a publicly traded company (through many a boom/bust cycle). I think each of those roles in their own special way have helped mold me into the lawyer that I am now for Legence.
3. Who has been the most influential person in your legal career and why?
Not just saying this for extra brownie points at home (because she’s not privy to this newsletter), but my wife has probably been the most influential person in my legal career. She too is a lawyer (albeit on sabbatical; she calls it retirement) and has worked both in big law and in-house for a large company. Having a partner who has lived it and understands the rigors and demands of the profession has really helped throughout my career, especially during those times when the job simply demands all of one’s time and attention. I’m very lucky.
4. What role does the law in our sector play in the day-to-day duties of our employees?
How many pages is this newsletter? The law touches everything. Some are more formal; others are built into the everyday. Safety, for instance, is something that Legence takes very seriously. The goal is to make sure everyone, every day gets home safely to their loved ones. There are acts such as OSHA that dictate and formalize certain employer responsibilities and employee rights with regards to safety and health of employees. Then, ask yourself, do I wear my seatbelt? Do I stop at red lights? Do I reduce speed in school zones? Do I rip those annoying tags off my mattress? (In actuality, once purchased, you can legally remove the tags. The warning is primarily directed at retailers and manufacturers for whom it is illegal to remove or tamper with the tag before sale as it contains information critical to consumer rights and industry regulation.) There are laws or statutes addressing all of those things. The law is everywhere.
5. How do you and your team ensure Legence is compliant with quickly changing laws and regulations?
We have a small legal team (though thankfully growing in 2025), so we do have to rely on a great team of outside counsel and law firms who help keep us abreast, and oftentimes ahead, on the latest and greatest in the legal and regulatory landscape.
6. What changes do you anticipate in the legal department in 2025?
As mentioned above, we are bringing in a new attorney, Justin Barbour, in early 2025. Justin is going to be managing litigation at Legence. Added bonus, Justin has a labor and employment background (worked both in big law and as a partner in a boutique shop), so Legence will also be getting some additional in-house expertise on labor and employment matters. [VP of Risk Management] Chris Parrette and I couldn’t be more excited to have Justin join the team.
7. Having been here for three years now, what do you think it takes to be successful at this company?
A wise lawyer I once worked for (R.I.P.) used to tell me, “Bryce, we live in a world of shifting and conflicting priorities. How you handle yourself when such ‘situations’ arise will be the measure of how successful you are at this job.” Couldn’t agree more. There are so many things going on at Legence (read: so many great things). Success comes based on how well you can balance/juggle all of this in work (and life). Not always an easy task, but one that so many people do really well at this company. So impressed.
8. We learned you went to the University of Notre Dame for both your undergraduate and law degrees. Other than the outrageous Fightin’ Irish mascot, what are some highlights from your time there?
“Outlined against a blue-gray October sky” in South Bend, getting off the plane from mid-semester break and heading straight to Notre Dame Stadium to see Notre Dame beat USC 35-10 for the 13th straight time (albeit there was a tie in 1994). Who knew then that one day I’d be working with a company called SC Engineers … sorry (not sorry) Frank [Shadpour—a USC superfan and alum]! Just kidding! There are some great rivalries in college sports, and ND/USC is one of the greatest of them all. Go Irish!
9. As a wine connoisseur, what’s your grape, and why? Do you prefer red, white or – gasp – a blend?
I like it all. But if you stranded me on an island and I had to pick only one grape to drink, it’d be Pinot Noir from Burgundy, though I enjoy the Oregon stuff as well. Lately there’s a producer out of Argentina that is making some spectacular Pinot Noir, too. Wow, I sound like a really pretentious wine snob! Genuinely, the most fun part about wine is finding that $10-$20 bottle that drinks like something 3 to 4 times that. The expensive stuff is a no brainer … it all tastes good.
10. What Gen Z vocabulary words or phrases from your kids have completely stumped you?
I have no earthly idea what “Skibidi Toilet” is or means. [Editor’s note: Research indicates Skibidi Toilet refers to a meme that started from a YouTube series about an army of toilets who try to take over the world. We don’t get it, either.]
