Every pragmatic legal professional expects that some percentage of their billed services won’t be paid. But even small fluctuations in a law firm’s collection rate can have a huge impact on its bottom line. So how can you improve your…
October 2021 Members in the News
BASF Members Named on Best Lawyers’ Ones to Watch in America List 2022 Appellate Practice: James R. Sigel, Morrison & Foerster; Stacy M. Boven, Nixon Peabody Banking and Finance Law: Dario David Avram, Morrison & Foerster, and Victor Liang, Morrison & Foerster Bankruptcy and…
GPOA Powerholder Acts in Nonfiduciary Capacity
The grieving Harry Berkowitz could hardly have imagined what would follow when he had three hats to wear under the law after his wife died in 2011. Her death triggered the creation of a marital trust that contained a General…
Trustee May Self-Represent to Determine Settlor Intent
It takes a particular type of family dysfunction for brothers and sisters to take their fight to courtroom after courtroom after courtroom for 12 years. Meet the Donkin clan. Back before everybody squared off before their first judge, parents Rodney…
The Impact of Hope
The Impact of Hope discussion room consisted of hearing observations around national social justice issues as well as providing reasons to have optimism that the landscape is improving. The communities that JDC serves are the most powerless in our country,…
Home in on this commonly botched expression
Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court denied injunctive relief to the opponents of Texas’ anti-abortion law, a post appeared on a popular legal news website describing the forcefulness of the four dissents. The article states, “Justice Breyer’s [] hones…
Coercive Control and the 2020 Amendments to the DVPA
Effective as of September 2020 the California Legislature amended Section 6320 of the California Family Code, to include “coercive control” in the definition of abuse, for purposes of DVPA restraining orders. (See SB 1141, Rubio.) The amended DVPA defines “coercive…
September 2021 Members in the News
BASF Members Named 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in San Francisco The following BASF members were recognized as the 2022 Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers: Amy Briggs, Farella Braun + Martel; Donald C. Arbitblit, Lieff…
BASF Board Treasurer Vid Prabhakaran Receives Best Under 40 Award by NAPABA
BASF congratulates our Board Treasurer Vid Prabhakaran for being named Best Under 40 Award Honoree by the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA). Continue to soar! Vidhya Prabhakaran is the energy practice group chair at Davis Wright Tremaine LLP,…
Remembrance of Things Past: Can a Newly Enacted Statute Provide for a Retroactive Award of Attorney Fees?
When a bill becomes law in California, it generally operates prospectively, unless the Legislature specifically provides otherwise. A generally—but not universally—recognized exception exists, however, for new statutes authorizing an award of attorney fees. Some California appellate courts have approved the…
Don’t say bold-faced when you mean bald-faced
When addressing the court, be sure not to bungle common expressions When U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga) told the American people that the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol could not accurately be called an “insurrection,” he not only…
August 2021 Members in the News
Leaders Circle Firms Certified as a Gold Standard Law Firm by Women in Law Empowerment Forum LLC Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld Cooley DLA Piper Foley & Lardner Littler Mendelson Morgan, Lewis & Bockius Morrison & Foerster Ogletree, Deakins,…