Chicago Happenings - Page 2

Aloha Mr. Learned Hand · 06-04-2003, 11:57 AM

Thank you Sammy for handing us a new topic...

Sammy Sosa gets caught using a corked bat, but claims he just used it for batting practice to put a show on for the fans.

My thoughts: To make it perfectly clear, I'm not a fan of Sammy's, though I respect his accomplishments in the game. I think the batting practice excuse is pure BS, and here's why. I think he knowingly kept that bat in the rack as a "slumpbuster". I.e., he broke it out whenever he was slumping and needed a little extra boost at the plate.

Story in the Sun-times notes that Sammy used a dark-colored bat (like the corked bat) to drive in the game-winning run in the 16th inning against the Astros over the weekend. Before that, he used a light colored bat in the game and struck out 5 times. He also has been in a home run drought, only hitting 6 this year... Coincidence??

For those who don't follow baseball, corked bats which have been discovered historically are a darker color because a wood stain is used to help conceal the drill hole in the end of the bat.

Love to hear everyone's thoughts, especially Cub fans...

Do you believe him?? Does this bring his other accomplishments into question?? Does this make you wonder about the truth of his denials on the dreaded steroids issue??

Aloha Mr. Learned Hand · 06-12-2003, 12:00 PM

As I'm sure you're well aware, professional golfers will be camped out in Chicago for the better part of the next month with the US Open underway at Olympia Fields this weekend and the Western Open at Cog Hill over the 4th.

As the self-appointed LawTalkers golf correspondent for the Open, I will be taking in some of the action and will report back next week with some of the sights... Still amazed I couldn't get press credentials.

If you're going to the Open at all, look me up. I'll be the guy in the golf hat, golf shirt and cargo shorts. Should be easy to spot...

SlaveNoMore · 06-12-2003, 03:34 PM

Is this merger a big deal?

not7y(no idea)S

Mister_Ruysbroeck · 06-12-2003, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Is this merger a big deal?

not7y(no idea)S

From what I know, it probably won't make a whole lot of waves. McGuire Woods just opened their Chicago office a few years ago in order to service some of their corporate clients with employee benefit work that could be better done in Chicago. They are a much bigger player (the only player?) at the home office in Virginia. I heard rumors that one of Jenner's asshole partners with a pretty sizeable book of business moved over to McGuire to get their lit practice going. Not sure how big the office is now, but I can't imagine it's more than around 50, and I'm too lazy to look up the actual numbers.

Ross & Hardies is a pretty well respected firm, but from what I understand it's having trouble cutting ties to it's insurance industry clients (this could be old news, as I haven't heard much about them in a while) and has never really been a huge player in the market. In fact, I don't even know if they pay market. Maybe a little less than what Baker and Winston pay.

If it were my guess, I'd say McGuire Woods is controlling this deal. They probably have higher PPP and want to make bigger inroads into the litigation field. So, this is a good way for them to do it. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple R&H partners with insurance-based books get the axe or go out on their own.

Of course, I have to disclose that this is all conjecture on my part based on what little I know about the two firms. People with actual knowledge should feel free to correct me.

Aloha Mr. Learned Hand · 06-12-2003, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mister_Ruysbroeck
From what I know, it probably won't make a whole lot of waves. McGuire Woods just opened their Chicago office a few years ago in order to service some of their corporate clients with employee benefit work that could be better done in Chicago. They are a much bigger player (the only player?) at the home office in Virginia. I heard rumors that one of Jenner's asshole partners with a pretty sizeable book of business moved over to McGuire to get their lit practice going. Not sure how big the office is now, but I can't imagine it's more than around 50, and I'm too lazy to look up the actual numbers.

Ross & Hardies is a pretty well respected firm, but from what I understand it's having trouble cutting ties to it's insurance industry clients (this could be old news, as I haven't heard much about them in a while) and has never really been a huge player in the market. In fact, I don't even know if they pay market. Maybe a little less than what Baker and Winston pay.

If it were my guess, I'd say McGuire Woods is controlling this deal. They probably have higher PPP and want to make bigger inroads into the litigation field. So, this is a good way for them to do it. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple R&H partners with insurance-based books get the axe or go out on their own.

Of course, I have to disclose that this is all conjecture on my part based on what little I know about the two firms. People with actual knowledge should feel free to correct me.

Pretty much right on, MR. Ross is (was) a nice firm, but never on the radar screen of the top firms in town... Yet another 2nd or 3rd tier firm to be gobbled up by a larger national player in recent years. I think this puts the combined Chicago presence at 150 or so, and with Ted Tetzlaff leading the merger, they will try to make their presence felt. Gotta think there will be some "chopping of the dead wood", however...

This is definitely not a merger of equals, and with the "branding" trend of national firms, I think the Ross and Hardies names will go the way of "Battle and Booth" or whatever it was before they shortened it in short order...

Mister_Ruysbroeck · 06-12-2003, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
I think this puts the combined Chicago presence at 150 or so, and with Ted Tetzlaff leading the merger, they will try to make their presence felt. Gotta think there will be some "chopping of the dead wood", however...

That's it, Tetzlaff.

Anyway, do you think it's a good move for McGuire Woods? How about for the R&H partners that don't get the axe?

Aloha Mr. Learned Hand · 06-12-2003, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mister_Ruysbroeck
That's it, Tetzlaff.

Anyway, do you think it's a good move for McGuire Woods? How about for the R&H partners that don't get the axe?

It's probably good for McGuire Woods, because they get some good reputable people and will get some notice here which they did not get before...

The Ross partners who stay will probably pull in more (haven't checked PPP lately). However, they may not like being a branch office after their long history on their own and may chafe under Tetzlaff's rule, as some at Jenner did before his departure...

Aloha Mr. Learned Hand · 06-16-2003, 11:59 AM

Had a great time at the US Open over the weekend, as the weather held up and the scores (finally) went up as well. Saw most of the top players, including a good bit of the champion Jim Furyk. You could just tell that he was feeling it by watching his swing and his reactions... The guy who knocked one off the top of the TV tower behind me obviously wasn't feeling it.

Tiger Woods just couldn't get anything going. As you would expect, his galleries were still huge, with people grabbing a spot 5 holes ahead of him just to see him hit one shot and walk by.

Have to say the event was very well run, as lines weren't terribly long and it seemed well organized. Crowd was very polite and supportive, especially of Tom Watson and his caddy Bruce Edwards, who has ALS. Except for the Vijay heckler moron, the whistler on Tiger's backswing and the topless poor imitation of Morganna the Kissing Bandit who tried to smooch Jim Furyk, the crowd behaved itself.

Not sure when the Open might come back to Chicago. It'll be at least 2010, but the 2006 PGA and the 2012 Ryder Cup are set for Medinah, and there's always the Western Open over the 4th...

i812 · 06-20-2003, 07:09 PM

any news on when jenkens & Gilcrist will dissolve the firm ?

taxwonk · 06-24-2003, 01:17 PM

Greatly exagerrated. Jenkens is an pretty big firm, and it has many offices. Sure, Daugerdas will probably be looking for a new job, if he doesn't get indicted (and let's face it, he propably won't). But if their close and personal friendship with Enron didn't kill the firm, this won't kill it either.

Aloha Mr. Learned Hand · 06-24-2003, 01:29 PM

Normally I wouldn't ask, but with your recent history I have to know...

Wonk, that new avatar of yours isn't a self-portrait, I hope??:shock:

taxwonk · 06-24-2003, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aloha Mr. Learned Hand
Normally I wouldn't ask, but with your recent history I have to know...

Wonk, that new avatar of yours isn't a self-portrait, I hope??:shock:

Don't be rEdiculous....

my skull is much thicker

Aloha Mr. Learned Hand · 06-27-2003, 04:57 PM

Chicagobusiness.com is reporting that partners at Altheimer & Gray, the 88-year old firm that currently is the 13th largest firm in Chicago, are expected to vote to dissolve the firm on Monday, June 30th. Reported reasons for the closure include strategic differences, a downturn in business and some recent defections...

Best of luck to our 160+ Altheimer friends and the rest of their staff. More news to follow as developments warrant...

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=9310

Say_hello_for_me · 06-28-2003, 12:01 PM

So I read the retired managing partner's email and the press reports. His retirement benefits were stopped and he hopes to find a way to replace them?

That doesn't sound like a 401K to me, but I'm obviously just guessing here. If not, were retirees benefits being funded with income from ongoing operations? Were partners still drawing after retiring?

If so, then fuck him and the horse he rode in on. These firms will all die some day. From our view, it is supposedly one of the reasons that Pennie & Edmonds can't find a groom (emphasis on "one of").

So, if anyone can confirm whether retirees were still drawing from the pot after retirement, other than a standard government-sanctioned retirement plan, it would help many of us determine what lessen there is to learn from this.

Hello

Aloha Mr. Learned Hand · 06-30-2003, 11:29 AM

12 young people were killed and over 50 were injured on the North Side of Chicago over the weekend when a three-story porch collapsed during a party. News accounts indicate that one of the victims, Henry "Jay" Wischerath, 24, had just completed his first year at the University of Chicago law school, and that other U of C students were in attendance.

Our condolences go out to the families and friends of Mr. Wischerath and the other victims of this terrible tragedy, as well as to the U of C law school community.

A link to a news account of the tragedy follows:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/...s-porch30.html