Profile in Inclusion

Aali Fidai

Two years ago, when Aali Fidai walked into Chuhak & Tecson’s offices for the first time, he noticed something in the reception area that caught his eye. The commercial real estate attorney saw a sign that listed about 15 different languages spoken by attorneys and staff at the firm. That sign would not be the last sign confirming Aali’s initial feeling that he had found the right professional home for both his practice and his values.

“Looking back now, everything I have seen and experienced since joining the firm only reinforced what that sign meant to me at the time; that this was a firm that truly appreciated and celebrated differences and diversity,” he said. “This was not a place that just paid lip service to DEI or pasted an empty mission statement on its website. From leadership to staff, this was a firm that walked the walk.”

That walk includes the regular events and other programs put together by the firm’s active and creative Diversity & Inclusion Council, which Aali says are organic, genuine and just plain enjoyable.

“The potlucks are particularly fun,” he says. “I consider myself something of a foodie, and I’ve tried so many delicious dishes that I may not have discovered otherwise.”

A father of two who immigrated from Pakistan to the United States in 2008, Aali has built a thriving practice providing experienced counsel for clients on commercial real estate acquisitions, dispositions, development, leasing and financing transactions of all types and complexity. It is a career path that has origins in his childhood interests.

“I was always fascinated by buildings and architecture; just the hard work, details, creativity and talent it took to design and construct these complex structures out of nothing,” he recalls. “Even though there were no other lawyers in my family, I realized that the law offered me an opportunity to be a part of and contribute to such efforts.”

To that end, Aali worked for a major construction company before focusing his law school studies on real estate and clerking for a real estate firm, where he quickly gained experience in the field. After practicing elsewhere for four years, he joined Chuhak & Tecson in September 2022.

Aali has since worked with almost every attorney at the firm, he says, something reflective of both the breadth of the firm’s talent and capabilities as well as an “open door” policy that encourages sharing insights, perspectives and knowledge.

“It is just such a friendly, welcoming place,” he says. “We handle serious matters and work very hard, but people here also know that connecting on a human level, not just a professional or transactional one, can be the difference between a workplace and a place that feels like a home.”