March2009_Master.qxp 2/12/09 10:43 AM Page c1 Visit Us Online at www.lacba.org March 2009 /$4 EARN MCLE CREDIT 2008 Ethics Roundup page 23 PlannedPlanned ParenthoodParenthood Los Angeles lawyer Mara Berke offers alternatives to child custody litigation page 16 PLUS Safe Harbor Mentors page 8 Section 363 Real Estate Sales page 10 Running for Assembly page 36 March2009_Master.qxp 2/12/09 10:43 AM Page c2 March2009_Master.qxp 2/12/09 10:44 AM Page 5 A MEMBER BENEFIT OF March2009_Master.qxp 2/12/09 10:43 AM Page 2 0/&'*3. ."/:40-65*0/4 Foepstfe!Qspufdujpo Q -"8'*3.$-*&/54 Q"$$&445007&3130'&44*0/"- -*"#*-*5:1307*%&34 Q0/-*/&"11-*$"5*0/4'03 &"4:$0.1-&5*0/ &/%034&%130'&44*0/"--*"#*-*5:*/463"/$&#30,&3 Call 1-800-282-9786 today to speak to a specialist. 5 ' -*$&/4&$ 4"/%*&(003"/(&$06/5:-04"/(&-&44"/'3"/$*4$0 888")&3/*/463"/$&$0. March2009_Master.qxp 2/12/09 10:43 AM Page 3 FEATURES 16 Planned Parenthood BY MARA BERKE When modifying child custody arrangements, a request for a change in visitation may prove more fruitful than a battle over custody rights 23 2008 Ethics Roundup BY JOHN W. AMBERG AND JON L. REWINSKI In the current economic downturn, lawyers need to be more mindful than ever of the potential for conflicts of interest Los Angeles Lawyer Plus: Earn MCLE legal ethics credit. MCLE Test No. 179 appears on page 25. the magazine of the Los Angeles County Bar Association March 2009 Volume 32, No. 1 DEPARTMENTS 8 Barristers Tips 36 Closing Argument Finding a safe harbor mentor Running through the finish line BY APRIL A. CHRISTINE BY THOMAS H. VIDAL 10 Practice Tips 34 Classifieds Section 363 real estate sales are still feasible after Clear Channel 34 Index to Advertisers BY KENNETH N. RUSSAK 35 CLE Preview COVER PHOTO: TOM KELLER LOS ANGELES LAWYER (ISSN 0162-2900) is published monthly, except for a combined issue in July/August, by the Los Angeles County Bar Association, 261 S. Figueroa St., Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90012, (213) 896-6503. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and additional mailing offices. Annual sub- scription price of $14 included in the Association membership dues. Nonmember subscriptions: $28 annually; single copy price: $4 plus handling. Address changes must be submitted six weeks in advance of next issue date. POSTMASTER: ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED. Send address changes to Los Angeles Lawyer, P. O. Box 55020, Los Angeles CA 90055. 03.09 March2009_Master.qxp 2/12/09 10:44 AM Page 4 ERISA HONORABLE LosAngelesLawyer LAWRENCE W. CRISPO VISIT US ON THE INTERNET AT www.lacba.org/lalawyer LAWYERS (RETIRED) E-MAIL CAN BE SENT TO [email protected] EDITORIAL BOARD LONG TERM DISABILITY Chair LONG TERM CARE, HEALTH, ANGELA J. DAVIS EATING DISORDER, AND Articles Coordinator DAVID SCHNIDER LIFE INSURANCE CLAIMS JERROLD ABELES ERISA & BAD FAITH DANIEL L. ALEXANDER ETHEL W. BENNETT MATTERS R. J. COMER CHAD C. COOMBS ✔ California state and federal courts ELIZABETH L. CROOKE ✔ More than 20 years experience GORDON ENG HELENE J. FARBER ✔ Settlements, trials and appeals ERNESTINE FORREST STUART R. FRAENKEL Referral fees as allowed by MICHAEL A. GEIBELSON State Bar of California TED HANDEL JEFFREY A. HARTWICK STEVEN HECHT LAWRENCE J. IMEL Kantor & Kantor LLP MEREDITH KARASCH JOHN P. LECRONE 818.886.2525 Mediator Arbitrator THANAYI LINDSEY TOLL FREE 877.783.8686 KAREN LUONG PAUL MARKS ELIZABETH MUNISOGLU Referee RICHARD H. NAKAMURA JR. CARMELA T. PAGAY 213-926-6665 DENNIS PEREZ www.judgecrispo.com GARY RASKIN JACQUELINE M. REAL-SALAS CAROLIN SHINING KERRY D. SLATER HEATHER STERN GRETCHEN D. STOCKDALE TIMOTHY M. STUART KENNETH W. SWENSON BRUCE TEPPER R. JOSEPH TROJAN PATRIC VERRONE JEFFREY D. WOLF STAFF Publisher and Editor SAMUEL LIPSMAN Senior Editor LAUREN MILICOV Senior Editor ERIC HOWARD Art Director LES SECHLER Director of Design and Production PATRICE HUGHES Advertising Director LINDA LONERO BEKAS Account Executive MERYL WEITZ Sales and Marketing Coordinator AARON J. ESTRADA Advertising Coordinator WILMA TRACY NADEAU Administrative Coordinator MATTY JALLOW BABY Copyright © 2009 by the Los Angeles County Bar Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Printed by R. R. Donnelley, Liberty, MO. Member Business Publications Audit of Circulation (BPA). The opinions and positions stated in signed material are those of the authors and not by the fact of publication necessarily those of the Association or its members. All manuscripts are carefully considered by the Editorial Board. Letters to the editor are subject to editing. 4 Los Angeles Lawyer March 2009 March2009_Master.qxp 2/12/09 10:44 AM Page 5 A MEMBER BENEFIT OF March2009_Master.qxp 2/12/09 10:47 AM Page 6 LOS ANGELES LAWYER IS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION 261 S. Figueroa St., Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA 90012-1881 Telephone 213.627.2727 / www.lacba.org ASSOCIATION OFFICERS BY AUTHOR’S NAME President DANETTE E. MEYERS President-Elect DON MIKE ANTHONY Senior Vice President ALAN K. STEINBRECHER Vice President ERIC A. WEBBER Treasurer LINDA L. CURTIS Assistant Vice President PATRICIA EGAN DAEHNKE Assistant Vice President ANTHONY PAUL DIAZ Assistant Vice President MARGARET P. STEVENS Assistant Vice President JULIE K. XANDERS Immediate Past President GRETCHEN M. NELSON There is no substitute for experience. Executive Director STUART A. FORSYTH Associate Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer Over 1,250 successful mediations BRUCE BERRA Associate Executive Director/General Counsel 14 years as a full-time mediator W. CLARK BROWN 92% of cases resolved BOARD OF TRUSTEES P. PATRICK ASHOURI Director, Pepperdine Law School’s SUE M. BENDAVID-ARBIV “Mediating the Litigated Case” program GEORGE F. BIRD JR. KIMBERLY H. CLANCY DUNCAN W. CRABTREE-IRELAND JEFFERY J. DAAR LEE JAY BERMAN, Mediator THOMAS J. DALY 213.383.0438 •• www.LeeJayBerman.com TANJA L. DARROW BEATRIZ D. DIERINGER DANA M. DOUGLAS PAMELA E. DUNN CAMILLA M. ENG IRA M. FRIEDMAN ALEXANDER S. GAREEB JACQUELINE J. HARDING LAURIE R. HARROLD BRIAN D. HUBEN K. ANNE INOUE MARK ANCHOR ALBERT, ESQ. LAWRENCE H. JACOBSON HELEN B. KIM RICHARD A. LEWIS IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING ELAINE W. MANDEL OF HIS DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES LAW OFFICES ELLEN A. PANSKY ANN I. PARK EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2009 THOMAS H. PETERS LAURA S. SHIN DAVID W. SWIFT LUCY VARPETIAN NORMA J. WILLIAMS ROBIN L. YEAGER AFFILIATED BAR ASSOCIATIONS BEVERLY HILLS BAR ASSOCIATION BLACK WOMEN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES, INC. CENTURY CITY BAR ASSOCIATION CONSUMER ATTORNEYS ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES CULVER-MARINA BAR ASSOCIATION EASTERN BAR ASSOCIATION GLENDALE BAR ASSOCIATION IRANIAN AMERICAN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION 333 So. Grand Avenue, 25th Floor ITALIAN AMERICAN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION Los Angeles, California 90071 JAPANESE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF GREATER LOS ANGELES JOHN M. LANGSTON BAR ASSOCIATION Tel: (213) 943-1334 JUVENILE COURTS BAR ASSOCIATION Fax: (323) 878-2655 KOREAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LAWYERS' CLUB OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY Email: [email protected] LESBIAN AND GAY LAWYERS ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES Website: www.MAALawOffices.com LONG BEACH BAR ASSOCIATION MEXICAN AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION PASADENA BAR ASSOCIATION SAN FERNANDO VALLEY BAR ASSOCIATION Counsel You Can Count On© SAN GABRIEL VALLEY BAR ASSOCIATION “Big Firm” Litigation Expertise & Experience SANTA CLARITA BAR ASSOCIATION SANTA MONICA BAR ASSOCIATION “Small Firm” Personalized Attention SOUTH ASIAN BAR ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SOUTH BAY BAR ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, INC. SOUTHEAST DISTRICT BAR ASSOCIATION SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHINESE LAWYERS ASSOCIATION WHITTIER BAR ASSOCIATION WOMEN LAWYERS ASSOCIATION OF LOS ANGELES 6 Los Angeles Lawyer March 2009 March2009_Master.qxp 2/12/09 10:44 AM Page 7 March2009_Master.qxp 2/12/09 10:44 AM Page 8 barristers tips BY APRIL A. CHRISTINE Finding a Safe Harbor Mentor A PERFECT STORM OCCURRED in October 1991 when three storms com- productivity. This benchmark creates a buffer in a cutthroat compet- bined into one off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts. The combined itive environment. Insecure competitors build themselves up by tear- storm created waves 10 stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, ing others down, but this type of competition is limiting because one whipping the sea to heights that only a few witnessed and fewer sur- only rises as high as the other falls. Keeping an internal benchmark allows vived. While the perfect storm, as memorialized in a book and recounted the protégé to rise as high as his or her capability dictates. in cinema, was a historic event, it can be compared to events that hap- A desirable protégé knows how to maintain inner peace and pen in everyday lives in the workplace. When opposing counsel appear employs a strategy for dealing with stress, which is part of the legal pro- inflexible, clients overly demanding, supervisors watching and evalu- fession. It is easy to bury stress in negative relievers such as excessive ating every move, and colleagues circling like vultures waiting for the alcohol consumption and abuse of drugs (prescription or otherwise). untutored to stumble and fail, the legal profession can seem like the per- Legal implications aside, abusing alcohol and other drugs places one’s fect storm. To stave off the potential devastation of a perfect legal storm, it is important to find a mentor who can act as a safe harbor, assist- ing in navigating through the politically stormy A safe harbor is effective if both parties are confident that waters of the legal profession. A safe harbor mentor serves as a trusted counselor or teacher—someone to whom the conversations will remain confidential. protégé can ask questions, seek guidance, bounce ideas, and discuss issues one would not normally discuss with a supervisor. Providing a safe harbor, however, is not to law practice at risk because it negatively affects professional performance be confused with harboring misconduct.