Spotlight: Law Firm Managing Partners
Originally published March 2, 2015.
The Business Journal invited managing partners from law firms across the North Bay to answer a survey. Here are the responses.
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Anderson, Zeigler, Disharoon, Gallagher & Gray
Managing partner: Wendy Whitson
Case you are most proud of in past three years where you prevailed: As a real estate transaction attorney, I don’t “prevail in cases” … rather, I successfully close complex deals. The transactions of which I am most proud are those in which my clients are able to achieve their life goals with my help. In the past three years I have aided clients in financing their dream retirement through the sale of real estate which had been in their family for decades, helped one of the Northbay’s top chef’s purchase a location for his flagship restaurant and participated in some of the largest and most complex commercial transaction in the county.
Best local attorney you know at another firm: Dawn Ross
Best local attorney you know under age 40: Allison McNeill
Most poignant lawyer joke you know: People who love sausage and respect the law should never watch either being made.
Favorite song you are likely to sing in shower or car: Ain’t Nobody Loves Me Better, by Chaka Khan
Favorite sport you play: Basketball
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Bradley, Curley, Asiano, Barrabee, Abel & Kowalski PC
Managing partner: Arthur W. Curley
Case you are most proud of in past three years where you prevailed: Defended suit against Santa Rosa surgeon alleging negligent sinus surgery resulting in sinus disease and five surgeries. Plaintiff had nationally known expert from Alabama and local MD, DDS surgeon. We presented nationally recognized author and surgeon from Florida and local oral surgeon as experts. After five weeks of trial the jury voted 12-0 for a defense verdict.
Best local attorney you know at another firm: David Zeff
Best local attorney you know under age 40: Peter Finn
Most poignant lawyer joke you know: There are no lawyer jokes, they are all based upon true stories.
Favorite song you are likely to sing in shower or car: Happy
Favorite sport you play: Outrigger canoe racing
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Hanson Bridgett LLP
Managing partner: Andrew Giacomini
Case you are most proud of in past three years where you prevailed: We successfully defended our shopping center landlord and property developer client in a six-month arbitration. The $300 million claims against our client concerned taxes and also breach of contract allegations regarding a proposed A’s baseball stadium in Fremont. The highlight was the great working relationship with our client. We strategized and attacked the issues together, and of course, had fun doing it. Our client witnesses were front and center in our case and we used creative demonstratives to show a clear defense in a very complicated case. I even wore different color A’s baseball hats when cross-examining the A’s owner, each one representing different perspectives regarding the stadium plans. Ultimately, I am most proud of obtaining for our client a clear and deserving victory.
Best local attorney you know at another firm: John Hullverson, Emison Hullverson LLP
Best local attorney you know under age 40: Mohammad Walizadeh, partner, Hanson Bridgett
Most poignant lawyer joke you know: What’s wrong with lawyer jokes? Lawyers don’t think they’re funny, and nobody else thinks they’re jokes.
Favorite song you are likely to sing in shower or car: “Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed. I participated in a Family Music Hour back in December, and this was the song I sang.
Favorite sport you play: Basketball. I played on the Hanson Bridgett team in the BASF basketball league during the summer 2014 season. We came in first place.
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Nielsen, Merksamer, Parrinello Gross & Leoni LLP
Managing partner: James R. Parrinello
Case you are most proud of in past three years where you prevailed: I represented several property owner groups in striking down a punitive San Francisco law violating their first amendment and property rights.
Best local attorney you know at another firm: James Nevin
Best local attorney you know under age 40: Chris Skelton
Favorite sport you play: Soccer, fly-fishing, golf
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Parton Sell Rhoades
Managing partner: James Sell
Case you are most proud of in past three years: I was retained by a commercial landlord to secure payment from a tenant that had defaulted on its lease. The tenant did not dispute that past and future rent was owed. The challenge was working out a payment plan that the tenant could realistically perform and then securing sufficient security from the tenant in the event the tenant stopped paying or filed for bankruptcy. The tenant performed the payment plan for almost a year until it was forced into bankruptcy by unsecured creditors. However, because of the work our firm performed on the front end, the tenant continued to pay the client during the course of the bankruptcy and the client was eventually paid in full, with interest, by the end of the bankruptcy proceedings.