The sad announcement came moments after America lost its Queen of Soul this summer: Aretha Franklin had died of pancreatic cancer. Then more news broke: She left no will or trust, leaving the fate of her $80 million fortune up…
Barristers Club Announces 2019 Board of Directors
The Barristers Club, the Bar Association of San Francisco’s (BASF) new attorney division, recently announced the officers for its 2019 Board of Directors. In addition, the Nominating Committee of the Barristers Board of Directors is pleased to announce that five…
Members Honored by California Rural Legal Assistance
BASF Leader Circle firm partner Erica Villanueva, Farella Braun + Martel, was recently honored with a Outstanding Alumni Award by California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA). Villanueva was an intern with CRLA. Aurelio Perez, shareholder at BASF Leader Circle firm Littler Mendelson, received the Ambassador for Justice…
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra Shares His Battles Against Trump with San Francisco Attorneys
Newly elected California Attorney General (AG) Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, recently spoke with San Francisco attorneys about his legal battles against the Trump administration. At the Bar Association of San Francisco, Becerra fielded questions from California Appellate Law Group chairman…
Parents Protect Sons From Their Siblings—From Beyond the Grave
Years after his parents died, Kevin O’Connor fought off two of his siblings with a legal security blanket they left him. The weapon: a power of appointment, which lets people wield control of their wealth, even decades after they die.…
BASF Member Recognized as M&A and Antitrust Trailblazer by the National Law Journal
BASF member Robert I. Townsend III, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, was included in the National Law Journal’s 2018 list of Mergers & Acquisitions and Antitrust Trailblazers. The list was published as a special supplement to the National Law Journal in November.
Ann M. O’Leary Named Gov.-Elect Gavin Newsom’s Chief of Staff
Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom selected BASF member Ann O’Leary to serve as his chief of staff and help lead the gubernatorial transition. O’Leary is a partner at BASF Leader Circle firm Boies Schiller Flexner. She is well-known for her work as a longtime policy advisor to Hillary Clinton,…
Gap Inc. Legal Team Wins National Award for Diversity and Inclusion
Justice & Diversity Center board member and Gap, Inc. senior counsel Marie Ma, recently accepted a national award for diversity and inclusion on behalf of Gap Inc.’s in-house legal team in New York. The team was honored with the “Employer of Choice Award” from…
Gap Inc. Legal Team Wins National Award for Diversity and Inclusion
Justice & Diversity Center board member and Gap, Inc. senior counsel Marie Ma, recently accepted a national award for diversity and inclusion on behalf of Gap Inc.’s in-house legal team in New York. The team was honored with the “Employer of Choice Award” from…
Gov. Jerry Brown names Joshua Groban to CA Supreme Court
The Bar Association of San Francisco congratulates Joshua Groban on being appointed to the California Supreme Court by Governor Jerry Brown. Joshua Groban has come to BASF in the past to present on the judicial appointments process under Governor Brown and was very informative…
There’s No Crying in Baseball, and Especially Not for A-Rod
When Yankees’ homerun king, Alex Rodriguez (“A-Rod”) retired from baseball in 2016, he was earning over $30 million dollars a year, which is why he was able to pay his ex-wife, Cynthia Scurtis, $115,000 a month in combined tax-free spousal…
Amarra Lee Appointed to San Mateo County Superior Court
Congratulations to Amarra Lee on her judicial appointment by Governor Brown. Judge Lee’s term started November 1, 2018, and is the first African American woman judge to serve on the San Mateo County Superior Court. Lee is a 2003 recipient of JDC’s Minority…