40 Under 40: Omid Safa
Recently named to the 40 Under 40, Blank Rome Partner Omid Safa was profiled in the July 19, 2019, edition of the Washington Business Journal where he was notably featured on the cover, along with Jenna Vallejo, chief operating officer and partner at Potomac Pediatrics; Kwame Onwuachi, James Beard award-winning executive chef, and Elizabeth Lindsey, nonprofit leader and executive director of Byte Back Inc.
40 Under 40 Profile: Omid Safa
Rarely would one expect a litigator constantly handling multibillion-dollar corporate transactions to pride themselves on daily mindfulness. Yet, Omid Safa has partly accredited his success to it, noting that meditation and working out is an essential part of his morning routine before beginning his day at Blank Rome LLP.
Safa describes himself as first and foremost a father of three who enjoys spending time outside — even if that's just a moment of reflection or short walk outside his house with the kids. His cognizance is vital, he said, when representing clients, from Fortune 500 companies to famous sporting teams. He has helped lead cyberinsurance initiatives in the 117-attorney law firm, assisting clients nationwide in securing nearly half a billion dollars in recoveries and judgments. Safa also works with the Whitman-Walker/Legal Aid Society Medicare Part D Clinic to aid low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities in navigating Medicare Part D enrollment and has served as a court-appointed guardian for two children pro bono.
The big number
$400 million — Amount awarded to a multinational construction and fabrication company that Omid Safa represented in an asbestos insurance dispute
How are things changing in the cyber insurance industry? What we’re seeing is an increasing focus on managing risks. We have tech professionals on the front line to ensure businesses are not being harmed by data breaches, but there’s only so much you can do. Yes, you could make your system completely secure, but you might make it impossible to do business.
What has been your biggest challenge in your career field? Continuing to be flexible and able to reinvent yourself over time. You have to keep the right perspective and keep yourself grounded. It’s easy to lose sight of things when you are dealing with high-stakes matters like we do.
What is one cyber insurance tip everyone should know? Read the policy and if you don’t understand what it says, get someone to help you. Sometimes when a client actually has an event arise and we go to look at the policy, they are surprised that the coverage isn’t what they expected.
Hidden talent: Acrobatics. Backflips and handsprings, etc.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? Mark Twain and Alan Watts. I think they are two of the funniest people to ever live.
What is your favorite thing to do when you're not working? Spending time outside in the woods. Anything out in nature. If I don’t have time, it really can be as simple as my backyard.
— Interview by Tate Mikkelsen
Close up
Omid Safa
- Title: Partner, Blank Rome LLP
- Age: 38
- Residence: Maryland
- Education: Bachelor's in accounting, University of Maryland; J.D., College of William & Mary
- Family: Wife and three children
- First job: Martial arts instructor
Click here to view the formal profile as it appeared in the Washington Business Journal.
