Counsel at Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider

New York City

Growing up, Josh Reisberg spent countless hours outside, playing sports and exploring the woods near his suburban Maryland neighborhood. It was what kids did—he never thought much about it. Until he moved to New York City. Between law school and internships in Manhattan, Reisberg found himself drawn once again to the outdoors as he yearned for the kind of adventure he enjoyed as a kid. That led him to sailing, which not only involved outdoor adventure; it was also physically and mentally demanding. In 2013, he bought an offshore racing sailboat and christened her Abilyn, a combination of the first names of his twin daughters. Between representing clients in high-stakes IP cases, Reisberg spends as much time on the water as he can, honing his skills and planning challenges for himself and his craft.

Last year, he competed in his longest race yet, the Around Long Island Regatta, sailing 250 miles over three days. Reisberg and his co-skipper took turns sailing and sleeping, taking three-hour shifts during the day and four-hour shifts at night. It was stressful and exhausting, but totally worth it. “Out on the open water, you get to experience natural phenomena that are just so sublime, like sunrise on the water or when the clouds open up and the moon shines on your sails,” he says. “That’s what draws you back—it’s not just the finish line or the nature of the endurance activity and the principles of sailing; it’s the environment, the beauty of the whole activity.”

At press time, Reisberg was looking forward to his most extensive endeavor: the Newport Bermuda Race on June 17. The 635-mile event has been called the world’s most glamorous and difficult ocean race, and he has been prepping for the two-man voyage for months. That the Abilyn is too small to be officially registered in the race isn’t a concern. “We’re doing it anyway as the ocean never closes. Our goal is to prepare the boat for an offshore voyage and to get there and come back safely, and maybe beat some official entrants,” Reisberg says. “The real fun is the journey—the adventure is being out in the middle of the ocean, miles from shore with 3,000 feet of water under you, in the middle of the night with a full moon and a full universe of stars above you. You don’t get that anywhere else.”