True Catholic leader treasures collaborative boost from his team

February 1, 2021

Denver’s Rob Attai honored as 2020 National President of the Year

Rob Attai, president of Legatus’ Denver Chapter, was honored as the 2020 National President of the Year at the Legatus 2021 Summit East in January.

Attai, an attorney with a Denver law firm, has been a Legate since 2015. He recently spoke with Legatus magazine.

What do you think about receiving Legatus’ 2020 National President of the Year award?

This is a tremendous honor, quite unexpected! Managing the Chapter is a team sport in Denver, so the nomination belongs to our board, our past presidents, our chaplain (Father Daniel Leonard), our assistant chaplain (Father Doug Grandon), and several members who answer the call to help us on a wide range of issues.

We worked so hard in 2020 as a team to provide our membership with a first-class experience. Starting right off the bat in January 2020, our goal was to provide fresh perspectives and energy, and it was a team that made it happen. As I said in a letter to the Denver Chapter a few months ago, we are so blessed to have our leadership team to prevent the damage that I might otherwise do if left unsupervised!

How does your Catholic faith inform or inspire you in your work as an attorney?

I would like to believe that I approach every aspect of life as a Catholic, and that faith should inform all that I do. The reality, however, is that it’s a constant struggle to be mindful of my Catholic faith, and to be firm in my convictions at all times. My experiences with such amazing Catholic mentors throughout the Denver Chapter have given me courage to be more open about my faith in my business discussions and decisions. I am often taken aback by lessons I’ve learned from all of the amazing leaders and mentors in our Chapter, and I do my best to be mindful of those lessons throughout my business day.

How has Legatus affected your faith life?

To plagiarize from a dear friend in the Denver Chapter, the great mentors and leaders have influenced us in the way they live their lives — superb examples are husbands and wives, parents and grandparents, business leaders and philanthropists, and devout Catholics. I found true connections to Catholic families of faith in my forum and throughout the Chapter, have ready access to some of the greatest Catholic scholars, and truly found a large community of like-minded friends who share my faith.

How do you balance work, family, social, and community obligations?

I find myself working longer hours than are perhaps warranted if one were to have a truly well-balanced interaction between work, family, social, and community. I should do more of all of the above to counter the time and attention spent working.

I try my best to “balance” by front-loading my personal time, starting at 4:30 a.m. on most days. Starting that early allows me to do things that don’t interfere with the other areas of my life. I can exercise, pray, and read before most people have gotten out of bed. This, in theory, frees up my evenings to spend time with the family and other social opportunities. I am a C-minus in this area, and so I need to do more to strike the right balance. I’m a work in progress.

What hobbies and interests do you pursue?

Perhaps my most unusual hobby is working a “second job” as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer. I have a genuine passion for nature and diving in particular, and I share that passion by teaching new recreational scuba divers all the way up to Rescue Divers and Divemasters.