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Monday, Mar 18, 2024
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Higgs Fletcher & Mack Celebrates 75 Years in World-Class Style

Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP is 75 years young this year and last week held a fine reception to recognize that in its newly remodeled, 26th floor offices downtown. John Morrell, managing partner, and Henry Angelino, executive director, were perfect hosts, and guests even got a gift or two to remember one of San Diego’s oldest law firm’s celebration. And that’s saying something, given the continuing shake out of firms with high overhead. “We’re just trying to deliver world-class legal services at regional prices,” said Angelino. “So far, that strategy is working very well.” In other Higgs news, as they say, Ferdinand Fletcher, a founding member of the firm, passed away recently from pneumonia at age 94. Mr. Fletcher had a long and distinguished career with the firm. During nearly 50 years of practicing law he helped lay the groundwork for the Salk Institute and headed such organizations as the San Diego Rotary Club, where I first met him, and the Armed Services YMCA. In 1939, “Ferd” and DeWitt “Dutch” Higgs became law partners and were joined in 1940 by Henry “Pitts” Mack to form the firm of Higgs Fletcher & Mack.

Two important events that should be on your calendar: The San Diego Business Journal’s General Counsel Awards on Oct. 2. Some terrific nominees and potential clients. Second, this Saturday, Sept. 20, is the local legal event of the year: The San Diego County Bar Association’s “Evening in La Jolla,” which supports lots of San Diego’s legal charities. Both are fun and good for your legal business.

Tully Rinckey PLLC, one of the country’s largest federal employment and military law firms, recently opened its first West Coast law office in San Diego. The new office will be run by partner Steven Herrick. In case you’re not familiar with Tully, its federal sector law team is headed by several former government attorneys with decades of experience in their respective areas of legal focus. The team includes partners Neil McPhie, a former Merit Systems Protection Board chairman, Cheri Cannon, a former panel member of the Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records and a deputy general counsel at the Pentagon, and Larry Youngner, a former Air Force Judge Advocate’s General Corps, or JAG, chief of staff and director. The team also includes founding partner Mathew Tully, a retired federal employee, retired lieutenant colonel in the New York Army National Guard and Purple Heart recipient who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and managing partner Greg Rinckey, a former active duty Army officer and JAG attorney who also served as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Maggie Watkins, formerly with Best Best & Krieger LLP, is such an enjoyable part of San Diego’s professional services work. She moved to Birmingham, Alabama, to join Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Birmingham, Alabama as its chief business development and marketing officer, but has been spending a little more time in San Diego this summer. She’s been diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, it was caught earlier and the prognosis is good. True to her spirit, she’s already been to the Susan G. Komen office in Birmingham to volunteer!

Amy Strider Harleman, a shareholder at Peterson & Price A.P.C. has been selected to the 2015 San Diego Rising Stars list in the Real Estate practice area. Established in 1958, Peterson & Price is one of San Diego County’s oldest and most respected law firms. Strider Harleman has practiced with the firm since 2007 and became a shareholder in 2010. Specializing in transactional real estate and corporate law, she represents buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants and developers (both commercial and residential) in the negotiation and documentation of real estate purchase and sale transactions, commercial, industrial and office lease transactions, acquisition and development financing transactions, construction contracts, redevelopment agreements and various other agreements.

Speaking of rising young stars, Shustak & Partners P.C., partners George Miller and Robert Hill are considered rising stars at the firm. Miller and Hill practice in the securities and business litigation sectors, respectively.

Sullivan Hill Lewin Rez & Engel shareholder Timothy Earl was a featured panelist at the MC Consultants’ 20th Annual West Region Construction Litigation & Insurance Coverage Conference last week. Earl focuses his practice primarily in the areas of construction litigation and insurance coverage, presented at the Construction Defect Litigation & Coverage Issues (The Developer vs. GC/Sub-Contractor Cage Match) program. Earl offered potential solutions to difficult issues faced by general contractors in construction defect litigation who have enrolled in wrap up insurance programs that contain a variety of policy limitations and exclusions.

Speaking of Sullivan Hill, shareholder James Hill also presented at California State Bar Annual Meeting. Hill addressed the intersection (or collision) of the Commercial Code and bankruptcy law, and issues like a perfection pitfalls, preferences, fraudulent conveyances, reclamation rights, and rights of lien creditors in bankruptcy cases. Hill’s practice specializes on bankruptcy, insolvency and commercial law. His bankruptcy experience includes representation of creditors, bankruptcy trustees and examiners and bankruptcy debtors in Chapter 11 business reorganization cases.

Jim Fessenden is with Fisher & Phillips, which wasn’t clear in a prior column. Fessenden is a terrific young attorney, so you probably already knew the full name of his firm.

Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP, is accepting applications for its Summer 2015 Native American Law Internship. This internship opportunity extends Procopio’s long-standing tradition of giving back to the community it serves and continues the firm’s investment in the future leaders of Indian Country. Procopio has had seven Native American Law interns since the launch of the program representing the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, Pala Band of Mission Indians, the Seminole Nation, the Cherokee Nation, the Shinnecock Indian Nation, the Isleta Pubelo and Tohono O’odham Nation. The internship provides an opportunity for a Native American law student, or law student emphasizing Native American Law, to gain hands-on experience dealing with everyday legal issues facing Native American communities. Procopio interns reach out to local Native American youth to provide guidance and inspiration regarding educational direction and opportunities. This paid summer internship position lasts 8 to 10 weeks, commencing after May 11. Applicants should have completed their first year of law school prior to the start of the internship.

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo P.C. is expanding its real estate practice in San Diego with the hiring of Christopher Stephens, who brings extensive experience in all aspects of land use, environmental matters, development and both federal and state regulation. He joins as a Member. Formerly at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Stephens’ practice encompasses acquisition disposition, renewable energy, large-scale residential development, mixed-use development, master planned communities and zoning. His expertise includes laws pertaining to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, the Clean Water Act, mining and public land. “As the real estate market continues to accelerate and as the regulatory environment throughout the Southwest becomes more complex for developers of large projects, demand for sophisticated capabilities in support of our clients’ efforts to navigate the regulatory approval process is increasing,” said Eddie Wang Rodriguez, managing member of Mintz Levin’s San Diego office. “Chris’s experience in working with developers of highly complex projects, from master-planned communities to entertainment and stadium developments, as well as major energy and mining projects throughout the Southwest makes him an outstanding addition to our West Coast real estate practice,” added Scott Biel, co-Chair of the firm’s Real Estate Section.

Randy Frisch is vice chancellor of business and administration at National University, and former publisher of the San Diego Business Journal. He is licensed to practice law in California, Nevada and Idaho.

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