Milbank lawyer sails to victory

After a hard day’s work, there’s nothing better than jumping into a boat under clear blue skies and sailing away; at least that’s how Anthony Root, managing partner of Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy in Hong Kong, feels. Recognized as a leading capital markets lawyer and India specialist, Root is also the owner and skipper of Archambault 35 Red Kite II, which won the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s (RHKYC) San Fernando boat race this year.

A total of 19 teams contested the three-day race from Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong to San Fernando in the Philippines. Despite sailing the smallest boat in the fleet, and at one point finding themselves 50 miles south of the straightest course while the rest of the fleet was to the north, Root and his crew managed to seize victory. “We chose to sail a longer, more indirect route that we thought was faster,” he explained to India Business Law Journal. “I’ve been sailing for only two years, which makes the victory even more satisfying, because I think it’s unusual for a first-time skipper to actually win a race. To actually have it all come together and succeed is a huge thrill.”

Indeed, Root said, “Running a sailboat racing team is frankly not very different than a law office. As a skipper, you’re really a team leader and you set a tone, you set a direction, you have a vision – but you have to do it in a way that gives everybody value. It cannot be about you or any individual; it has got to be about the team as a whole.”