PETOŠEVIĆ PEOPLE: Q&A with Bogdan Neagoe

One of our numerous and indispensable administrative team members, Administrative Assistant Bogdan Neagoe is based in our Romania office where he supports the Bucharest team by handling various office tasks, including updating the case management database and filing documents before the relevant intellectual property institutions. We asked Bogdan about his work, his pastimes, his favorite food, and much more.

1. How did you start your career in IP?

   After graduating from law school, I did not immediately find work in the legal field, but I was lucky to eventually land a job at PETOŠEVIĆ.

2. What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

   Handling multiple deadlines — but we always manage to meet them!

3. What do you most enjoy doing at work?

   I like providing assistance to my colleagues in enforcement cases by drafting responses that we send to police and customs authorities, for instance. Taking photos for client reports is also fun.

4. What would you be working in, if you weren’t working in IP?

   I liked criminal law in college, so maybe I would have tried to practice it as a police officer.

5. What was the first job you’ve ever had?

   I worked as a sales agent in a company that sold coffee. I also repaired the coffee machines, so I had the opportunity to taste a lot of coffee, which was delightful.

6. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working?

   Spending time with my family and going to the park for a nice and quiet walk. I also like to travel, especially to the mountains; the mountain town of Sinaia in central Romania is one of my favorite places to go.

7. What book did you read last?

   ”Stalingrad” by Antony Beevor.

8. What is your favorite song/music at the moment?

   My favorite song is ”Thunderstruck” by AC/DC.

9. What is your favorite dish of all time?

   I love Italian food, especially tagliatelle with salmon and caper sauce.

10. If you could meet anyone in the world, from the past or present, who would it be and why?

    It would be the Romanian ruler Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul). I admire him for his bravery and for uniting Romanians – it was during his reign that all principalities inhabited by Romanians were governed by the same ruler for the first time.

11. What was your favorite subject in school and why?

    I really liked history. I gladly remember the lessons taught by Mr. Smarandache, my history teacher. They were really captivating.

12. What did you want to be when growing up?

    I wanted to become a police officer. That is why I went to law school, hoping to become one some day.

13. Tell us three things most people don’t know about you.

    I used to played soccer for my hometown. In high school I also practiced handball, a sport that brought me the bronze medal at a national competition. I enjoy watching Formula 1 — I support the Red Bull Racing team and my favorite driver is the double world champion, Max Verstappen.

14. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

    I would learn how to build a Formula 1 car engine, just to have my own single seater.

15. What is your biggest frustration about the world around you?

    I see many humans, but not so much humanity. We live in the age of materialism in which the lack of compassion for those in distress is sadly evident.

16. What is the most important thing you have learned in the last five years?

    Respect and you will be respected. Respect opens many doors.

17. What do you wish you could have told yourself at age 13?

    To focus on the things that really matter.

18. What cities/countries have you lived in?

    Besides Bucharest in my hometown Râmnicu Vâlcea, which is about 170 km west of Bucharest.

19. If you could live in another country of the 30+ countries where PETOŠEVIĆ operates, which would you pick and why?

    I would pick Serbia. Throughout history, the relations between Serbia and Romania have been good and friendly. Serbian captain Starina Novak, known in Romania as Baba Novac, fought alongside Michael the Brave in many battles against the Ottoman Empire.

20. If someone came to your city for 24 hours, where would you take them?

    We would start with some traditional Romanian food and there is no better place for this than Manuc’s Inn, the oldest hotel in Bucharest. After lunch, I would take my guest to the Palace of the Parliament, the second largest administrative building in the world, after the Pentagon.