Ian R. Cohen

The Human Element

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Date:

May 27, 2026

Author:

Ian R. Cohen

Principal

Contracts don't fail on signing. They fail when someone forgets there's a person on the other side. AI keeps telling me what a lawyer would say, but I'm the lawyer. A man once paid 10,000 bitcoin for two pizzas and accidentally made history. And I'm still trying to outrank schmimigration on Google. Turns out the best algorithm is still a human referral.

And your New York Knicks return to the NBA Finals!

Business - The Fallacy of Enforceability

There is a fallacy among executives about the law and contracts. And I'm not talking about the thought that lawyers are too slow or create problems that don't exist. Many do.

Contracts are legal documents, but disputes are usually human problems first. Too frequently in an effort to close a deal or jumpstart a relationship, founders and executives completely ignore the downside and what could go wrong. They assume that they can just walk away without consequence.

Depending on the relationship and agreement, they might be right. There could be walk away rights at any time or on short notice. There could be failure to perform on the other side. But those points and what happens next should be intentionally negotiated.

Some agreements become much more dangerous when things break. An asset sale where the buyer breaches its post closing obligations. Do you get the assets back? An employment agreement with a key employee that contains a suite of post termination benefits. Can you avoid liability without careful planning and several face to face conversations with the employee?

It's not entirely wrong to think you can get out of a legal relationship unscathed. But after the deal is done, it will require a combination of legal acuity and business savvy. Most importantly, it requires the human element.

When a relationship isn't working, engage in a robust discussion with the counterparty. Talk about what's right, what's wrong. Can the relationship be salvaged? What needs to change?

Whatever you do, don't ghost them. Ignoring the problem emboldens people and they dig in. When emotions creep in it becomes difficult to remember it's just business. That's when irrationality sets in and small problems become bigger problems.

AI - Resist

AI can't solve all of your problems, yet. There's a large layer of nuance to life that AI may never understand. It's good at simulating conversation and pattern recognition.

But the advice it provides often falls flat because it doesn't understand the stakes. I use it to strategize and brainstorm how different scenarios might play out. Last week I wanted to pick up the phone and have a conversation human to human. AI warned against this in favor of keeping the record in writing. It's advice a lawyer would give, but I'm the lawyer. AI is a digital wall to bounce ideas from. I picked up the phone and the situation was on its way to resolution.

So resist outsourcing your life and business judgment to this new technology. Understand it makes mistakes. Understand you can and should go against its advice at times.

Stay sentient. Make the final decisions that will impact your life.

Bitcoin - Pizza Day

May 22 is known as Bitcoin Pizza Day. The anniversary of when a man paid 10,000 bitcoin to have two pies delivered to him. The rule was the person bringing it could pay the pizza place in cash, but he would only pay in bitcoin upon delivery. This occurred in 2010. The price of bitcoin at the time was less than $0.01. It is the first recognized real-world transaction in bitcoin.

Fast forward to today and the ecosystem has matured. There are thousands of vendors that accept bitcoin and more coming online every day. To celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day I ventured to Pubkey in the West Village. The pizza flowed endlessly from amazing joints across the city. Pubkey also celebrated at their second location in DC, which I still need to visit.

I paid my tab in bitcoin. Of course it was significantly less than 10,000 btc. An amount that is now larger than the biggest professional athlete contract ever signed. It was a great evening and a reminder that people should use and spend their bitcoin. There are an ever growing number of options to do so.

IRC - The Life and Times

How to market a law firm in 2026? My grandfather advertised in a phone book and set up an answering service. He and my grandmother went to the beach while he waited for the calls to roll in. And they did.

Now the attention economy has taken hold. Phone books are obsolete. Algorithms rule the day. I need to fight for my piece of the scroll.

But cracking the code is a struggle. Especially as a lawyer where I have ethical responsibilities and confidentiality obligations to clients. I can't just post a picture of documents or my computer screen the way a chef can showcase a plated dish or a dressmaker can hire a model.

My initials also don't help me. IRC. Google likes to associate me with areas of the law I don't practice. I won't name them here for fear of further reducing my rank against them. Let's call them tacks and schmimigration.

That's where you come in. Word of mouth referrals are number 1. If someone you know needs legal help, send them my way. And if we've worked together before, a Google review would help me continue building IRC Legal.

Finally, I'll stay active on LinkedIn, X, TikTok, other socials and continue writing this Business Brief. If you have any other thoughts or ideas, please reach out with them.

Congressional Campaign Update: Unfortunately I was unable to secure the signatures necessary to reach the ballot. The deadline to do so is today. I learned a lot and will share some of those lessons soon, but want you to hear it from me first.

It's time to focus on my growing family, building my law firm, and improving the local community without going to Washington.