Fall 2007 E-Newsletter

ANNOUNCEMENTS

IN THE COMMUNITY

Higgs Fletcher & Mack is a proud shop sponsor of the San Diego Junior Achievement BizTown. BizTown is a program for local 5th graders. Coordinated through their class rooms, students engage in a four week curriculum that culminates in a one day visit at the BizTown facility in Mission Valley. As part of the program, children learn about citizenship, financial literacy, the legal system, and economics. Prior to their visit, students take a skills assessment that helps guide them to the job that they will have on the day of their visit to BizTown. The Junior Achievement program also teaches children about marketing products and services, the costs of operating a business, and teamwork. More information can be found at www.JAsandiego.org.

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

Jo Ann Gambale represented Firm at seminar
Tax Attorney Jo Ann Gambale represented Higgs Fletcher & Mack as faculty at the Lorman Education Services Continuing Education Seminar on Advanced Partnerships, LLCs and LLPs: Organization and Operation on September 14, 2007.

Jo Ann Gambale's practice involves all aspects of Federal and State taxation, including tax controversies, partnerships, limited liability companies, and business planning. Her tax controversy practice involves representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service, Franchise Tax Board, and State Board of Equalization, as well as in the United States Tax Court.

Ms. Gambale's practice also includes estate planning, trusts and wills, and probate. She has prepared estate plans ranging from simple wills and trusts to complicated plans involving family limited partnerships, lifetime gifting programs, and other sophisticated estate reduction techniques. In addition to her representation of high net worth families in sophisticated estate planning matters, Ms. Gambale has represented tax-exempt organizations in matters ranging from formation to dissolution.

NEW PARTNERS

Paul J. Leeds
Paul J. Leeds was named partner at Higgs Fletcher & Mack on January 1, 2007. He is part of our Bankruptcy and Reorganization, Business Litigation and Insurance practice groups. Paul joined Higgs as an associate in February of 2002 after 13 years of service in the United States Marine Corps. His practice includes a wide range of civil litigation matters, including bankruptcy, collections, general business litigation and partnership disputes. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 1989, and served as a Communications Officer with the 1st Marine Division until 1993. Paul was involved in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He was designated a Marine Corps Judge Advocate in 1996. We are proud to have Paul Leeds as a partner at Higgs Fletcher & Mack.

Susan E. Lamson
Susan Lamson has joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack as part of our Real Estate Practice Group. Susan has over 25 years experience with complex real estate transactions, including leasing, acquisitions, development, construction, and land use. Her current and prior clients include The Vons Companies, Lowe's Home Improvement, Nextel, various pharmaceutical companies, Rubio's, Harbor Freight Tools, Cricket Communications and numerous owners of shopping centers and office buildings. On behalf of her clients, she has frequently appeared before community planning groups, city councils, county boards of supervisors and various governmental agencies. We are pleased to have Susan as part of the Higgs Fletcher & Mack Team.

NEW ASSOCIATES

Aimée R. Escueta
Aimée Escueta has joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack, practicing in all areas of civil litigation with an emphasis in health law and business litigation. Prior to joining Higgs, she was at the law firm of Shea Stokes in San Diego and the law firm of Dickinson, Prud'Homme, Adams & Ingram in Denver. We are proud to have her as part of our Business Litigation and Health Care practice groups.

Victoria E. Fuller
Victoria Fuller joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack this year and is part of our Business Litigation practice group. Victoria's practice has focused on complex civil litigation and appellate law. She has handled cases from a wide range of practice areas, including business disputes, class actions, personal injury, and criminal matters. Ms. Fuller serves as a trustee of the Law Library Justice Foundation Board and has also provided pro bono legal services to Casa Cornelia Law Center.

Rahil Khosroabadi
Rahil Khosroabadi joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack after working as a contract attorney with several local law firms. Rahil represents and advises businesses in disputes, including those concerning misappropriation of trade secrets and proprietary information, covenants not to compete, wrongful termination and wage and hour laws. We welcome Rahil to our Business Litigation practice group.

Sarah T. Schaffer
Sarah Schaffer joined Higgs Fletcher & Mack after serving a year on active duty at the United States Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. During her time in the Marine Corps, Sarah worked in the Joint Legal Center assisting service members with family law, estate planning, and tax issues. She is a strong addition to our Family Law practice group.

Kristopher S. Young
Kristopher Young joined Higgs Fletcher, & Mack after serving five years as a Judge Advocate in the United States Marine Corps. During his time in the Marine Corps, Mr. Young served as an ethics advisor, family law attorney and a prosecutor. As a prosecutor, Mr. Young tried numerous cases to verdict at courtmartial. While in Iraq, Mr. Young was the lead prosecutor for all Marine Corps Units deployed to Iraq.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Congratulations to R. Michael Jones
Mike Jones was nominated as one of the Daily Transcript Top Attorneys for 2007. The Top Attorneys recognition pays tribute to the region's best attorneys nominated and voted on by their own peers. We are proud and honored that his fellow peers nominated Mr. Jones. Mike has been with Higgs Fletcher & Mack since 1998 and is part of our Corporate and Securities, Financial Services, Intellectual Property and Real Estate practice groups. Prior to joining the Firm, he was a securities examiner and financial analyst. Mike now concentrates in the areas of venture development and finance, corporate, and securities law.

ACTIVITIES

Higgs Fletcher & Mack held its Alumni Reunion on September 13, 2007 aboard the historic USS Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum in San Diego Bay. This was a fitting location for us to honor our alumni and for guests to enjoy one of San Diego's most popular attractions. An interesting note: Higgs is one of only a couple of San Diego Law Firms which are actually older than the USS Midway. More information about the reunion can be found at www.HiggsLaw.com, and more information about the USS Midway can be found at www.Midway.org.