Year in Review, 2011.

Books Read (in no particular order)

1. Fate, Time and Language: An Essay on Free Will (2011) by David Foster Wallace.
2. Forged: Writing in the Name of God--Why the Bible's Authors Are Not Who We Think They Are (2011) by Bart D. Ehrman.
3. Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail (2011) by Caitlin Kelly.
4. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism (2008) by Tim Keller.
5. Easter Everywhere: A Memoir (2008) by Darcey Steinke.
6. The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values (2011) by Sam Harris.
7. Laker Girl (2010) by Jeannie Buss & Steve Springer.
8. Conservative Assault on the Constitution (2010) by Erwin Chemerinsky.
9. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.
10. Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter (2009) by Steve Dublanica.
11. Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival (2010) by Norman Ollestad.
12. The Fall of the House of Zeus: The Rise and Ruin of America's Most Powerful Trial Lawyer (2010) by Curtis Wilkie.
13. Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care & Deceiving Americans (2010) by Wendell Potter.
14. The Grand Design (2010) by Stephen Hawking (& Mlodinow).
15. Griftopia (2010) by Matt Taibbi.
16. Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN (2011) by James Andrew Miller and Tom Shales.
17. On B___S___ (2005) by Harry G. Frankfurt.
18. Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived (2011) by Rob Bell.
19. Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Roadtrip With David Foster Wallace (2010) by David Lipsky.
20. The Pale King (2011) (CD, unabridged) by David Foster Wallace.
21. Divinity of Doubt: The God Question (2011) by Vincent Bugliosi.
22. Truth and Consequences: Life Inside the Madoff Family (2011) by Laurie Sandell.
23. The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin (2011) by Joe McGinniss.
24. Of Thee I Zing (2011) by Laura Ingraham with Raymond Arroyo.


Losses Sustained

Christopher Hitchens

Concerts Experienced

1. 311/Sublime
2. Chicago
3. Sade/John Legend
4. blink182/My Chemical Romance

Appeal of the Year

Appealed ruling of trial court refusing to compel arbitration. The trial court determined that the arbitration clause in a franchise agreement was purportedly "unconscionable." Court of appeal reversed on 3-0 vote, holding it was not "unconscionable" and published the opinion, making it precedent throughout the State of California.

Trial of the Year

Client hired law firm to represent him in a securities fraud case, claiming millions in damages. That law firm obtained an award of approximately $30,000. Thereafter, the law firm sued my client for its attorneys' fees approximating half a million dollars. We asserted that the law firm was retained pursuant to a contingency fee agreement, so their fee was about $10,000. While the law firm claimed that it "rescinded" the attorney-client fee agreement due to purported breaches of contract and thus was entitled to it hourly rates of over $550, we argued that rescission was unable under the circumstances and asserted the contingency fee controlled. The trial court agreed with us.

Book of the Year

Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival (2010) by Norman Ollestad. Beautiful tribute to his father, also named Norman, a California attorney, whose life lessons ended up saving the son's life in a tragic airplane crash that took his father's life.

Film of the Year

Drive with Ryan Gosling. Film noir, the movie does so much with so little words. A testament to fine acting and directing. With his other two movies this year--Ides of March and Crazy, Stupid, Love--no actor had a stronger triad this year.