Lunch with Legends

Off the Presses

lunchwithlegends — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:03:13 +0000

He wears a suit everyday – not because he is dressing up for an appointment – but because that’s what gentleman do. Be sure to check out the May/June 2013 Edition of the Rhode Island Bar Journal featuring Dennis J. Roberts. Having spent his life at the intersection of law and politics, Attorney Roberts is a legendary figure in the Rhode Island Bar filled with dynamic stories and rich advice to share. Let us know what you think by leaving a Comment or contacting the Authors.

Extra extra!

lunchwithlegends — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:04:39 +0000

The January/February edition of the Rhode Island Bar Journal is in circulation just in time for Christmas. Check out the latest installment of Legends featuring Jack Partridge on page 15. A novelist, actor and accomplished Rhode Island attorney, Jack Partridge was certainly an interesting subject for us to interview. Who hope you enjoy reading the article as much as we did writing it. Let us know what you think of the article, or suggest who should be the next “legend” by leaving a comment.

Happy Holidays to all!

Off the Presses

lunchwithlegends — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:40:46 +0000

Don’t forget to check out the content-rich November/December 2012 Bar Journal featuring Mr. Joe McGair on page 23. From a boy who could not wait to catch the Perry Mason Show, to a distinguished and well-known Rhode Island attorney; Mr. McGair may not be a T.V. legend, but he is certainly a Rhode Island legal legend.

Let us know what you think or the article, or suggest the next legal legend by posting a Comment.

Legends in the Works

lunchwithlegends — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 22:27:45 +0000

Pawtucket’s own Jack Partridge is on deck. An attorney who co-founded one of Rhode Island’s largest law firms, Partridge, Snow & Hahn, LLP in 1988 and has had his hand in some significant legal battles in Rhode Island – including establishing Beacon Mutual as the state’s predominant workers’ compensation insurer. You can read our summation of Mr. Partridge’s interesting career in the January/February 2013 issue of The Rhode Island Bar Journal.

Nominate a legend by contacting the authors directly, or leaving a Comment, below.

Legends in the Works

lunchwithlegends — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 08:17:50 +0000

On deck on our roster of legends is Joe McGair - an attorney with evident enthusiasm for the profession. We intially met Joe and learned a bit about him at the 10th Anniversary Celebration of Defense Counsel Rhode Island. You can read more about that event, here. Seeing him roast Joe Kelly gave us a taste of his legendary status and inspired our interview. You can read the interview, and learn more about Joe McGair in the November/December 2012 issue of The Rhode Island Bar Journal.

Nominate a legend by contacting the authors directly, or leaving a Comment, below.

Not just a “token female.”

lunchwithlegends — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:12:49 +0000

After reading about five legends, Joe Kelly, Ray LaFazia, Jack McBurney, Jack Cicilline, and Allan Shine, you may have asked yourself, when will Lunch with Legends feature a female attorney? Or, maybe, the thought never crossed your mind. Either way, the time has come.

We have wanted to feature a female legend for some time, but despite our desire to feature a legendary-lady-lawyer, finding the right person, was somewhat challenging. Why is this the case? We suspect it comes down to two reasons:

1. We knew that we wanted to feature a female legend, but not just for the sake of having a woman: We learned from Judges Jeanne LaFazia and Netti Vogel, during our second interview with Ray LaFazia, that Rhode Island firms of yesteryear often hired a “token female” – one female lawyer, so that the firms could say, well, that they had a female lawyer. Thus, we knew that we did not want to have a female legend just for the sake of having a “token female.” Our first lady legend, like the men who came before her, had to be a trailblazer, trendsetter and treasure of our bar.

2. Women lawyers have not been around that long in Rhode Island: The first female lawyer in Rhode Island, the renowned, Ada Sawyer, was not admitted to practice in the state until November 10, 1920, just months after ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment. (If you do not know who Ada Sawyer was, we encourage you to read about her, here). And, even following Ms. Sawyer’s admission to the bar, the floodgate of female lawyers was mighty slow to open. In an interesting article authored by Sophie Douglas Pfeiffer in 1975 entitled, Women Lawyers in Rhode Island, Ms. Pfeiffer points out that even in 1975, (55 years after women were permitted admission to the bar) only 3.1% of all Rhode Island attorneys were women. Needless to say, 1975 was less than a lifetime ago, and may not be long enough for some lawyers to reach legendary status.

Louise Durfee is certainly not Legend’s token female. She is a legend because she has been a trailblazer, trendsetter and treasure of our bar. Moreover, she has been making a difference in this state for as long as any attorney could hope to. In fact, she began applying for jobs out of law school before most Rhode Island firms even hired female attorneys.

Ultimately, we hope that the Lunch with Legends article in the Sept./Oct. issue of the Rhode Island Bar Journal reflects both Louise Durfee’s professional accomplishments, as well as a time in Rhode Island legal history when women were not accepted by clients, or firms. Now, female faces in the Rhode Island bar are not unfamiliar, but those female lawyers are practicing alongside some senior attorneys who knew the days where women in courtrooms and conference rooms were few and far between. We are part of an interesting evolution, and look forward to see how the bar continues to grow and adapt to diversity.

What do you think:

RI Bar Annual Meeting!

lunchwithlegends — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:48:29 +0000

It is that time of year again to load up on your continuing legal education (including, but not limited to ethics credits) and enjoy some great networking with the state’s finest attorneys. We hope to see all Legends and aspiring Legends at the Rhode Island Bar Annual Meeting, tomorrow (6/14) and Friday (6/15).

Hot Off the Presses.

lunchwithlegends — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:17:20 +0000

For those in the legal profession in Rhode Island, the May/June edition of the Rhode Island Bar Journal is in circulation. Page 11 features legendary Rhode Island attorney, Allan Shine. Let us know what you think of the article, or suggest who should be the next “legend” by leaving a comment.

Legends in the Works

lunchwithlegends — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:18:43 +0000

Next up, Attorney Allan M. Shine. Mr. Shine of Winograd Shine Land & Finkle, P.C. is an esteemed and well-known attorney that routinely handles bankruptcy matters. The May/June edition of The Rhode Island Bar Journal will feature our interview with Mr. Shine.

If you would like to nominate a Legend, contact the authors directly, at mplain@taylorduane.com or emerritt@taylorduane.com, or leave a Comment.

Lessons from Legends

lunchwithlegends — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:54:34 +0000

Mr. Cicilline is undeniably humble, and only after asking the question numerous times, in various ways, were we able to illicit the trait that Mr. Cicilline attributes to his professional accomplishments. Mr. Cicilline said:

You know something? I think the only thing that I would say that consistently has been a trait of mine has been balls.

Well, there you have it: balls. Now, it may be safe to assume what Mr. Cicilline meant, and it was not a reference to anatomy. In fact, he could have easily said, “guts,” “gusto,” or even “courage”….but he didn’t. He used a colloquial expression, that could potentially be insulting or off-putting, particularly to female attorneys who have worked to establish themselves in a traditionally male-dominated profession.

This colorful quote has generated a lot of buzz. Perhaps, having the benefit of hearing the quote directly, helped us understand what Mr. Cicilline meant and made us naive to the potentially insulting undertone. The reasons for publishing Mr. Cicilline’s direct quote, unedited, could be explained in many ways: he said what he said; his comment is true and accurate; the quote adds a touch of comic relief and punch to a legal publication; or, for good or for bad, his expression captures a frame of mind of an older generation of male attorneys. Although the younger generation of attorneys may not use Mr. Cicilline’s exact expression for fear of not being “P.C.” (for those with bar numbers starting with “00″ or “01,” that means politically correct), certainly one can argue that having “balls” is a commendable trait for a lawyer, and should not be interpreted as an insult or reflective of a misogynistic profession. Mr. Cicilline, a legend, has balls…just as much as many female lawyers do…and just as much as many male attorneys do not. Whether you choose to use Mr. Cicilline’s terminology, or call it “gusto” or “courage,” perhaps Mr. Cicilline’s larger lesson to us all is that clients appreciate attorneys who are willing to take calculated risks to protect their interests and further their goals. Having balls just may lead you to legendary status.

What do you think? Are you offended, as a male or female, if someone describes you or someone else as having “balls”? Do you agree with the decision to publish the quote? Post your thoughts, whether anonymously, or by name, by leaving a Comment.