From Wall St lawyer to fanboy toy maker

THE financial crisis of 2008 shook the United States and forced many on Wall Street to take stock of their careers. For Jordan Schwartz, a lawyer at the 224-year-old law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, the turmoil led him to embrace his inner nerd.

Mr Schwartz worked for more than three decades at Cadwalader, one of the oldest law practices in the country. A partner and senior counsel, he focused primarily on mortgage securitisation for large banks, which became the heart of the financial crisis after the housing bubble burst. The market for structured financial products collapsed and he had little work to do. He realised it was time to get out. "It was a choice between starting over in the practice of law or trying something different," said Mr Schwartz, who is 59.

He opted for "different", and in 2011, started Factory Entertainment, a consumer products company that makes mementos for fans of movies and television series such as Batman vs. Superman, Game of Thrones, Ghostbusters, Jaws and Jurassic Park. The new business was a passion for Mr Schwartz, a long-time devotee of pop culture and science fiction. "I like to say I was a geek before it was fashionable," he said.