Feldman's Faves: November 6, 2023

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE

Last Monday the world experienced (for only the 30th time in history) the ‘Sports Equinox’ (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL games all at the same time). I can honestly say, that my head almost exploded trying to process all of these games at the same time. Thanks to Max for letting me know….

This is an exciting week at Goodmans. Our first “in-firm” summer student recruiting week since before Covid. There will be a real buzz at the firm and I encourage everyone to reach out and be kind and empathetic to these students. We all know how stressful it is for them during this period. So random acts of kindness will never be forgotten. Also, let’s make sure we continue to recruit the best and the brightest (as we always do).

The theme this week is a throwback to the 1990’s.

THE EXCHANGE By: John Grisham –There are a few reasons that I went to Law School. One of them being, “My Cousin Vinny”, another being advice from my dad that a law degree would open many doors in life (still waiting…) and John Grisham’s classic, The Firm. I spent my Junior Year Abroad in Washington, DC and I remember that every time I took the Metro (i.e., subway) most people were reading this book (as there were no phones at that time). The story of Mitch and Abby McDeere is thrilling and I can never get the idea of Tom Cruise running fast when I think of the movie version of this book. In The Exchange, we meet up with the McDeeres 15 years after they escaped Memphis and the crazy criminal activity that they uncovered and exposed at “the firm”. Mitch is now a partner in the largest BIG LAW firm in the world based in NYC but lives a glamorous global lifestyle. Abby is a high-end cook book editor and they have twin boys in a fancy NY private school. So life is good for them. He ends up getting involved in case with his client suing the Government of Libya for a contract that went wrong and then, as expected, the wheels fall off the bus. There is a kidnapping, a ransom, a critical look at lawyers and their greed in figuring out how to pay it, along with some very James Bond like scenes that take place all over the work (circa 2005). This sequel was highly anticipated (for over 30 years) and the truth is that while this is an easy/breezy read, it was somewhat formulaic and disappointing. As one reviewer notes, “In this sequel to The Firm (1991), star attorney Mitch McDeere tries to rustle up ransom for a kidnapped colleague in Libya. In The Firm, he barely escaped the clutches of the corrupt law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke. Now it’s 15 years later and Mitch is living in New York and is a partner at Scully & Pershing, the world’s largest law firm. He’s frustrated that his Alabama and Tennessee death row clients keep getting the needle, except for the latest one who supposedly hanged himself in his cell. He doesn’t want to take any more of these cases, so he agrees to help out on a lawsuit for Luca Sandroni, a Scully partner in Rome who’s dying of pancreatic cancer. The client is Lannak, a major Turkish construction company that's suing the government of Libya for an unpaid debt of $400 million. Please let my daughter, Giovanna, come and help you, Luca asks Mitch. She’s an associate in the firm's London branch. It’s 2005, the time of Muammar Gaddafi, who came up with the harebrained idea of building the “Great Gaddafi Bridge in central Libya, over an unnamed river yet to be found,” Luca says. (It’s true!) Mitch plans to see the bridge, but he comes down with a wicked case of food poisoning, so Giovanna volunteers to go instead. Soon she’s been kidnapped, and her guards and driver are murdered. In Manhattan, a mysterious woman tells Mitch’s wife, Abby, that the price of Giovanna’s return is $100 million, and she will die if anyone involves the government or police. Can Scully & Pershing put their hands on that much dough? And who are they dealing with? Mitch isn’t even certain whether Gaddafi is behind the crime or whether it's some unknown gang. Mitch and Abby come across as sympathetic and credible, while other characters are no deeper than they need to be. The story moves at a fast pace, leaving a trail of bodies in its wake. A tense legal thriller with nary a courtroom scene.” This may not be Grisham’s best work but there is some comfort in getting reacquainted with Mitch and Abby (like a high school reunion of sorts). And if you have never seen the movie My Cousin Vinny I strongly recommend that more than any book or Podcast I have ever reviewed…..Here is a good review from The Washington Post - https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/2023/10/18/john-grisham-the-firm-sequel/

Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend -Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and “In Utero” producer Steve Albini – Moments like this make me feel a little bit old. It’s been 30 years since the release of Nirvana’s classic album In Utero. Incidentally, it’s also been 30 years since the Joe Carter Homerun…yikes. This chat with the boys from the band and Conan is just fascinating and of course, entertaining. Here is an excerpt from the PODCAST itself, “Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Steve Albini feel good, jazzy and anxiety about being Conan O’Brien’s Friend. Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and producer Steve Albini discuss the making of Nirvana’s “In Utero” on its 30th Anniversary”: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/conan-obrien-needs-a-friend/id1438054347?i=1000632229795

Thank you for your ongoing engagement and participation. And remember to stay safe, stay healthy and to docket daily.

Jon