ALFA International Friday Feature – Ryan T. Sanders

Today’s #FridayFeature is Ryan Sanders, an attorney with ALFA International (ALFAI) member firm Butt Thornton & Baehr PC in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ryan is an ALFAI contact partner, is on ALFAI’s Construction and Transportation Practice Group Steering Committees, and is a member of ALFAI’s Corporate Transactions Practice Group. Last week, Ryan spoke at a Transportation Regional Seminar in Phoenix, Arizona. We hope you enjoy Ryan’s feature! #ALFAI #ALFAInternational #GlobalLegalNetwork #LocalRelationshipsWorldwide #TransportationLaw

Tell us how you like to spend your free time. Do you have any unique hobbies?

I am an avid outdoorsman. I hike, fish, hunt, camp regularly in the warmer months (more than 30 nights in 2021), and ski in the winter. Every year, one of my favorite activities is to hike up Sandia Ski Area near Albuquerque on a full moon night in late January or early February and ski down.

What is your motto when it comes to how you approach your work?

I like to tell young lawyers; you know more than you think you know. Sure, we all understand the importance of thoroughly researching an issue before opining on the matter. But be comfortable and confident in your decisions and the advice you give your client.

What occupation would you choose to pursue if you could no longer be a lawyer?

If I could no longer be a lawyer, I would go into civil engineering or architecture. Or, if it were financially feasible, I would be a full-time student, acquiring as many advanced degrees as possible.

What is the best career advice you’ve been given?

Before I became a lawyer, a former New Mexico Supreme Court justice I worked with closely told me, “Ryan, you are too smart to be a [another profession I planned to enter]. You should go to law school.” I can honestly say that was the initial push towards becoming an attorney. So my takeaway is don’t sell yourself short, don’t be afraid to take a risk.

How would you describe ALFAI to someone unfamiliar with the association?

ALFAI is a collaborative network of upstanding law firms working with industry-leading clients to support each other’s collective success.