Pat described my husband perfectly in what he wrote about Heff as a groomsman on their wedding website. (Pat was still doing his homework when I posted the last blog about their wedding- this just in:)

"Brian Heffernan ~ Groomsman:
If you put all of the groomsmen in a lineup and had to pick which one was from the South, most would go with Heff. He is a big, camo-wearing, pick-up driving, hunting fanatic that would fit right in with a lot my friends that I grew up with. Brian is a partner in a real estate-focused law firm in Menlo Park, CA and is the proud father of the famous Francie, 2 and Maisie, 1. Brian is married to Ann's older sister Mary and it has been a lot of fun spending time with him and his great family."

Good work Pat :) For hitting the nail on the head and for marrying my sister!

And speaking of my "camo-wearing, pick-up driving, hunting fanatic" husband- the guys have added another partner to their law firm! Bill Frimel is a great guy and a great addition to their office. And it means I get to spend more time with his fun wife Susie! Here are our favorite lawyers at 1075 Curtis Street-

and if you aren't on their mailing list- you are missing out on the always entertaining semi-regular newsletter about all things law

The whole newsletter wouldn't fit but some highlights:

Real Estate: Pacific Sun Gourmet's Extra Virgin Olive Oil Kudos:

We're proud to report that HS&F client Pacific Sun Gourmet's Tehama County Blend extra virgin olive oil got some mighty nice publicity recently. Cook's Illustrated's September-October 2009 issue reviewed ten well-regarded California extra virgin olive oil products, and the Cook's experts concluded that only four merited their coveted "Recommended" status. Alas, Pacific Sun Gourmet olive oil was among the chosen four.

Olive oil tasting is quickly gaining as a major event that's become popular with "foodies". And California olive oils, for years overshadowed by Spanish, Greek and Italian producers, are starting to command real respect among afficionados.

Pacific Sun Gourmet's olive oil was found by Cook's Illustrated's tasters to be "... buttery... smooth... with a fruity aroma... notes of passion fruit, pineapple and melon... with a nutty finish... like walnuts." We couldn't have said it better ourselves. And, we might add, it pairs well with aubergines. More about Pacific Sun Gourmet

A New Twist On "Flipping":

We were intrigued by a recent story in the New York Times of a large New York real estate portfolio owned by three brothers for many years. The oldest brother unexpectedly decided that he wanted to operate independently of his two brothers. A provision in their six-page partnership agreement permitted any of the three brothers to withdraw at any time.

The agreement called for the mere flip of a coin to determine whether the withdrawing brother – or the remaining brothers – would get the right to select which properties would go to the withdrawing brother. The selections were required to reflect, in the aggregate, a pro rata share of the current market value of the withdrawing brother's 40% partnership interest. A coin was flipped, and the withdrawing brother won the toss. Read more

POTPOURRI

This may come as a surprise to many of our readers, but lawyers are subject to rigorous ethical rules and disciplinary scrutiny. We at HS&F always read with a strange mixture of fear and titillation the many California State Bar bulletins and other legal trade news which report on disbarments, suspensions and public reprimands of lawyer scofflaws, miscreants and dunderheads.

There was a recent reported case we couldn't help but share with you. It concerned a young lawyer who appeared in court on behalf of a client wearing a backwards-facing baseball cap, a dirty t-shirt and tattered jeans. When his matter was called, the judge refused to let him argue his case, and admonished him for his unkempt wardrobe. The judge told him that if he came to his court again without being suitably attired, he would be held in contempt of court.

What did the lawyer do? What else? He appealed. And what did the appeals court have to say? They strongly agreed with the lower court judge, citing abundant and long-standing authority that a judge is the master of his or her courtroom, and thus fully entitled to adopt reasonable rules of decorum, including a wardrobe code.

During our thorough due diligence on Bill Frimel, we vigorously quizzed him about his views on this topic, and are pleased to report that we've confirmed that Bill always wears a coat and tie to court. No jeans. No caps. No t-shirts.

DISCLAIMER
Aubergines is not legal advice. In fact, it's not advice of any kind. To some, it might be entertainment. To others, it might be an example of why the world's in the quirky state it's in. But don't even think about suing us over anything you read here. It would just be a waste of time.

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We're proud of you Heff! And our lawyer friends who put up with us in the office on a daily basis.