Higgs, Fletcher & Mack LLP

QUARTERLY E-NEWSLETTER

Winter 2004

San Diego's Law Firm
Since 1939

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

» Jim Harrigan Personally and Professionally

» Property Owners Face New Requirements in Filing Notice of Completion or Notice of Cessation

» California False Claims Act—Sacramento's Weapon Against Fraudulent Government Contractors

» Attorney Contact Info

Dear Clients and Friends:

Thank you for taking the time to review our latest eNewsletter. We believe that you will find it useful. We also want to again thank you for your business and interest in our law firm. This is Higgs, Fletcher and Mack's 65th year of service to San Diego and its surrounding communities. We are very proud of our Firm's accomplishments.

The Firm continues to add professionals in areas of practice that are in demand in San Diego. This includes health care, construction, business dispute resolution, and tax expertise. We also gave a promotion to one of our home grown lawyers, Alexis S. Gutierrez, who started with the Firm right out of law school in 1997 and was made partner this January. Alexis will continue to focus on employment law.

We are equally proud to introduce one of our newest lateral addition partners, Jim Harrigan. Jim's practice focuses on business matters, concentrating in the field of health care. Insight on Jim's professional and personal experiences are set forth in the profile piece.

This edition also includes two articles: One on the new requirements property owners face when filing a Notice of Completion or Notice of Cessation, written by Cyndy Day-Wilson, and the other written by Catherine Morrison on California's False Claims Act—Sacramento's Weapon Against Fraudulent Government Contractors.

As mentioned in prior editions of our eNewsletter, we welcome any and all comments from our readers. If you have a particular area of interest, or want to follow up on topics contained in the eNewsletter, we urge you to contact us. Moreover, please feel free to contact me directly with any issues you have concerning the Firm or our relationship with you. My direct dial number is 619-595-4284.

We thank you for your interest in our Firm and we hope to be of continuing service to you.

Very truly yours,

John L. Morrell, Esq., Chairman

Jim Harrigan Personally and Professionally

For 35 years Jim Harrigan has been practicing law, and the field has proven to be everything he had hoped it would. Growing up in a small Wyoming town where his father was County Clerk, he spent a lot of time in the courthouse. "I liked the lawyers I met and by the time I was in middle school I knew I wanted to be a lawyer," he said recently.
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Property Owners Face New Requirements in Filing Notice of Completion or Notice of Cessation

On January 1, 2004, SB 134, the "Notice of Completion" bill, became law in California. Previously, owners were not required to inform those who provided labor, material, and/or equipment to a private works project when a Notice of Completion or Notice of Cessation was recorded. This often resulted in the contractor or subcontractor being without legal recourse for payment against the owner when the contractor, unaware that a Notice had been filed, failed to timely record a mechanic's lien.
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California False Claims Act—Sacramento's Weapon Against Fraudulent Government Contractors

With the budget crisis continuing to threaten the financial stability of local governments throughout California, the California False Claims Act should become a useful device in combating frivolous fraudulent lawsuits against municipal entities.
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Contact Information for all HF&M Attorneys

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