Photo: Michael J. Fox in The Good Wife. Credit: CBS. In the “Raw Deal” episode of The Good Wife, Louis Canning (played by fan favorite Michael J. Fox) shared privileged information with a litigation funding source about what his corporate client…
Legal Ethics and Attorney Mistakes
Missing a deadline for filing a pleading or discovery response, or omitting an important argument from a brief, can have grave consequences for the client. While some mistakes are more serious than others, the lawyer must still adhere to the…
The Evidence Code in Family Court
The Evidence Code is not just for criminal attorneys. Family law attorneys can also use the Evidence Code as a weapon and should. With a well-crafted Evidence Code objection and proposed order, it may be possible to keep problematic evidence…
June 2021 Members in the News
BASF Members Selected as 2021 Pathfinders by Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) BASF members Rebecca Stephens and Nadia Arid, both of Farella Braun + Martel, were selected to be the 2021 Pathfinders of Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Pathfinders. LCLD selects…
Technology in the Legal Workplace
Often I am asked what is an important skill a legal professional should possess. We think of billing, right?! Legal professionals should really know how to effectively bill their time. Time is precious and in a .1 environment it is…
Are evidentiary rulings on summary judgment reviewed de novo or for abuse of discretion? More than a decade after Reid v. Google, it still depends whom you ask.
The first and most important issue in any appeal is the standard of review. For the last decade, however, California appellate courts have been split on how to review evidentiary rulings made in connection with a summary judgment motion. As…
Bay Area Mediation Services of BASF Welcomes Kruze
Diana Kruze, Mediator, Arbitrator, Private Judge, and Discovery Referee/Special Master, joins BASF’s panel of ADR neutrals. Kruze has successfully settled multi-million dollar cases around the world and has extensive experience with a wide range of disputes, from high technology to…
Labor & Employment Section Executive Committee Accepting Applications for Leadership Positions – Deadline Sept. 20
The BASF Labor and Employment Section Executive Committee is currently accepting applications for: In-House or Management-Side Attorney Union-Side Attorney Representing the diverse makeup of the Section, the Committee includes management attorneys, union attorneys, attorneys representing employees, neutrals, and government attorneys.…
It’s a Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, Zoom World!
No doubt video improves the ability to communicate in the negotiation process whether in mediation or with direct negotiations. Video court proceedings have successfully emerged as a productive and efficient way of handling civil and even criminal court proceedings. And…
Court to ‘Rescue’ Sisters: Don’t Leave California With Mom Like That
Depending on who you believe, Walter Van Buskirk Jr. was either a devoted son whose care allowed his mom, Ellen Van Buskirk, to live in her Santa Monica home until illness sent her to a rehab facility—or a ne’er-do-well who…
Grandma Can Amend Trust Despite False Beliefs
Is it real—or did grandma lack of capacity to amend a trust? It’s the painful question asked when a loved ones’ behavior seems to be on the edge of the shadowlands. It’s worse if its sad aftermath obscures a family’s…
Spring – A Time for Connection and Re-engaging!
Here we are again with a gorgeous Bay Area spring! The sun is out and more and more of us are getting our vaccines. It’s time to re-engage with the world! Although a lot of us are suffering from Zoom…