Discussion of Firms and Life in SF/SV - Page 67

Tyrone Slothrop · 11-11-2004, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by fzl
I'm in another state looking to possibly work at Howard Rice in the future. Their litigation practice seems strong and the people I've met there have been very nice. What I'm missing though is the gossipy/reputational stuff. Many thanks!

From a PM to me some time ago:

Howard Rice is full of people who think they're smarter and better than the rest of us. They're partly right. They have one of the best litigation shops in the Bay Area, but there are several other places their equal, not that you would know it talking to them. You don't hear as much as about the transactional folks there.

fzl · 11-12-2004, 02:53 PM

Intellectual arrogance? I'm not sure that will mesh well with my current inferiority complex. I hope they aren't like the tools on my law review. If they are, I'm so outta there.

Sidd Finch · 11-30-2004, 12:20 PM

Am I the only one following the stories on the aftermath of Brobeck's demise?

Hell, am I the only one here?

Articles this week and last make for great reading (as legal news goes) and suggest to me that Brobeck adopted the go-go attitude of many of its dot-bomb clients. Most recent news:

-- trustee says the former partners are liable for $275 million (ouch) in draws they took when the firm was insolvent, with enormous lease liabilities and bank debt of several hundred grand apiece (ouch ouch). He's offered to settle at a discount -- a discount that gets deeper if enough partners accept and if it's done by a certain time. Otherwise, I suppose, badda-bing badda-boom.

-- former partners (who formed a liquidation committee that sued Clifford Chance for $100 million) accuse current trustee of conspiring with Brobeck's landlords to settle that suit on the cheap and to focus on recovering money from former partners to make them an example. The evidence of this is the depo testimony of a former trustee (or potential trustee -- can't remember) who says that the LL's lawyer said the Clifford Chance suit was just a smokescreen to divert attention from the partners. (An expression of opinion that, IMHO, does not a conspiracy make. But anyhoo.)

-- trustee settles claims against Clifford Chance for $4.5 million. Hearing to approve the deal is today.

-- trustee pays Citibank about $2 million to satisfy debt of $8 million. I think Citibank assigns the debt to the trustee, who can now seek to collect it from the former partners -- who, in turn, can defend that claim based on Citibank having assigned the loan.

-- trustee settles case against Morgan Lewis -- don't know the amount, but I'm awful curious....

In sum, Brobeck died so that other firms could live by feeding off its carcass.

From what I recall, Clifford Chance's foray into Cal. hasn't gone so well, and I'm not sure many, if any, of the former BPH partners are still there. Don't know how it has all gone for Morgan. Anyone know?

11-30-2004, 04:11 PM

Do you have any articles to recommend? $200+ million. Wow! What is that legal/business mastermind Tower Snow up to? I think heavy doses of lithium for Tower back in 1999-2000 could have stopped Brobeck's fall. Who in their right mind would have expanded so?

Sidd Finch · 11-30-2004, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sfiail
Do you have any articles to recommend? $200+ million. Wow! What is that legal/business mastermind Tower Snow up to? I think heavy doses of lithium for Tower back in 1999-2000 could have stopped Brobeck's fall. Who in their right mind would have expanded so?

The Recorder has regularly put these articles on the front page. (Can you say Schadenfreud? Or whatever. I'm not sure I can. But still.)

Tower and Co. were bound and determined to hit 1 MM PPPs, it seems. And they did it thru debt. And the party continued for awhile longer.

But the BPH partners blaming Tower is like blaming the owner of the bar for your hangover.

c2ed · 12-05-2004, 05:18 PM

Piper Rudnick is at it again ... merging with London mega firm DLA (just two months after merging with Gray Cary). Lawyers there must be just getting business cards where they can fill in the ever-changing name of the firm with new stickers.

On an entirely different note, I'd like to give a big pfffffffffffftttt!!! to all bars and clubs that decide to use nearly-indelible ink for their handstamps. I had to scrub my hand so hard this morning to get off a stamp that it now looks like I have a rash. Lovely.

12-07-2004, 01:31 PM

I love how Hastings get no mention in the Recorder's sidebar among "powerhouse" law schools like UCLA, USC, Davis, Boalt, and Stanford. Either Mike McKee really hates us or we're seriously losing our rep. Hrm...

I'm also sure that Mr. Mckee will be hearings from Whittier and Golden Gate b/c he specifically listed them as the lower tier schools.

Now is this the Recorder, Mike McKee, or <gasp> Jerome Braun who made this happen?

Shape Shifter · 01-31-2005, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by acousticguitar

Acoustic guitar, I'm gonna make you a star
Get your picture all over the world
Acoustic guitar, you can have your own car
Just bring me back my girl

She always loved the sound of your strum
You made her think maybe I wasn't so dumb
She tends to faint at the sound of a drum
cause she's folk
so play and maybe she'll come

Acoustic guitar, how lovely you are
with your inlays of mother of pearl
Be a good guitar and you can go far
Just bring me back my girl

She always said that you were the one
who could make her move her cute little bum
You understand where she's coming from
which I obviously don't
or she wouldn't be gone

Acoustic guitar, if you think I play hard
well, you could have belonged to Steve Earle
or Charo or Gwar
I could sell you tomorrow
so bring me back my girl

You'd better bring me back my girl

http://stephinsongs.wiw.org/tab/69ls3.html#5

Flinty_McFlint · 01-31-2005, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
Acoustic guitar, I'm gonna make you a star
Get your picture all over the world
Acoustic guitar, you can have your own car
Just bring me back my girl

She always loved the sound of your strum
You made her think maybe I wasn't so dumb
She tends to faint at the sound of a drum
cause she's folk
so play and maybe she'll come

Acoustic guitar, how lovely you are
with your inlays of mother of pearl
Be a good guitar and you can go far
Just bring me back my girl

She always said that you were the one
who could make her move her cute little bum
You understand where she's coming from
which I obviously don't
or she wouldn't be gone

Acoustic guitar, if you think I play hard
well, you could have belonged to Steve Earle
or Charo or Gwar
I could sell you tomorrow
so bring me back my girl

You'd better bring me back my girl

http://stephinsongs.wiw.org/tab/69ls3.html#5

You are a weird guy, lizard.

Sidd Finch · 02-01-2005, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Flinty_McFlint
You are a weird guy, lizard.

Just when I thought this board was dead, dead, dead....

NotFromHere · 02-01-2005, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Just when I thought this board was dead, dead, dead....

I could ask about food again. Any good Greek places?

And by the way, I had some really really good Imperial rolls again the other day (I was at Nordstroms and decided to go to Tu Lan). Those things rock! But it's a lot of food. Thanks again for the rec!

Now I need a Greek place.

Tyrone Slothrop · 02-01-2005, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NotFromHere
I could ask about food again. Any good Greek places?

And by the way, I had some really really good Imperial rolls again the other day (I was at Nordstroms and decided to go to Tu Lan). Those things rock! But it's a lot of food. Thanks again for the rec!

Now I need a Greek place.

Does Kokkari count?

NotFromHere · 02-01-2005, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Does Kokari count?

Been there. For some reason it just doesn't seem Greek enough - if that makes any sense.
I guess I'm looking for a place with a little more spices in the food.
Maybe a great souvlaki and hummus.

NotFromHere · 02-01-2005, 08:32 PM

SAN FRANCISCO -- KTVU FOX 2's High Definition signal will be available to most Comcast digital service subscribers on Channel 702 beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 27th in time for Sunday's Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.

c2ed · 02-03-2005, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by NotFromHere
SAN FRANCISCO -- KTVU FOX 2's High Definition signal will be available to most Comcast digital service subscribers on Channel 702 beginning at 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 27th in time for Sunday's Super Bowl matchup between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.

I've clearly missed something for several weeks. Why is this a bad thing?

C(my mother has a crush on Tom Brady ... is that bad?)deuced