I have been a practicing lawyer since 1967. While I am now retired from Sidley Austin, I still have an active law practice because I have a family that appreciates my services and billing rates.

Since 1967 I have done a lot of stuff. The best part is interacting with and learning from very talented people. This column is about them.

The primary reason that most are included is because of what they taught me. Another important consideration is how they made me feel about myself.

My mentor at my first law firm, Vedder Price Kaufman & Kammholz in Chicago was Paul G. Gebhard who, as outside counsel for the American College of Surgeons, coined the phrase “informed consent” to apply to the standard of care for physicians that required full disclosure to patients of all of the risks and benefits of a treatment or procedure. He sent me my first significant referral to represent a clinical laboratory accused by the City of Los Angeles of paying allegedly unlawful kickbacks to physicians. My opposing counsel was prominent Beverly Hills resident Max Factor III, then a Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney. But what I remember Paul for was his family. His wife was a prominent archeologist. He and his wife frequently took their very young children to her “digs” in places like Turkey and Iraq. It was a great example of how to raise young children (then a daunting prospect) and pursue one’s career dreams at the same time. This was new to me.

I met then future U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher (who I observed when I was the youngest member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and he was President of the Association) and his Stanford Law classmate Judge Shirley M. Hufstedler (for whom I clerked in 1969-70) at around the same time. Watching Warren Christopher manage a meeting of prominent opinionated lawyers was like watching fine wine being poured. I learned to appreciate these skills. From Judge Hufstedler I learned the importance of questioning every assertion and giving great attention to detail.

I worked closely with Dick Riordan from 1969 to the early ‘70’s long before he became Mayor of Los Angeles. He gave me my first job in Los Angeles with the Nossaman firm almost sight unseen and I have always admired and envied his action on instincts in personnel selection and management, politics (“tough enough to turn LA around”) and, most significantly, in his spectacularly successful investments.

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In the early 1990’s, my contemporary Ted Miller became managing partner of the Los Angeles office and a member of the firm’s management committee. I learned a great deal from Ted about both strategic planning with metrics and also how to apply a light touch when dealing with the most difficult problems. In this regard, I benefited greatly when I was the cause of difficult problems.

This discussion of mentors would not be complete without reference to clients who were mentors but, more importantly, interesting characters.

First in time was Joe Tushinsky, who ran Superscope, Inc. From the 1950’s to the early 1970’s, Superscope was the exclusive U.S. distributor of all Sony products. Joe was a slightly larger version of Danny Devito who exploded everywhere he went. Superscope lost the Sony business. I spent nearly a month with Joe in Tokyo in 1977. From Joe, the importance of preserving one’s mission critical business relationships was impressed upon me. Superscope in 1977 was a NYSE company. I don’t think it exists today.

Bob Brock was a Topeka Kansas trial lawyer who had made a fortune developing large Holiday Inn resorts throughout the midwest. I helped him with a dispute with Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari and the father of electronic gaming. Bob told me the following story about juries. A client of his was litigating the value of property that was being taken by eminent domain and asked Bob to be an expert valuation expert. Bob asked the client what he wanted for the property and the response was that he wanted $50K. Bob said that he couldn’t help because he would testify that the property was only worth $10K. The client said that was fine because he would testify that the property was worth $100,000 and the jury would split the difference. And that’s exactly what the jury did. Sometimes cynicism has a basis in fact.

Don King was a flamboyant boxing/concert promoter. Through Don, I got involved in the representation of Mike Tyson (actually a surprisingly interesting and bright man) and litigation over the 1984 Jackson “Victory” Tour. My favorite Don King recollection involves a drive to a meeting. I went to pick him up. He looked at my vehicle and he asked me to drive his. I got in the driver’s seat and he got in the back to make some calls. The car was a yellow Rolls Royce limousine. As we pulled out I started laughing. He asked what I was laughing at. I said I wished my mother and father could see me now as a chauffeur for a giant black guy with hair that looked like he was being electrocuted. They would be so proud.

Early in his career Don was convicted of murder and did several years in state penitentiary. This taught a bit about “rehabilitation.”

Gavin Polone, a graduate of BHHS, was and is a many-faceted man. Gavin is now a successful Hollywood producer (e.g. “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and manager. When he was a talent agent for stars, Variety ran a full page picture of Gavin attired in a black leather jacket wearing brass knuckles and described as something like “the toughest man in Hollywood.” Gavin does not fear litigation and won’t quit until his consistently high moral and ethical principles are vindicated. The word “settlement” is not in his vocabulary. Largely because of work for Gavin, Los Angeles Magazine featured me in a cover story entitled: “Los Angeles’ Pit Bull Lawyers.” Funny that – Gavin was the pit bull. Reflected glory is better than no glory at all.

Willie Williams was the LAPD chief who had replaced the controversial Daryl Gates. My former partner Mayor Dick Riordan wanted him out and refused to renew his contract when it expired in 1997. I tried to resist this but was outmaneuvered by a very savvy member of the Los Angeles City Council. I learned, too late for Chief Williams, the importance of dealing with the media when disputes arise in the public sector.

Finally, I want to talk about Howard Marks and Bruce Karsh, two of the most ethical, thoughtful and successful financial analysts and fund managers in the country.

Howard was with TCW Group he was responsible for investments in high yield debt and convertible securities and, with Bruce, created an early “distressed debt” fund. In 1995, Howard and Bruce decided to leave TCW to start their own firm. I helped in a minor way and they founded Oaktree Capital Management. Oaktree became a fantastic success in the fields of high yield and distressed debt and private equity.

Howard is a prolific writer and publishes his “memos” regularly. It has been reported that Warren Buffett is an admirer who said: “When I see memos from Howard Marks in my mail, they’re the first thing I open and read. I always learn something, and that goes double for his book.” I agree with Mr. Buffett.

I was privileged to invest with Oaktree in a minor way and can only say I wish I had done more. Live and learn.

This discussion has taken me through the first 35 years or so of law practice. Maybe later I will bring you up to date.