Marc C. Gann is looking for lawyers who can act

When he applied in 1984 to work in the Nassau County district attorney's office, Marc C. Gann, then 25, recalls being asked a trivial geography question.

The interviewer pounded his fist on the table and told Gann he was wrong. "He would yell 'No!' He made it seem like you were an idiot. He wanted to see how you reacted, whether you could roll with the punches."

Gann says he and his two partners went on to use that interview technique themselves as they built up their practice, founded 20 years ago. The Mineola firm handles criminal defense, steroid-related defense and regulatory work in sports nutrition.

Gann is president of the Nassau County Bar Association. He is 50, married and has two daughters.

What do you look for in hiring?

"Somebody who is confident, somebody who has a good presence about them, somebody who has something of a theatrical side to them. Trial lawyers, and in particular criminal lawyers, are frustrated actors or actresses in many ways. If you sit in a courtroom, I think you'll see the most effective trial lawyers are those that . . . make a nice presence in front of a jury and have the ability to hide some of their feelings - hide their reactions.

"You can always research and learn the law or the legal issues that surround a particular criminal case, but somebody that has a personality, can think on their feet, is quick, has a sense of humor - those are traits that can't be taught and I think are very important [in] a criminal defense lawyer."

How did you learn how to manage

people?

"I don't know that I've ever fully learned how to manage another person. If you treat someone with respect and be loyal to them, they will respect and be loyal to you."

How do you describe your leadership style?

"I try and lead by example. I work hard. People that work with us see that and work hard themselves."

What's the workplace culture here like?

"The people that work here, whether they're attorneys or not, have pretty thick skins. There's no real pecking order. Are three of us bosses? Yes. Do we try not to treat people as though we're the boss and they're the employee? Yes. We have more of a relaxed environment. We're less formal than many places are."

How has the recession affected

business?

"A significant part of what we do is criminal work, and criminal defense is in many ways a recessionproof endeavor. The unfortunate reality is that as times get bad, there is often an increase in crime. We've been lucky so far to be relatively unaffected by the recession."

How do you prevent burnout?

"In my view, there is great satisfaction in representing people in difficult times." Other activities, such as Kiwanis or a youth mentoring program through the bar association, also "give me a great sense of satisfaction and make me feel like I'm really helping others."