PowerSpot: Brandon Piskin

This is PowerSpot, Plug Power’s monthly blog series where we highlight the Plug Power employees who inspire us and, we hope, will inspire you, too. Today, we’re meeting Associate Counsel, Brandon Piskin – the newest addition to Plug Power’s legal and government relations team.

Please explain what you do for a living in 20 words or fewer.

I provide legal oversight for Plug Power’s activities. I also support government relations activities prompting the commercialization of fuel cells.

Tell us one of the most extraordinary or unusual experiences you’ve had in your career.

Before I began my legal career at Albany Law School, I worked as a salesperson for an office technology company in Denver, CO. The company taught me how to make effective cold calls, knock on doors to acquire leads, be the point-person in meetings, and close deals. I can tell you, making those cold calls and knocking on doors was difficult, but I saw success, enjoyed the sales process, nurtured the relationships built, and learned many invaluable lessons. I often look back at the year I stayed in Colorado and appreciate how those communication skills carried into Moot Court competitions in law school and into meetings and negotiations now as an employee for Plug Power. It also gave me practical experience forming and maintaining business relationships, which has helped me create legal solutions for various corporate and commercial matters.

What is one of your favorite books?  Why?

Aside from my favorite commercial transactions legal textbook, I am a big Stephen King fan. His book, The Stand, stands out to me because part of the setting takes place in Boulder, CO, the hometown of my college alma mater. The epic post-apocalyptic story dives into the characters’ morality, strengths, and weaknesses and is a true story about good versus evil. After I put the book down, I was still thinking about some of the dramatic scenes that King painted.

If you could choose to do any job for a day, what would it be?

I would be a social media content creator, such as a YouTube videos of my everyday life. I am intrigued by the idea of creating videos and memes and the possibilities of inspiring others through this platform.  Although I think I would have trouble establishing a fan base, because not everyone finds contract review and due diligence activities entertaining.

If you could go back in time, to what year would you travel?  Why?

I would travel back to the year 90 A.D. to see Rome in its full-fledged glory. I would attend an event at the Colosseum and visit the Roman Forum.

Plug Power offers our congratulations to Brandon, who was sworn in this month as a licensed attorney in the State of New York.

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