September 2014

Innovation Needed to Attract Silicon Valley In-House Counsel

In a meeting billed as the “In-House Counsel Summit” on Wednesday afternoon, a panel of three legal leaders from prominent Silicon Valley hi-tech companies moderated by David Bruns, Director of Client Services at Farella Braun + Martel LLP, spoke to…

Tips for Better Presenting Photographs in Court

This article was first published by Michael Kelleher on the Cogent Legal Blog at cogentlegal.com/blog/2014/08/tips-for-photographs-in-court Well-presented photographs are powerful tools for litigators. In this post, I’ll share some samples that show how we’ve helped litigators use photographs in court, along with a…

Interesting News from the World of Estate Planning

Learn from Zsa Zsa’s Family Conservatorship Feud Anyone who has a lot of money and gets married nine times (as legendary actress Zsa Zsa Gabor has) can expect a family fight or two about money. Gabor’s current husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, and estranged daughter Francesca Hilton…

Legal Writing Tip: Get Active in Your Editing; Eliminate Passive Voice

One of my chief editing tips is to read your document repeatedly, each time scanning for only one thing – excessive commas, unnecessary capitalization, throat-clearing, etc. The first scan should probably be devoted to eliminating passive voice. Passive voice: The ball was thrown by Cathy. Active voice:…

Family Law Corner: Differing “Views” on Surrogacy

Sherri Shepherd’s (formerly of “The View”) divorce has been one juicy headline after another. First, Shepherd and her husband, Lamar Sally, filed for divorce in different states. Their respective filings forced them to publicly acknowledge the existence of a prenuptial agreement and the pending birth of a child…

Law Firms and Accounting Firms Team Up With JDC to Volunteer For Nonprofit Organizations

To provide pro bono help to nonprofit organizations that serve low-income communities, the Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) partnered with volunteer attorneys and accounting professionals from two law firms and two accounting firms in July to hold a clinic for nonprofit organizations. The firms included Bingham McCutchen; Sheppard…

Our Members and Leaders Circle Firms Making Headlines

Members Named to Daily Journal’s Top Labor and Employment Lawyers List The following BASF members were named to the Daily Journal’s “Top California Labor and Employment Lawyers” list: Gregg M. Adam, Carroll, Burdick & McDonough; Dipanwita Deb Amar, Arnold & Porter; Maria Anastas, Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak &…

Staying Present at Contentious Mediations

With BASF’s Putting for the Pipeline golf tournament coming in October, my mind turned to the similarities between the most mental of all sports and mediation. Playing golf is much more than hitting a ball with a club. As any golfer will attest, it raises mental pressures,…

BASF Member Ronald L. Richman Honored by ABA

The American Bar Association Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) honored Bullivant Houser Bailey attorney Ronald L. Richman with its Andrew C. Hecker Memorial Award. The award, which recognizes the late Andrew C. Hecker of Philadelphia, is presented to…

Our Members and Leaders Circle Firms Making Headlines

Members Named to LGBT Bar Association’s “40 Under 40” List BASF members John Hendricks, Hendricks Murry and Kyle Wong, Cooley, were both included on the National LGBT Bar Association’s “40 Under 40” list. Dreyers Chief Legal Officer Recognized by Business Journal BASF member Rosanna Neagle, VP and Chief Legal Office at…

LRIS Panel Attorneys Give Their Time to Educate the Public

Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) Labor Relations panel attorney Jeremy Pasternak, Law Offices of Jeremy D. Pasternak, recently provided an overview of Wage and Hour law to the San Francisco Legal Professionals Association. LRIS Intellectual Property Rights attorney Mark Pearson recently engaged members of the San Francisco…

Fired While Pregnant – Yes, It Still Happens

A young woman is pregnant. She reports to her employer that per her doctor’s orders she can no longer lift weights of greater than 20 pounds. The following day her employment is terminated and she does not receive her final paycheck. Does this really still happen? Unfortunately the…

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