Peter J. Cunha, '07

Alumni Spotlight

Thanks to Emeritus English Professor Dr. George Diamond for gathering new alumni spotlight pieces for the English Department website.

Peter J. Cunha is a legal associate in the corporate department of the law firm Greenberg Turig and Associates and is based in their offices in Miami, Florida. He represents clients in, and focuses his practice on, general corporate matters of both domestic and international scope, specifically in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance.

Peter graduated from �鶹��Ƶֱ�� summa cum laude in 2007 with majors in English and International Management. He attended the University of Miami School of Law, graduating magna cum laude in 2012, distinguishing himself, among a number of honors, as Executive Editor of the University of Miami Law Review. After graduating from �鶹��Ƶֱ�� and before entering law school, Peter worked for FL Smidth, Inc., a global engineering company, and briefly for the United States Soccer Federation.

�鶹��Ƶֱ��’s English Department did, indeed, influence Peter’s career path. Although there are a lot of “numbers” connected with his areas of law, Peter relates that “there is a greater emphasis on drafting and being particular in the language we use to best reflect both the transaction governed by the subject document and the risks and obligations our client will be charged with once they enter into such an agreement.” As an attorney, Peter continues,

You need to have a keen eye for detail at all times, because overlooking just one word could have significant repercussions for your client. Critical thinking is also key in response to reading contractual provisions—you have to play out “What if?” scenarios constantly based on the precise reading of contracts to represent your client’s best interests. These skills (precise drafting suitable for the audience situation calling for it; critical thinking/textual analysis; and an attentive eye for detail in drafting and reviewing text) are all competencies that I really developed at �鶹��Ƶֱ�� because of the English Department’s writing curriculum.

Peter goes on to write, “I think the ability to write well and, more specifically, to write well for the audience or circumstance calling for such composition, is advantageous in any career for young people entering the current job market. . . . I know there have been a lot of articles written recently about fewer and fewer kids looking toward majoring in English, but I don’t think that’s a wise path to follow, because of the skills [an English major] imparts and the creative dimension it develops for those who pursue the subject—both of which are malleable for any job or career.”