In Episode 104 of The Abstract, Joon Park, Chief Legal Officer at Extend Enterprises, Inc., reflects on his path from Big Law to fintech CLO — and what navigating crisis taught him about legal integrity. He shares lessons on scaling startups, shaping culture, and staying curious in every role.

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1. Philosophy Builds Better Lawyers

Joon’s legal mindset is rooted in Daoist harmony. “I’ve always been interested in how things interconnect,” he says. Instead of diving into details, he looks for relationships between problems and systems. “Lawyering is about finding patterns — not just answers.” His Taoist training helps him step back, see the big picture, and give advice grounded in balance.
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2. The Collapse That Defined His Ethics

When Refco imploded weeks after its IPO, Joon found himself in the middle of a financial and moral crisis. “You never know how you’ll behave under extreme stress until you’re in it,” he recalls. The experience made him allergic to shortcuts. “Never BS. Never lie. Always tell the truth, even if it’s not what people want to hear.” The lesson stayed with him through every role since.
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3. Big Institutions Teach Specialization. Startups Demand Creativity.

At Citi and AmEx, Joon learned structure, scale, and discipline — but also saw how legal teams can become siloed. “You become an expert in a very narrow scope,” he says. Startups, by contrast, require breadth. “At Extend, you can’t say, ‘That’s not my remit.’ You go beyond the legal box to keep the business moving.” The challenge — and joy — lies in solving problems across every domain.
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4. Unlearning Corporate Risk Culture

At startups, perfectionism can kill momentum. “In big finance, you mitigate every risk. In startups, you can’t. You prioritize.” Joon had to unlearn years of conservatism and reframe risk as fuel, not fear. “If you solve for every risk, you run out of cash before you have a product,” he says. “The job is to help the business run — not to slow it down.”
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5. Legal Shapes Culture Through Accountability

Joon sees legal as a mirror of company values. “The most important thing is accountability — raising your hand when you screw up.” At Extend, he models transparency and vulnerability. “If I make a mistake, I say so. People notice that. It builds trust.” He believes accountability, practiced consistently, naturally seeps into company culture
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6. Framework for Career Decisions

Joon’s philosophy for navigating career crossroads is simple: follow curiosity, not fear.

“Ask yourself — do you wake up looking forward to this work, or do you dread it? If you’ve lost curiosity, it’s time to move on.”

His moves — from academia to big law to fintech — all came down to the same question: Where can I keep learning?
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7. Closing Insight

Joon Park’s mantra for modern GCs: “Don’t just manage risk — understand it, own it, and use it to move forward.” His blend of philosophical depth and practical experience shows that the best legal leaders don’t just advise businesses — they help define their values.

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