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United States
Real estate
Real estate - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's wide-ranging real estate practice encompasses private equity investments, financing, leasing and all stages of the development process, including land acquisition, construction financing and contract negotiation. Practice co-head Ronald Sernau has significant experience in the New York market, where he advises on high-value transactions involving trophy properties; Sernau recently acted for Extell Development Company on the recapitalization of its marquee Central Park Tower project and, along with Steven Lichtenfeld and Perry Cacace, advised New York REIT on its acquisition of an equity interest in an existing joint venture which owns Worldwide Plaza in Manhattan. On the lender side, private equity specialist Jeffrey Horwitz and M&A lawyer Daniel Ganitsky acted for Morgan Stanley as financial adviser to Starwood Waypoint on its $20bn merger with Invitation Home. Notable cross-border matters for the team included Horwitz and Lichtenfeld advising Accor on its $2.9bn acquisition of FRHI Hotels and Resorts from the Qatar Investment Authority and Oxford Properties. Inland Real Estate and IO Data Centers are also key active clients.
United States: Antitrust
Civil litigation/class actions: defense
Civil litigation/class actions: defense - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP represents clients in litigation involving allegations of anti-competitive conduct and also in merger reviews. The firm has a particularly strong track record acting for agricultural co-operatives in antitrust matters; Christopher Ondeck is defending broiler producer Wayne Farms against seven class actions brought by direct and indirect purchaser plaintiffs - this case concerns an alleged conspiracy among the top 13 US and international broiler producers to restrict the supply of broiler chicken in the US. Elsewhere, Colin Kass (who chairs the antitrust practice with Ondeck in Washington DC), and New York-based practitioners Bradley Ruskin and Bradley Bobroff represented Sanofi Pasteur as sole defendant in a class action accusing the client of engaging in anti-competitive bundling to maintain a monopoly in the market for the meningococcal vaccine.
United States: Dispute resolution
Appellate: courts of appeals - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal) - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
Mark Harris and Myron Rumeld head Proskauer Rose LLP's team, which counts T-Mobile and Brown Jordan International among its clients. The group is frequently engaged on employment matters. Harris successfully represented Columbia University in the New York Court of Appeals challenge to the Article 78 petition filed by former faculty member Robert Taub. At the Ninth Circuit, the team is acting for Major League Baseball in proceedings pertaining to a class action brought by current and former minor league baseball players claiming violations of statutory minimum wage and overtime provisions.
Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to corporates - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to individuals - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP is acting for a number of institutional clients in bet-the-company cases, as well as handling a number of white-collar crime matters for senior-level individuals. New York-based practice co-head Robert Cleary focuses on white-collar criminal defense, SEC and related enforcement matters, securities litigation, tax controversies and internal investigations. Fellow co-head Dietrich Snell, also based in New York, has extensive experience representing senior executives involved in civil and criminal investigations and prosecutions before state and federal law enforcement and regulatory authorities. Also recommended are Bart Williams and Manuel Cachán in Los Angeles.
General commercial disputes
General commercial disputes - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP has a 'deep bench of talented partners who have strong analytical, brief writing and trial skills'. It distinguishes itself from others in the market through the breadth of its commercial litigation practice. Sports litigation is a standout area; clients in this space include major US sports leagues. In the closely followed talc litigation, Bart Williams and Manuel Cachán in Los Angeles secured a complete defense verdict for Johnson & Johnson in a jury trial in St Louis. In New York, Bradley Ruskin and Margaret Dale negotiated a settlement on behalf of T-Mobile in a dispute with Experian following a security breach in 2015. Employment litigation is another strength, where Elise Bloom is recommended. Timothy Mungovan is 'thorough, detail-oriented and disciplined' and Stephen Ratner is praised for his 'excellent judgment and wisdom'. The highly experienced Brendan O'Rourke jointly heads the litigation practice.
Securities litigation: defense
Securities litigation: defense - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP is noted for its 'highly professional and very diligent service'. 'The true cream of the crop', says one client, who notes that 'the team commands tremendous respect and cuts through the nonsense'. Ralph Ferrara in Washington DC and New York-based practice heads Jonathan Richman and Gregg Mashberg are 'very knowledgeable and well respected, and they work well together'. Ferrara and Ann Ashton in DC, who delivers 'trust and credibility along with litigation and trial skills and the ability to negotiate creatively', were part of a large team that advised the Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico on securities litigation relating to management of its $74bn of bond debt and $50bn of underfunded pension liabilities. With Richman, they also acted for Fifth Street Asset Management in class actions and derivative cases alleging that it overvalued investments to improve its financial position prior to its IPO. Joshua Newville is another key partner.
Leading lawyers
Ralph Ferrara - Proskauer Rose LLP
United States: Finance
Capital markets: debt offerings
Capital markets: debt offerings - advice to issuers - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Capital markets: debt offerings - advice to underwriters - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
The 'top-quality' capital markets group at Proskauer Rose LLP, which is led jointly by Los Angeles-based Philippa Bond and New York's Frank Lopez, secures an even amount of issuer and underwriter-side work. Although better-known for its record in high-yield deals, the firm's investment grade practice also impresses. New York highlights include Lopez, Stephen Gruberg and corporate governance specialist Robert Cantone assisting Celgene with its offering of three series of senior unsecured notes totaling $3bn. In Los Angeles, private equity co-head Monica Shilling advised Ares Capital on its $750m notes offering, while Bond assisted Church & Dwight on a $1.4bn notes offering. Other clients include JP Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup Capital Markets and Wells Fargo Securities.
Capital markets: equity offerings
Capital markets: equity offerings - advice to issuers - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Capital markets: equity offerings - advice to managers - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
The 'top-flight group' at Proskauer Rose LLP distinguishes itself through its 'comprehensive expertise', 'immediate response times' and 'very practical advice'. The practice, which has traditionally been dominated by issuer-side mandates, continues to see an uptick in manager-side work, such as Los Angeles-based group co-chair Philippa Bond's advice to the underwriters on Five Point Holdings' $399m IPO. Among its highlights for its core issuer client base, Los Angeles-based private equity co-head Monica Shilling assisted Carlyle's business development company, TCG BDC, with its $166m IPO, and she also acted for Floor & Décor on its $192m IPO and $428m secondary offering. In New York, group co-chair Frank Lopez, together with senior counsel Daniel Forman, assisted Leisure Acquisition with its proposed $250m IPO. Other key contacts in New York are Julie Allen, who is 'always calm, cool and collected', and Stuart Bressman.
Capital markets: global offerings
Capital markets: global offerings - advice to issuers - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Capital markets: global offerings - advice to underwriters - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP continues to increase its share and range of manager-side mandates, notably securing high-profile representations for JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank and Jefferies through 2017. However, company-side work remains the mainstay of its global practice and the team secures a significant volume of work relating to Latin American, European and Asian markets. New York-based Carlos Martinez heads the Latin American practice group and recently assisted Colombia's Banco GNB Sudameris with its $300m subordinated note offering. In a headline European deal, New York-based global capital markets co-head Frank Lopez paired up with Maximilian Kirchner, who divides his time between New York and London, to advise Grifols on its €1bn high-yield bond offering. Among its equity highlights, the firm advised English retail bank Charter Court on its £253m IPO and it also assisted Turkish technology company Logo with its $234m secondary offering.
Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings - advice to issuers - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings - advice to underwriters - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP continues to make inroads into the high-yield debt market, particularly on the underwriter side, where it has significantly increased its profile among the major bulge-bracket banks over recent years. Among its headline manager-side mandates, global capital markets co-head Frank Lopez and Stephen Gruberg advised the underwriters (including JP Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and Wells Fargo) on PulteGroup's $1bn offering of senior notes. Lopez and leveraged finance lead Justin Breen assisted Jefferies and Deutsche Bank with Airxcel's $310m offering of senior secured notes. Recent issuer highlights include Lopez and Maximilian Kirchner, who splits his time between New York and London, advising Grifols on its €1bn senior notes offering and Julie Allen assisting Icahn Enterprises with its $1.1bn bond offering. Los Angeles-based global capital markets co-head Philippa Bond is also a key contact. Named lawyers are based in New York, unless otherwise stated.
Commercial lending
Commercial lending: advice to borrowers - ranked: tier 5
Proskauer Rose LLP
Commercial lending: advice to lenders - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
The 'knowledgeable, flexible and resilient' team provides a 'second-to-none' service at Proskauer Rose LLP, helping make it one of the 'premier firms in the leveraged finance space'. An area where the firm really stands out is in its advice to alternative lenders, where it was something of a pioneer for mid-market financings. The firm has strong relationships with an impressive range of direct lenders, such as Ares Capital, which it helped on over $5bn worth of financings over the past year, including a $713m loan linked to the takeover of Ministry Brands by Insight Venture Management. Other key lender clients include Jefferies Finance, Bain Capital Credit, and GIC Private Limited. The firm also had a strong year on the borrower front, a highlight of which was advising Grifols on its $6.3bn financing, part of which was used to acquire the blood donor screening unit from Hologic. The firm also advised healthcare product manufacturer Henry Schein on $2bn worth of facilities and the acquisition financing for its takeover of Southern Anesthesia & Surgical. Ron Franklin and Steve Boyko jointly lead the team, which includes highly rated private credit expert Steve Ellis, Andrew Bettwy and Justin Breen. The New York office was also boosted by the arrival of Christopher Bell from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.
Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations)
Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations) - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's 'very responsive' team represents a range of not-for-profit clients, particularly in the healthcare, higher education, sports, and arts and entertainment sectors. Richard Zall and other partners in the healthcare team act for clients in matters including joint ventures, fundraising and charitable trusts. The roster includes Hospital for Special Surgery, Clinton Health Access Initiative and Northwell Health. In the sports space, 'practical and creative' tax lawyer Amanda Nussbaum and corporate partner Jon Oram are serving as legal counsel and strategic adviser to the Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee following the city's successful bid to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The firm also handles work for the Big East Conference and Pac-12 Conference. The labor and employment team acts for a number of not-for-profit clients in the arts, media and cultural industries, as well as handling matters including discrimination and unionization for higher education institutions. All named attorneys are based in New York.
Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
With offices in New York and Chicago, the bankruptcy and restructuring team at Proskauer Rose LLP kept busy with representations in some of the biggest and most high-profile bankruptcies. In Puerto Rico's high-profile fiscal crisis, the team is advising the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, taking the lead role in restructuring proceedings and in high-value litigation. The well-rounded practice also acted as co-counsel to Energy Future Holdings in its Chapter 11 restructuring. Martin Bienenstock and Timothy Karcher - both based in the New York office - advised Pacific Exploration Company on its $5.3bn restructuring. And on the creditor side, the group acted for the official committee of unsecured creditors of Caesars Entertainment Operating Co in the company's $20bn Chapter 11 restructuring and represented the official unsecured creditors' committee in the Chapter 11 case of Westinghouse Electric. Bienenstock heads the New York practice, which recently saw the departure of Philip Abelson to White & Case LLP and the arrival of Brian Rosen from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Jeff Marwil and Mark Thomas jointly head the Chicago office.
Leading lawyers
Jeff Marwil - Proskauer Rose LLP
Martin Bienenstock - Proskauer Rose LLP
United States: Industry focus
Environment: transactional
Environment: transactional - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's 'team is excellent; it has deep knowledge of federal and local environmental issues and it brings a commercial perspective to deals'. The practice provides environmental transactional counseling in industries such as chemical, industrial, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. New York-based environmental group head Gail Port and special environmental counsel Aliza Cinamon, who is 'a great transactional lawyer', advised longstanding client Teva Pharmaceutical Industries on the environmental aspects of its $40.5bn acquisition of Actavis Generics. Special counsel Yelena Simonyuk is also highly regarded.
Healthcare: service providers
Healthcare: service providers - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP is 'excellent at what it does' and 'treats everyone professionally with fairness, dignity and respect'. The department, which has 'honesty beyond reproach and an ability to find creative solutions to difficult problems', is led by 'brilliant attorney' Richard Zall, who is 'extremely knowledgeable in all facets of the healthcare industry'; he recently advised Archimedes Health Investors on its acquisition of multiple anesthesia practices in Texas and assisted Clinton Health Access Initiative with its activities in South-East Asia and Africa. Other work for the group includes David Manko handling Continuum Health Alliance's acquisition of a large medical group and Edward Kornreich advising Hospital for Special Surgery on negotiations with Tenet pertaining to a joint venture for the development of an ambulatory surgery center. All attorneys mentioned are based in New York. Roger Cohen joined Goodwin.
Insurance: advice to policyholders
Insurance: advice to policyholders - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP handles matters for policyholders involving general liability, product recall, property damage and business interruption, in addition to D&O and professional liability, and it is noted in particular for acting for private equity and hedge funds. Highlights for the team of 'excellent litigators' included representing JP Morgan in a long-running coverage dispute arising from a settlement between the SEC and Bear Stearns of claims involving late trading and market timing in mutual funds, and subsequent settlement of related civil actions brought by private plaintiffs. It is also representing Union Carbide in a range of insurance matters, including coverage litigation against more than 30 insurance companies for recovery related to asbestos bodily injury claims, and related ADRs and mediations, and is representing 32 National Football League (NFL) clubs in relation to discovery demands made by insurers of the NFL in a coverage dispute involving concussion-related claims by players. John Failla in New York leads the team with Marc Rosenthal in Chicago. Seth Schafler and senior counsel Nathan Larder are also based in New York. Nancy Sher Cohen joined Lathrop Gage LLP.
Leading lawyers
Seth Schafler - Proskauer Rose LLP
Next generation lawyers
Nathan Larder - Proskauer Rose LLP
Sport - ranked: tier 1
Proskauer Rose LLP
The 'exceptional' team at Proskauer Rose LLP 'understands sports businesses and the sports market broadly'. The sports practice is jointly headed by three New York-based attorneys: firm chairman and corporate attorney Joseph Leccese ('one of the best known and well respected in the business'), litigator Bradley Ruskin and labor and employment specialist Howard Ganz. The group has longstanding relationships with all of the 'big four' leagues, with Leccese and the 'talented, creative, dedicated and focused' Jon Oram notably advising the National Hockey League (NHL) on the NHL's expansion to include a 31st team: the Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oram also assisted Los Angeles 2028 with the successful bid to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, with the firm set to continue as legal counsel and strategic adviser to the organizing committee as it continues preparations. On the contentious side, Elise Bloom and Adam Lupion defended Major League Baseball (MLB) against claims brought by former minor league players alleging violations of federal and state minimum wage and overtime laws.
Leading lawyers
Bradley Ruskin - Proskauer Rose LLP
Howard Ganz - Proskauer Rose LLP
Joseph Leccese - Proskauer Rose LLP
United States: Intellectual property
Copyright - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's bicoastal practice is retained by major performers, songwriters and music studios as well as wider media and entertainment content owners and producers. Recent highlights included successfully defending long-term client Lady Gaga in separate infringement lawsuits relating to music and artwork on her album, Born This Way. The group is also defending Blackwell Fuller Music Publishing and Fifty-Six Hope Road, owners of the publishing rights to Bob Marley's back catalogue, in a claim brought by Allan Cole, who claimed to have co-written the songs War and Natty Dread. Other music industry clients include Madonna and Ariana Grande. The practice is led by Los Angeles' Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks and New York's Brendan O'Rourke. Also in New York, Alexander Kaplan is recommended for non-contentious matters and has particular expertise in Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and rights management work.
Leading lawyers
Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks - Proskauer Rose LLP
Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters) - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's group counts high-profile names in entertainment, sports, life sciences and the arts among its clients. The team is also active in financial services, handling matters ranging from restrictive covenants to unfair competition claims for companies such as MetLife and Citizens Financial Group. It continues to assist Creative Artists Agency with claims of tortious interference, unfair competition and breach of contract against its former employees hired by United Talent Agency; Anthony Oncidi in Los Angeles and Guy Brenner in Washington DC are leading the advice. The American Diabetes Association is also a client. Joseph Baumgarten and Elise Bloom head the department from New York, where John Barry, Gregory Rasin and Steven Kayman are also noted.
Trademarks: litigation
Trademarks: litigation - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's 'excellent' New York-based team often acts for high-profile brands and has experience handling litigation with an international element. Co-head Brendan O'Rourke led advice to Energizer in a lawsuit brought against Spectrum Brands alleging trademark, trade dress and copyright infringement claims regarding Spectrum's confusingly similar packaging. O'Rourke and Alexander Kaplan successfully assisted Triangl with litigation brought against a former Chinese supplier of swimwear manufactured by Triangl alleging trademark and trade dress infringement. Kaplan acted for Ascena Retail Group in a trademark and trade dress infringement dispute brought against BlueStar Alliance. The team, which is also led by Lawrence Weinstein, includes Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks.
United States: Investment fund formation and management
Alternative/hedge funds
Alternative/hedge funds - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP 'provides smart and reasonable advice, applying the law rather than just knowing it'. Practice head Christopher Wells (who is 'a first-rate lawyer with excellent common sense') advised Hong Kong-based MTI Management on forming MegaTrust Yangtze Fund, which aims to invest in Chinese A-shares, and Robert Leonard (who is 'exceptional - he has good common sense and is clear-thinking, providing non-wordy documentation') advised Red Cedar Management on launching a new long-short fund. Other names to note include Michael Mavrides, who is 'extremely knowledgeable about the law and important developments impacting the industry' (he works with Maxim Capital Group), and tax partner Amanda Nussbaum, who is 'also a star - she is very useful for understanding new tax rules'. Other clients include Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Maverick Capital and Hosking Partners. All named lawyers are located in New York.
Mutual/registered/ exchange-traded funds
Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's made an entry to the '40 Act space via a team hire from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, comprising the lawyers mentioned below. David Stephens and Janna Manes advised Dreyfus Money Market Funds on a restructuring of its funds. Nicole Runyan advised The Swiss Helvetia Fund on several matters involving activist investor Bulldog Investors, including a tender offer and Delaware litigation. Stuart Coleman and Runyan advised Central Park Group Funds on various matters, including a registered fund similar in structure to a typical private equity fund. Gary Granik advised Alger Funds on the acquisition of Weatherbie Capital. Trustee clients include a special committee of the board of trustees of the Carey Credit Income Funds, which Runyan advised on the exit of the business development company's adviser from the market. The firm also acts for Lazard Funds and Needham Funds. All named individuals are based in New York.
Leading lawyers
Stuart Coleman - Proskauer Rose LLP
Private equity funds (including venture capital)
Private equity funds (including venture capital) - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP 'provides substantial senior partner attention proactively', handling general and limited partner-side work regarding asset classes such as venture capital, traditional buyouts and credit, as well as more exotic ones such as litigation finance. David Tegeler and Michael Suppappola, advised Lexington Partners on forming a $2.5bn fund investing in secondaries; Tegeler also advised Falcon Investment Advisors on launching a $1bn debt fund with a cross-border structure including Brunei and Bermuda. Malcolm Nicholls (who 'brings a wealth of knowledge and channels it into a very practical business approach') and Robin Painter advised Adams Street Partners on a range of launches, including funds-of-funds and venture-growth funds. In the venture capital space, Stephen Mears and Matthew McBride advised New Enterprise Associates on forming its 16th fund, which raised $3.35bn, while Howard Beber advised Atomico on creating Atomico IV. Sarah Cherry's work includes secondaries transactions for major institutional investors. The aforementioned lawyers are based in Boston; however, Chip Parsons and Monica Arora are key names in New York.
Leading lawyers
Robin Painter - Proskauer Rose LLP
United States: Labor and employment
ERISA litigation
ERISA litigation - ranked: tier 1
Proskauer Rose LLP
The practice at Proskauer Rose LLP comprises 'extremely strong partners at the top and a very deep bench of ERISA litigators', and is hailed as 'simply the best of the best'. Led by Myron Rumeld, the team is well known for handling stock-drop, excessive fee and church plan cases. Recent work includes representing Princeton University in a suit alleging a breach of fiduciary duties in its recordkeeping fees, and Russell Hirschhorn and New Orleans-based Howard Shapiro - whose 'folksy charm is backed by encyclopedic knowledge' - successfully arguing a motion to dismiss on behalf of Wells Fargo, in a case alleging the client padded its 401(k) plan with overpriced and underperforming target-date funds affiliated with the bank. Also noteworthy is the group's work for investment manager Neuberger Berman regarding allegations of prohibited self-dealing and breach of fiduciary obligations. Employee benefits specialist Ira Golub also assisted the team with regard to withdrawal liabilities issues arising from an action against client Renco Group. Other key contacts include senior counsel Stacey Cerrone in New Orleans and Deidre Grossman. Named individuals are based in New York unless otherwise indicated.
Leading lawyers
Howard Shapiro - Proskauer Rose LLP
Myron Rumeld - Proskauer Rose LLP
Next generation lawyers
Russell Hirschhorn - Proskauer Rose LLP
Stacey Cerrone - Proskauer Rose LLP
Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design
Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design - ranked: tier 1
Proskauer Rose LLP
The service at Proskauer Rose LLP is 'consistently superior to other firms in the field', according to one source, and the team is 'knowledgeable on any regulatory issues the client may encounter'. The 'extremely creative' Robert Projansky is praised as 'extremely pragmatic, exceptionally smart and capable of setting his ego aside to protect his clients'. New client PROMESA appointed a team, led by Washington DC-based practice head Paul Hamburger, to restructure its debts - a large fraction of which is attributed to the retirement systems for government employees. Ira Golub and Neal Schelberg specialize in withdrawal liability issues and multi-employer plans respectively. Other key names include Washington DC-based Seth Safra as well as Andrea Rattner, Rory Albert and the 'proactive' Katrina McCann. Named attorneys are based in New York unless otherwise stated.
Leading lawyers
Neal Schelberg - Proskauer Rose LLP
Paul Hamburger - Proskauer Rose LLP
Rory Albert - Proskauer Rose LLP
Next generation lawyers
Seth Safra - Proskauer Rose LLP
Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP acts for big corporate entities, senior executives and management teams in the executive compensation issues arising from IPOs and high-end M&A transactions. Washington DC partner Joshua Miller is part of a group advising the likes of Hospitality Investors Trust, Tellurian and BTG Pactual Timberland Investment Group on various transactions, as is New York-based Michael Sirkin, whose expertise lies in representing individual executives. Andrea Rattner is also a key contact in New York and Colleen Hart is one of the names to note in Los Angeles. The department is jointly led by Paul Hamburger and Myron Rumeld in Washington DC and New York, respectively.
Leading lawyers
Michael Sirkin - Proskauer Rose LLP
Next generation lawyers
Joshua Miller - Proskauer Rose LLP
Immigration - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's practice encompasses high-stakes immigration matters, day-to-day issues and transactional support. David Grunblatt, who is regarded by many as an authority on immigration law, has expertise in the I-9 program and regularly assists clients with complex corporate-related matters. Grunblatt co-leads the Newark-based practice with special immigration counsel Valarie McPherson, who handles employment-based non-immigrant visas and assists clients with the EB-5 visa process. The group's wide-ranging client base includes financial institutions, universities, multinational corporations, religious institutions and nonprofit NGOs.
Leading lawyers
David Grunblatt - Proskauer Rose LLP
Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions): defense
Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions): defense - ranked: tier 1
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's 'exceptional' team is 'full of talented individuals' and defends clients in a range of sectors, including legal, retail, sports, education, media, entertainment and financial services. The 'outstanding' Elise Bloom - who heads the team alongside Joseph Baumgarten - Howard Ganz, Adam Lupion, Neil Abramson, Howard Robbins and Michael Lebowich are representing Major League Baseball and 29 clubs in a wage and hour putative class action brought by minor league baseball players. Allan Bloom represented Blue Hill Farm in a class action case filed by restaurant workers who brought claims for unpaid and improper tip pooling allegations. Bloom is also representing HSBC, alongside Steven Pearlman in Chicago, in various employment class and single-plaintiff actions. Pearlman and Keisha-Ann Gray represented MetLife in a putative nationwide race discrimination class action in the Southern District of New York. The team is also experienced in class action cases challenging unpaid internships. Key contacts also include the 'brilliant' Bettina Plevan, Nigel Telman in Chicago, Howard Ganz, who co-heads the sports law group, Steven Hurd, who is co-head of the media and entertainment industry group, and Los Angeles-based Anthony Oncidi. Evandro Gigante, Gregory Rasin, Boston-based Mark Batten and Lawrence Sandak in Newark, who is co-head of the law firm practice group, are also noted, as are Kathleen McKenna, Zachary Fasman, Lloyd Chinn, senior counsel Harris Mufson. In Washington DC, Connie Bertram and Guy Brenner are key names, and other individuals deserving of mention are John Barry, who splits his time between Newark and New York, special employment law counsel Jurate Schwartz in Boca Raton, and senior counsel Rachel Philion. Named individuals are based in New York unless otherwise stated.
Leading lawyers
Anthony Oncidi - Proskauer Rose LLP
Bettina Plevan - Proskauer Rose LLP
Elise Bloom - Proskauer Rose LLP
Mark Batten - Proskauer Rose LLP
Next generation lawyers
Evandro Gigante - Proskauer Rose LLP
Jurate Schwartz - Proskauer Rose LLP
Labor-management relations
Labor-management relations - ranked: tier 1
Proskauer Rose LLP
The 'deep bench' at Proskauer Rose LLP is 'a world leader in the field' and 'provides a clearly superior service'. The firm's client roster includes heavyweight names in the sports, education and entertainment sectors - among others - who engage the group to intervene in the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, labor arbitration proceedings and unionization petitions. New York-based Neil Abramson and Bernard Plum are part of the team representing the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB) and Major League Soccer (MLS), while the 'fantastic' Paul Salvatore oversaw numerous mandates in the education sectors for clients such as Yale and Duke universities. The 'fantastic, smart, practical and responsive' Mark Theodore sits in Los Angeles.
Leading lawyers
Bernard Plum - Proskauer Rose LLP
Paul Salvatore - Proskauer Rose LLP
Workplace and employment counseling
Workplace and employment counseling - ranked: tier 1
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP advises clients across the sports, financial services, education, public, retail, arts, entertainment, media, technology, healthcare, legal and real estate sectors, such as Allen Health Care Services, Etsy, Lidl US, Chanel, The Boston Globe, Chicago State University, Ashmore Group and Major League Baseball, on a full range of employment and workplace counseling matters. Joseph Baumgarten and Elise Bloom head the team in New York, where Bettina Plevan, Kathleen McKenna, Erika Collins, who co-leads the international labor and employment group, and Keisha-Ann Gray are also based. In Washington DC, Connie Bertram leads the labor and employment group, co-heads the whistleblowing and retaliation group, and heads the government contractor compliance group, and Guy Brenner co-heads the non-compete and trade secrets group. Nigel Telman heads the labor and employment group in Chicago, and Anthony Oncidi leads the Los Angeles-based group. Allan Weitzman recently left the firm to found Weitzman Arbitration & Mediation Services LLC and Amanda Wiley joined Reyes Holdings.
Leading lawyers
Bettina Plevan - Proskauer Rose LLP
Next generation lawyers
Guy Brenner - Proskauer Rose LLP
United States: M&A/corporate and commercial
M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
M&A: large deals ($1bn+) - ranked: tier 5
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP has an impressive standing on both the East and West coasts, with Los Angeles managing partner and co-head of the global M&A group Michael Woronoff being one of the most prominent M&A lawyers in California. The firm continues to impress in large-cap transactions, including those in the healthcare and life sciences, leisure and hospitality, technology, consumer products, real estate and sports sectors. It recently advised long-time client Celgene on its $9bn acquisition of Juno Therapeutics, and assisted Morgan Stanley as the financial adviser to Starwood Waypoint regarding its $20bn merger of equals with Invitation Homes. The firm has a fine record in cross-border deals, especially those involving Latin America; in this regard Carlos Martinez is a key partner. Other key clients include Accor, Ascena Retail Group, Arkema, Discovery Communications, Grifols and a series of prominent private equity houses. The 'top-notch' team provides 'a service and advice that is consistently outstanding'. Ron Papa is co-head of the global M&A group and Robert Cantone is praised for his 'knowledge, demeanor and professionalism', with one client saying he is 'one of the finest lawyers in the United States'. Jeffrey Horwitz has an outstanding record in real estate, leisure and hospitality deals, and Daniel Ganitsky is another prominent member of the team, especially in cross-border deals. Named attorneys are based in New York unless otherwise stated.
Private equity buyouts
Private equity buyouts - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
'Firm of choice' Proskauer Rose LLP advises some of the biggest names in private equity, including Ares Management, Carlyle and KKR. It has an especially outstanding record in sports, media and entertainment and has client base that includes Catterton Partners, Grey Mountain Partners, JW Childs Associates and Summit Partners. In recent work, it advised Ares Management on Ares Capital's $3.43bn acquisition of American Capital, and assisted Ares with its acquisition of Convergint Technologies. Los Angeles-based 'great lawyer' Michael Woronoff is one of the top private equity and M&A lawyers on the West Coast and leads the practice alongside fellow Los Angeles partner Monica Shilling. Boston partner Steven Peck has worked on series of large-cap deals in recent years and New York's real estate private equity specialist Jeffrey Horwitz is 'always extremely responsive and staffs projects with a very skilled team', and is 'extremely intelligent and practical'. Los Angeles-based Jonathan Benloulou is an up-and-coming talent.
Next generation lawyers
Jonathan Benloulou - Proskauer Rose LLP
United States: Media, technology and telecoms
Advertising and marketing: litigation
Advertising and marketing: litigation - ranked: tier 1
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP 'sets the bar for advertising litigation', particularly false advertising disputes. Recent highlights include successfully representing Church & Dwight in litigation against SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics regarding the advertising of pregnancy tests; practice co-head Lawrence Weinstein led the matter. Weinstein also obtained a dismissal for Monini North America in a class action false advertising lawsuit against plaintiffs who claimed its white truffle flavored extra virgin olive oil falsely advertised the product as containing white truffle, and defended Ralph Lauren in two consumer class actions alleging deceptive advertising and false outlet store pricing. Clients also praise co-head Brendan O'Rourke and Alexander Kaplan; Kaplan was part of the team which acted for Ascena Retail Group and its subsidiary Tween Brands in litigation against Bluestar Alliance regarding false advertising, copyright and trademark infringement issues. All attorneys mentioned are based in New York.
Leading lawyers
Brendan O'Rourke - Proskauer Rose LLP
Lawrence Weinstein - Proskauer Rose LLP
Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Data privacy and data protection - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP 'goes above and beyond to help its clients, making it feel more like a colleague than typical outside counsel' and 'tailors its advice appropriately to meet the client's culture and long-term needs'. The team is particularly active in its work for retail, technology and financial services clients; highlights included defending Donna Karan in a consumer class action alleging Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA) violations, and acting for T-Mobile on the data breach of its vendor, which affected millions of customers' information. The 'incredibly practical' Kristen Mathews leads the department; other noteworthy names include transactional specialist and blockchain expert Jeffrey Neuburger and Margaret Dale, who focuses on privacy-related regulatory investigations and litigation. All attorneys are based in New York.
Leading lawyers
Kristen Mathews - Proskauer Rose LLP
Media and entertainment
Media and entertainment - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's experience in content distribution deals was evident in its recent work; the team advised Altice on the renewal of its distribution agreements with Disney and EPSN Media Networks and acted for Major League Soccer on a distribution deal with Facebook to stream regular season games on Facebook Live. Other transactional work for the department included advising Hulu on the launch of its live subscription television service, assisting Discovery Communications with a joint venture agreement with The Enthusiast Network, and handling the acquisitions of NBC- and Fox Network-affiliated television stations for Bain Capital Credit. Robert Freeman is the key name for transactions, while Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks focuses on music litigation; she represented Lady Gaga in a copyright infringement case brought by a French sculptor who claims the Born This Way album cover infringes several of her works, and acted for Madonna in a copyright lawsuit relating to Vogue, which plaintiffs allege uses unauthorized samples. Other noteworthy practitioners include litigator Alexander Kaplan and senior counsel Paresh Trivedi. All attorneys are based in New York.
Outsourcing - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP has 'an outsourcing team that understands both the technology and the underlying business'. Jeffrey Neuburger in New York has focused on outsourcing for more than 30 years and is co-head of the TMT practice along with Robert Freeman. The firm advises both vendors and buy-side clients in a range of industries including retail, financial services and leisure. It is one of the leading players in emerging areas such as blockchain technology, which could have major implications for the outsourcing market. Neuburger recently advised Time, which is one of the largest branded media companies in the world, on a large-scale advertising sales outsourcing agreement. He also counts JPMorgan Chase, construction industry contractor Component Assembly, construction industry analytics provider C/F Data, and website development company VerticalScope among his clients.
Leading lawyers
Jeffrey Neuburger - Proskauer Rose LLP
Technology: transactions
Technology: transactions - ranked: tier 3
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP advises clients on technology transactions involving the retail, financial services, and arts and leisure sectors, as well as sports and media; and the practice's scope includes the implementation of blockchain, biometrics, big data and other emerging business technologies. The New York-based heads of the technology, media and telecoms group are Jeffrey Neuburger - who acted for construction industry contractor Component Assembly and construction industry analytics provider C/F Data in a variety of technology implementations, licensing agreements and outsourcing agreements - and Robert Freeman; and Paresh Trivedi is a highly rated senior counsel. Los Angeles' Jonathan Benloulou led advice to Sotera Defense Solutions, a national security technology company, in its $235m sale to cybersecurity firm KeyW Corporation.
Next generation lawyers
Paresh Trivedi - Proskauer Rose LLP
Telecoms and broadcast: transactional
Telecoms and broadcast: transactional - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP works on transactions involving traditional and digital broadcasting platforms, and its clients include broadcasting companies, private equity houses and sports associations. Practice co-head Robert Freeman has extensive experience in media and entertainment-related transactions, and recently assisted Hulu with the launch of its live television service as well as assisted Discovery Communications with its $100m minority investment in Group Nine Media. He also handled fuboTV's contentment distribution agreement with the New England Sports Network. Fellow practice head Jeffrey Neuberger focuses on transactions in the technology, media and advertising sectors. Corporate partner Gary Creem advised Bain Capital Credit on its portfolio company Bayou City Broadcasting Lafayette's acquisition of the stations KADN-TV and KLAF-LD from Nexstar Broadcasting. Senior counsel Paresh Trivedi is also a key figure and has notable expertise in broadcasting and communications transactions. Since publication, Ori Soloman has moved to Morrison & Foerster LLP.
United States: Real estate
Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
Real estate investment trusts (REITs) - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's practice, which handles the full range of corporate and finance transactions, has a strong record in advising non-traded REITs. It is also noted for its supplementary expertise in tax and private equity. Seasoned specialist Peter Fass jointly leads the real estate capital markets group with Steven Lichtenfeld - both are based in New York. Lichtenfeld recently acted for New York REIT in the sale of a 48.7% stake in One Worldwide Plaza to SL Green Realty and RXR Realty, in a deal that valued the property at $1.7bn. Michael Choate is a senior name in Chicago and advised Global Net Lease on its $3.1bn merger with American Realty Capital Global Trust II. New York's Leslie Loffman is highly regarded for tax matters.
Leading lawyers
Leslie Loffman - Proskauer Rose LLP
Peter Fass - Proskauer Rose LLP
United States: Tax
International tax
International tax - ranked: tier 4
Proskauer Rose LLP
At the 'responsive and extremely knowledgeable' Proskauer Rose LLP, Stuart Rosow and Martin Hamilton advised Barcelona-based global healthcare company Grifols on a number of transactions, including the $1.85bn acquisition of the blood screening business of Hologic and the acquisition of a 44% interest in GigaGen. Another recent highlight was assisting AccorHotels in its agreement with Brazil Hospitality Group (BHG) and its shareholders in which the client will take over the management of 26 hotels currently owned or managed by BHG. Ares Management and Pacific Exploration & Production are other notable clients. Tax department chair Ira Bogner and David Miller are other key contacts. Malcolm Hochenberg and Boston's Brian Huber were promoted respectively to partner and senior counsel in November 2017. Attorneys mentioned are based in New York unless otherwise indicated.
US taxes: non-contentious
US taxes: non-contentious - ranked: tier 2
Proskauer Rose LLP
Proskauer Rose LLP's 'first-rate' tax team is 'extremely responsive, proactive, efficient and user-friendly'. Clients appreciate the lawyers' 'superior technical knowledge', as well as their private equity and M&A expertise. Other areas of activity include capital markets, REITs, the financing of sports teams, healthcare, fund formation and advice to tax-exempt entities. Martin Hamilton and Stuart Rosow assisted Spanish healthcare company Grifols with several transactions, including the $6.3bn financing used to acquire the NAT blood donor screening unit from Hologic. David Miller, who is 'top of the field in the financial instruments area', advised Waypoint Capital, an investor in SimpliVity, on Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $650m acquisition of SimpliVity. The 'invaluable' Amanda Nussbaum, who 'looks out for the client's needs during negotiations', advised Church & Dwight on its $1bn acquisition of Water Pik, while 'careful, methodical thinker' Anne Kim advised on the $4bn acquisition of American Capital by client Ares Management. Malcolm Hochenberg made partner at the beginning of 2018. All mentioned practitioners, except Kim in Los Angeles, are based in New York.
Leading lawyers
Amanda Nussbaum - Proskauer Rose LLP
David Miller - Proskauer Rose LLP
Further information on Proskauer Rose LLP
Please choose from this list to view details of what we say about Proskauer Rose LLP in other jurisdictions.
Offices in Beijing
Offices in Paris
Hong Kong
Offices in Hong Kong
Latin America: International firms
United States
Offices in Boston, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boca Raton, New York, Newark, and Chicago
- Antitrust : Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Dispute resolution : Appellate
- Dispute resolution : Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
- Dispute resolution : General commercial disputes
- Dispute resolution : Securities litigation: defense
- Finance : Capital markets: debt offerings
- Finance : Capital markets: equity offerings
- Finance : Capital markets: global offerings
- Finance : Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings
- Finance : Commercial lending
- Finance : Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations)
- Finance : Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Industry focus : Environment: transactional
- Industry focus : Healthcare: service providers
- Industry focus : Insurance: advice to policyholders
- Industry focus : Sport
- Intellectual property : Copyright
- Intellectual property : Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters)
- Intellectual property : Trademarks: litigation
- Investment fund formation and management : Alternative/hedge funds
- Investment fund formation and management : Mutual/registered/ exchange-traded funds
- Investment fund formation and management : Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Labor and employment : ERISA litigation
- Labor and employment : Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design
- Labor and employment : Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- Labor and employment : Immigration
- Labor and employment : Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions): defense
- Labor and employment : Labor-management relations
- Labor and employment : Workplace and employment counseling
- M&A/corporate and commercial : M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- M&A/corporate and commercial : Private equity buyouts
- Media, technology and telecoms : Advertising and marketing: litigation
- Media, technology and telecoms : Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection)
- Media, technology and telecoms : Media and entertainment
- Media, technology and telecoms : Outsourcing
- Media, technology and telecoms : Technology: transactions
- Media, technology and telecoms : Telecoms and broadcast: transactional
- Real estate
- Real estate : Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- Tax : International tax
- Tax : US taxes: non-contentious
Offices in London
- Corporate and commercial : Corporate tax
- Corporate and commercial : M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals, £250m+
- Finance : Acquisition finance
- Finance : Corporate restructuring and insolvency
- Finance : High yield
- Human resources : Employment: employers and senior executives
- Investment fund formation and management : Private funds
- Real estate : Commercial property


text:
We're excited to participate in #EarthHour on March 31 at 8:30pm by turning off all of our lights worldwide! Hundreds of millions of people, businesses and governments around the world unite each year to support the largest environmental event in history – Earth Hour.
More than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour 2011, sending a powerful message for action on climate change. It also ushered in a new era with members going Beyond the Hour to commit to lasting action for the planet. Without a doubt, it's shown how great things can be achieved when people come together for a common cause.
Learn more: http://www.earthhour.org/page/about/about-earth-hour

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Where do I start? I suppose where I left off; namely last column's Best of 2005 list. I just wanted to mention a few oversights so I can get on with my life: Tapping Rhino's Stooges reissues for top honors ("Reissue of the Year") made perfect sense at the time, not to mention presenting an opportunity to blabber at length 'bout two of my all-time most worn-out records. Nine months later, I'd do it all over again.
In preparing the list, however, I completely blanked on my other big musical fix for '05; the Beau Brummels' 'Magic Hollow' on Rhino Handmade. Unlike Iggy & Co., there's barely a ripple of hi-energy to be found in this Brummels box set; with the possible exception of some formative (and hardly earthshaking) beat fare on disc one. But the songwriting, production and singing – especially as the band evolves into their very non-rock later stages - keep this in regular rotation quite awhile after my last earful of Stooges first album alternate mixes. Funny I should bring up the Beau Brummels now. At Rhino Handmade's website, this limited-run, lavishly appointed box set is already listed as out of print.
On the 45 front, my 'Best' list remains unchanged but with one addition: The reissued International Submarine Band single, "Sum Up Broke"/"One Day Week" (rare on Columbia; on Sundazed, about what you'd spend on a 40 oz.).
This got lost in a batch of killer Sundazed 45s which all made my year-end list. Saying that this is Gram Parsons at his most rockin' is like sayin' 'L.A.M.F.' is the Heartbreakers at their commercial apex. But while John Neuse's cranked-up Telecaster lifts "Sum Up Broke", which otherwise sounds like a '66 blueprint for early Quicksilver and Dead, it is Parsons on the flip wailing away on an insistent, loud electric piano that seals this single as essential. Alright, that's enough about last year.
Not too long ago, I caught yet another favorable review of Mott the Hoople's "landmark" (yawn) 'Mott' album. This time, it was a CD reissue review right here in the web pages of the Bar. I got around to purchasing this latest edition of 'Mott' a few months back. For a guy who once wrote a 40 page 'zine feature honoring the genius of these dudes, I must declare once and for all that this is one seriously overrated record.
Say what you will about the glam era, the best of those singles and albums benefited from the best production since the golden age of AM rock 'n' roll. Think T. Rex, Bowie, Slade and Sweet. Insanely great sounding records, all of 'em. Think if you will of MTH's "All the Young Dudes".
'Mott' tries to have it both ways i.e. the glam-ish "Honaloochie Boogie" and "Whizz Kid" vs. the Dylan-influenced Old Mott of "Ballad of Mott the Hoople" and "I Wish I Was Your Mother". The result is a muddled mess and in light of the ugly excitement generated on the earlier Guy Stevens-produced albums, an antiseptic-sounding affair even by today's digitized standards.
"Drivin' Sister" could've been murder on 'Brain Capers' but by the time it was hatched in '73, like a line from its lyrics, it's just about out of gas. Ditto on "All The Way From Memphis", admittedly which I can't help both digging even if now wonder how good it would've sounded a year earlier, if produced by carrot top. "I'm a Cadillac" must be a joke. Most wretched of all on 'Mott' (yet a fan favorite), is "Dirge for the Dudes" or whatever the hell it's called. Actually, I know what it's called but just wanted to describe its grim qualities in as few words as possible.
I was first attracted to Mott for the emotional wallop of tunes like "Laugh at Me" and "Death May Be Your Santa Claus". 'Mott', with a couple of exceptions, sounds flashy but soulless by comparison. If interested in hearing what these guys were capable of - not as a songwriter's workshop for Ian Hunter but as a thrilling BAND – start with the Stevens-produced 'Mott the Hoople' debut from four years earlier.
On a more positive note, I might have a new fourth or fifth favorite record from 1973; Buffalo's 'Volcanic Rock'. Bar contributor Doug Sheppard (the original 'Mott' naysayer) hipped me to these Australian hard rockers a few months back. The opening track, "Sunrise (Come My Way)", is pretty crushing stuff, establishing a seismic shift in sound (from the quite ho hum first LP, 'Dead Forever'); like switching from Black Oak Arkansas to Black Sabbath.
The following track, "Freedom", is a performance that really sells me on these Buffalo wildmen. Set to a sludgy tempo, the heavy intentions of the previous track persist, just dragged out for nine minutes allowing this to really seep into the listener's skull. This doesn't sound like 1973. It sounds like 1993. But since it is '73, I'm willing to appreciate its trailblazing grungy assault.
Make no mistake; I know next to nothing about grunge music. But in the '90s, none of us were exempt from hearing way too much of it. So here's probably an odd observation to make regarding Buffalo: Their lead singer sounds like that caterwauling bastard in Soundgarden. On "Freedom", I can't help but hear this and maybe even a trace of Ritchie Havens' adenoidal tour de force of the same name from the 'Woodstock' film.
"Till My Death" is reminiscent of the heaviest grooves on 'Physical Graffiti' (like "In My Time of Dying"), yet sorted-out by Buffalo a year or two earlier. Besides one weak songwriting effort ("Prophet", which could only be described as Moses Rock) and a heavy extended instro/jam ("Pound of Flesh"; its title hinting at the Bard Rock to follow), the album also includes the band's mightiest track, "Shylock". This is a real pummeling piece of heavy rock.
Only Sabbath, on the momentum of my all-time favorite of theirs, 'Vol. 4', was heavier in '73. Come to think of it, though, Buffalo sounds closest to the Grand Funk Railroad of the "red album", minus all the dopey lyrics and bogus guitar breaks. This makes me ponder how much more great '73 hard rock remains below my radar. Experience suggests that most of this stuff, when it does surface, is marred by lousy, tasteless vocal theatrics, but not so with Buffalo.
"I Want Everything Softer Than Everything Else" Guilty Pleasure Showcase: With few exceptions (e.g. Australia's Air Supply a decade later, or the unavoidable comparison with the biggest act - schlock or rock - of their own era, the Carpenters), I can't think of an old school hit machine that dished out more musical tofu in their prime than Bread. When front man David Gates serenades with such sentimental pap as, "I might be climbing on rainbows/but baby here goes" (on their Top 40 smasheroo, "Make It with You"), it serves as either chicken soup for the perpetually romantic or on a typical night at the Bar, an unintended provocation for violence.
Me, I'm more than likely to just steer clear of Bread at its most treacly. Then again, I'm a sucker for the majestic ultralight rock of "Guitar Man"; on an energy scale not much wilder than their other hits yet an example of flawless record making. And Gates reveals himself to be a closet rocker on "Let Your Love Go"; a real throwback with a mid-sixties flavor. There are a couple of extra hooky chords that on the chorus, post-guitar solo, are executed so aggressively, I thought my CD had a skip the first time I heard this.
"Down on My Knees" is another driving pop-rocker, this time from Bread's other key songwriter, James Griffin. With its jangly Beatles/Byrds guitars, it is on par with any 2nd tier seventies power pop; not in the Raspberries/Big Star league mind you but as good as "Go Back" by Crabby Appleton, for instance. The harmonies introduced on the song's second verse are sublime.
Best of all, and better than any Bread million-seller, is Griffin's "Look What You've Done". Though never a hit in its own right, it is a perennial of every Bread "Best of" collection and for good reason. The arrangement is subdued and simple, the melody, wordplay and high harmonized vocals as (surprisingly) good as any ballad on Big Star's infinitely more hip '#1 Record'. Griffin's lead vocal is sufficiently wounded and perfect. There's even an up-tempo middle stretch in a Grand Funk "I'm Your Captain" vein but it's the following call 'n' response of the song's title that provides the emotional knockout on this three minute masterpiece.
Which one of these groups doesn't belong?
The only Bread album that I've heard all the way through is their self-titled debut; released in '69. There are no hits on this one and it is no longer in print on CD. It is erratic as hell yet to these ears, a good half of it is highly addictive. It is also the only Bread album that I know of with material covered by Pre-Glam Slade.
Most Bread collections wisely, if curiously, throw in a few tracks from this album but as with Rhino's latest ('Definitive Collection'), often the least deserving are among those picked. Case in point, an absolute turkey from David Gates titled "Dismal Day".
At least on this album, the most valuable songwriter is not Gates at all; rather it's the not yet commercially marginalized Griffin (generally in collaboration with original guitarist Robb Royer). To be fair, it's no wonder that the latter failed to get many A-sides. His songs are wracked with emotional baggage; from jealousy and bitterness to desperation. On "The Last Time" (not the Stones song), some of his last laugh sentiments prove the antithesis of radio-friendly Bread.
Royer plays tasteful guitar licks throughout though especially on Griffin's best tracks ("Any Way You Want Me", "The Last Time", and "Move Over"). Bread was a studio project at this early stage so the drumming belongs to session cats Jim Gordon and Ron Edgar (of the Music Machine). Perhaps it's the latter playing the great drum fills with such mechanical precision on the fuzzy 'n' funky "Move Over".
This is one of the cleanest sounding albums from the era thanks to engineer Bruce Botnick. After having dealt with Arthur Lee, Jim Morrison and John Sinclair, Elektra probably gladly handed over the studio keys to these pros/vets of the LA studio scene, which self-produce here. The music is flawless, unless you count some of the wheezy Moog on the second verse of the enjoyably lame, MacCartney-ish "London Bridge". During an, er, bridge later in the track this synth explodes into brief chaos, falling somewhere between the Monkees' "Daily Nightly" and Roxy Music-era Eno. In other words, it too works.
There's more good stuff by these guys. On their next LP, 1970's 'On the Water', they added a solid drummer, Mike Botts, and cranked out another eclectic album highlighted by "Look What You've Done". And I'll stop there 'cause that's probably enough soft rock excitement for one year.
In 2006, economic indicators such as inept personal budgeting remind me that it's time to look into alternate ways for scoring cheap entertainment. (Have no fear; this is not a lecture on the joys of pirating recorded music.)
Clearly, packaged recorded music – like the great reissues mentioned above (and that Mott the Hoople CD, too) – is on the decline thanks to the proliferation of iPods and the proprietary iTunes online retailer.
I should mention that I don't own an iPod. It's irrelevant whether I can afford one this week (though I'm sure I can't). Really, I don't want to stumble through life connected to music-pumping ear plugs. In fact, I stumble just fine without this kinda distraction. My hearing is already shot (and Buffalo didn't help). If I want to hear a jukebox, I'll go to a bar or just crank up the in-house Wurlitzer.
Instead, let me put in a word for one of the less relevant distributors of online music; the modern day (i.e. legal) Napster. Besides the iTunes market share issue, let me explain the irrelevant part: In my experience, a browse on Napster is like perusing the selection in a four-floor, 50,000 square foot CD superstore, only to walk away in dismay that they carry no Beatles, AC/DC, Zeppelin, or Missing Links, for that matter.
That aside, I recently came across some cool finds on the now industry-compliant Napster. First of all, I found loud digital downloads of those two International Submarine Band tracks. 99 cents US each. Good start.
Then, lo and behold, there's Alice Cooper's out of print Straight Records albums as downloads. Since I always keep a copy of 'Pretties for You' on hand, I thought I would burn a copy of 'Easy Action' which I long ago hastily dismissed. As it turns out, this album is a far cry better than I remember (and as a Napster download, in top notch sound). In fact, it is probably only a little less consistent than the more popular AC albums that followed.
The difference is that there is nothing on 'Easy Action' that sounds like a hit single. But 36 years later, who cares? "Shoe Salesman" has a laid back psychedelic feel; like a cross between the Beatles and 'Forever Changes'. Arthur Lee and Love's influence surfaces again on "Still No Air", which tosses in elements of 'West Side Story' and "My Generation" for good measure. "Below Your Means" is reminiscent of the long, heavy tracks on 'Pretties for You', like "Fields of Regret"; unfocused but great.
"Laughing at Me" might be the best track, and again reminiscent of 'Forever Changes' (with a snatch of melody that resurfaced in one of their later tracks; "Desperado", I think). There are heavier tracks, as well, but those mentioned are the ones worth repeated spins even if they don't sound like Alice Cooper or 1970, for that matter. This ultra-failure, at least where it counts on the commercial front, was produced by David Briggs, moonlighting from his main gig as Neil Young's full-time studio collaborator.
Having read about the death of Johnny Jenkins a few weeks earlier, I downloaded a pair of killer Duane Allman-produced heavy blues numbers from 'Ton Ton Macoute!', his '70 comeback on Capricorn. These tunes rocked so hard, especially "Leavin' Trunk", that I quickly went out to a few of the regular online CD retailers to buy the whole damn (packaged) album only to learn that this, too, is currently a download-only offering and not even the complete album! I still need his version of "I Walk on Gilded Splinters".
But here's the best bargain on Napster, at least on one of the days I was on the site (CD titles seem to come and go with odd regularity there): I was able to download all six cuts (yes, count 'em, six!) that I wanted from the Cameo-Parkway box set on Abkco. This allowed me to nab "You Can't Sit Down" by the Dovells, "Respect" by the Rationals, "I (Who Have Nothing)" by Terry Knight & the Pack and from Bob Seger & the Last Heard, "East Side Story", "Heavy Music (Part 1)", and "Sock it to Me Santa".
To illustrate the weirdly incomplete selection of music available on Napster, the latter represented some kind of alternate universe or time travel whereby the only Bob Seger available was from the sixties. Yeah! This Cameo-Parkway "want list", now fulfilled, set me back a whopping $5.94.
A few days ago, I logged on to find the most promising development yet on Napster: The addition of the Rolling Stones' remastered Abkco catalog. For starters, I was able to download "Time is on My Side" (Chess version) that otherwise required me to shell-out big bucks for the multi-disc sets of repeats; namely 'Hot Rocks' or 'Rolling Stones Singles Collection' (or the completely superfluous 'Big Hits' big hits platter on CD). While I was at it, I grabbed "Child of the Moon" and "Memo From Turner"; both from the pricey aforementioned 'Singles Collection' of which I already have everything else that I would ever want (minus a couple of 'Metamorphosis' non-essentials).
My only complaint with Napster has been the occasional swirly, sub-par sound on an entire album download of Deep Purple's 'Made in Europe' and, well, I should know better but: "Hot 'n' Nasty" off of Black Oak Arkansas' 'Raunch 'n' Roll Live' LP. For these download-only albums, the major labels' usually up to code mastering programs must be getting outsourced to some sh*t for ears operation.
(Despite loud 'n' bad download, I couldn't help but spin "Hot 'n' Nasty" on a return to the airwaves; on WXYC-FM Chapel Hill, USA in July. The show was a 3-hour tribute to "Southern Rock 'n' Soul", and I couldn't resist getting downright dumb 'n' raunchy, so to speak, with a little BOA.)
Continuing on the cheap entertainment front, I've found similar relief thanks to NetFlix (will this make sense to our Australian host and readers? Here in the States, NetFlix is a subscription service where DVDs are delivered to your home approximately a day or two after ordering online). Before I discovered NetFlix, I probably suffered sleepless nights wondering how I would ever get to see all these old TV shows, movies and rock docs flooding the marketplace. For $9.99 a month, I am now on course to seeing every last one of 'em. Very slowly.
Excluding old TV shows, the highlights so far have included the recent Arthur Kane and Gram Parsons documentaries, Gene Vincent 'At the Town Hall Party' (an "import" no less; gabbed about previously in my 'Best of 2005'), and 'Monterey Pop' Box; specifically Disc 3 (yes, NetFlix will allow you to rent just the disc you want from their box set titles) loaded with excellent unreleased film of Quicksilver Messenger Service, Electric Flag, the Who and what must be the sloppiest drumming ever on the Byrds' famously disastrous set.
As you know, the marketplace is flooded with dodgy DVDs. On the rock documentary front, I have yet to rent, much less purchase one of those cheesy exploitation jobs with titles like 'A Critical Analysis of Uriah Heep's Masterwork, 'Wonderwall''.
From what I can see, the authorized stuff is no sure bet, either. Take Alice Cooper's 'Prime Cuts', which I recently rented. This must be from the '80s or '90s 'cause in the interview segments, AC sports tell-tale teased 'n' outdated metal hair. The clips, including a presumably rare TV show appearance of "Levity Ball" circa '69, are frustratingly incomplete. Other old film, since resurrected in the 'Good to See You Again…' DVD, is in dire sound. Early TV-appearing Alice is primed for an upgrade on the DVD front.
On the contrary, some of the dodgiest looking releases on rent sometimes deliver the goods, albeit likely by pure accident. The Deep Purple title, 'Masters from the Vaults', mixes-up wisely selected portions of their 1970 UK TV appearance, 'Doing Their Thing' (including Ritchie Blackmore at his most animated) with their German Beat Club clips from the following year (with Ian Gillan at his most inebriated). On an exploito angle, "Smoke on the Water" is also included, only this time with the riffs provided a decade or two later by some mullet-coiffed hack in the Ian Gillan Band.
To digress from this THRILLING movie rental diary, let me take a moment to put in a plug for Eagle Vision's 'Deep Purple: Live in California 74' DVD. I couldn't help but plunk down the cash for a copy of this. It's got all the hallmarks of a deluxe package, with bonus features, liner notes, blah blah blah.
This is Deep Purple Mk III, as DP geeks are inclined to say, including future metal boy David Coverdale; here decked out in a flowery shirt that suggests his main squeeze at the time liked to knit. This also means that the versions of Pre-DC material ("Smoke on the Water", "Spacetruckin'") are grotesquely overstated with the steroid blues bellowing of the new front man.
That complaint aside, these boys tear it up on their own 'Burn' era boogie. Coverdale's shortcomings/overcomings on the old material actually work a-ok on his own songs. We also get the rehearsed vocal tantrums of support vocalist/bass player Glenn Hughes as well as generous solo turns from organist Jon Lord (now armed with a synth; HELP!) and drummer Ian Paice. If you weren't there - either at the California Jam where this concert was filmed, or the decade in general - this concert nicely sums up the Pre-Ramones excess seventies.
Speaking of excess, my main man Ritchie Blackmore once again steals the show. First of all, it's nice to finally put a visual to one of my all-time top gonzo guitar solos from 30 years ago: "You Fool No One"; from Purple's spliced 'n' diced 'Made in Europe' LP. Better still is his routine at the end of the otherwise torturously overlong "Spacetruckin'". He destroys not one guitar, not two, but three …maybe four guitars! I lose track.
After narrowly avoiding the impalement of a fan (who miraculously catches a flying Fender launched with half neck; the rest of it still lodged in a TV camera lens shaft), he throws just about every conceivable piece of stage equipment into the audience. At one point, he runs out of amplifiers and is reduced to dragging/hurling a panel off the back of an amp, or maybe it's a sheet of scrap metal. Now that's metal.
Hey, here's a little know fact for those less inclined to rent from BOTH Ramones and Emerson, Lake and Palmer DVDs: If you're on the I-94 Bar site, I'm relatively sure how you'll recall an absurd clip of Keith Emerson interjected into the Ramones' 'End of the Century' bio disc, illustrating maximum '70s pomposity.
Hand it to the ELP boys to include a clip of the Ramones, too, in their expectedly grand 'Beyond the Beginning' multi-disc DVD package, as well. The cool part is that for this progfest, Sanctuary Music licensed a clip of the Ramones from their legendary 'Don Kirschner's Rock Concert' '77 appearance. (Hey, I saw it when it came out. Was that really 30 years ago? Of course not.)
Because it's an ELP DVD, we are treated to a mere 30 seconds of "Loudmouth", which is enough to make me wish one of the labels would get off their ass and license the entire Ramones/Kirschner appearance. For now, I'll just have to make due with a few thousand other titles at my disposal courtesy of the folks at NetFlix.
It's a bummer in the summer with the passing in recent weeks of Arthur Lee and Syd Barrett. Truth be told (or stretched, as it might be), the death that really hit home for me this year was the demise of Circus Magazine at age 40. Here's a press release that was forwarded to me. I can't validate its authenticity. In fact, I find it hard to believe that Circus has been around in the last 20 years. The magazine's Publisher and Editor-in-Chief since inception, Gerald Rothberg, issued this statement a few months back:
"To All Circus Mag Contributors: It is with sadness and a deep sense of loss that I must inform you that I've experienced great financial loss, which includes Circus Magazine. Over the last year, I've tried my best to hold on to Circus Mag, selling all my personal possessions, including my home, pumping the money into the mag. And I've lost all. I've held off contacting people because of the shame and humiliation I've experienced. I'm broke. I feel like Humpty Dumpty who had a great fall. Circus Magazine is in foreclosure. Will the magazine be resurrected? I don't know. If it will appear on the newsstands again, well find out. Let me say this now, I appreciate and I am grateful your contributions all these years and wish all my freelance contributors the best of health and success."
Circus was the classic dumb, glossy, full-cover newsstand fanzine for us teenage rock 'n' roll geeks. I was especially glued to it back in '76. In retrospect, I'm not sure why. The first Circus I ever picked-up ("purchased" would be a stretch) was the issue dated March 2, 1976, with a cover feature on "best new talent" of that year. This included the likes of Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Marley; none of which I had ever heard on the radio. You could just tell they weren't going to be exciting. After flipping through that issue (then and more recently, a few nights ago), it's a wonder I didn't go back to watching TV reruns full-time.
What I enjoyed very early on, and what finds me in my present predicament, was digging into the past. A friend in the neighborhood used his lunch money to order every back issue available from Circus. At that point ('77), they only went back to '75. But I had a field day reading all those older issues, with article after article about Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and the Stones.
Through the years, I would always stumble across inexpensive to the point of impossible to turn down copies of even older issues of Circus. But after reading them, I always dumped 'em; probably in the trash. Finally, around '98, I stumbled into a used book store in Syracuse, NY and when I asked the proprietor if he had any old rock mags (I was looking for Creem and Rock Scene), he pointed me to a yet-to-be-priced MOUNTAIN of every '70s rock mag including Creem, Rock Scene and Circus. I bought the whole lot for $125. And that's how after all these years, I know what the cover date was on the first Circus Magazine I ever "purchased". If you've ever seen the MC5 cover issue of Circus (from '69), you can attest to the mag definitely having its moments.
Speaking of print rock 'n' roll, this past weekend, I received in the mail the latest issue of Ugly Things magazine. For the most part, this latest issue includes some fantastic writing and neat features. A tiny contribution from yours truly pales in comparison to most of the contents but I'll tell you to check it out anyway. It's the story of the recording session for Blue Cheer's colossal 'Vincebus Eruptum', as told by the engineer who hated the band's sound! If you're a big Blue Cheer fan, you'll definitely hate most of the opinions but should find it a fascinating or at least untold perspective. Visit 'em at: www.ugly-things.com
- Jeff Jarema
August 2006


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Be More Dyson
Posted on
James Dyson set a new paradigm when he invented the first bag-less vacuum cleaner. I love mine – it does a great job, until the filters clog up…. Now you're supposed to change them every few months, but I only ever remember when the performance suffers.
It's a slow deterioration, so I only notice once it's got so bad that it's not picking up any more. A simple change of the filters, and it's back to its fully working best – amazing me with the difference (I'm easily pleased!).
The more people I've supported to Process Engineer their thinking, the more it's struck me that this amazing step change in performance doesn't just apply to vacuum cleaning.


text: Air pollution is one of the primary challenges that humanity is facing today. Dust and pollution are choking our cities and there appears to be no respite in sight. Long-term exposure to polluted air has been associated with various health issues such as respiratory problems and even cancer. What is even more worrying is that air pollution exists inside our homes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, indoor air can be 2-3 times more polluted than outside air. Indoor air pollution is caused by things like mould, household products, tobacco smoke, carbon dioxide, radon, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, lead, asbestos,.


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Welcome to My BlogHere is a basic blog layout with a right sidebar
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Safe Prescription Opioid Use
Over the recent years, addiction and abuse of pain medications has become a national epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 1,000 patients are treated daily in emergency departments for misusing prescription opioids, more than 40 people die every day from overdoses involving prescription opioids, and nearly half of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. To reverse the epidemic, it's important to know how to prevent addiction and abuse before it starts. Here are some ways patients can practice safe medication management before, during and after treatment.
Before you take opioid pain medications:
- Ask about alternatives: Talk with your doctor about pain management alternatives.
- Know what to expect: Prescription opioids can have side effects, even when taken as directed. Be sure to discuss side effects with your doctor or pharmacist.
- Update your medication list: Ensure your medication profile is up to date at your doctor's office and pharmacy, so that interactions between medicines can be evaluated.
- Plan with your doctor: Know when to call them if you experience side effects or do not get expected pain relief.
During treatment:
- Take medication only as prescribed.
- Do not mix with alcohol or other medications, including over-the-counter medicine, without talking with your doctor.
- Do not drive or operate machinery until you are aware of how medications will affect you.
- Store medications safely, away from children and protected against theft.
- Do not share medicines with another person. This is not only dangerous, but illegal.
Safely dispose of medication after treatment:
- Keep out of drains and toilets to protect the water supply from contamination.
- Use local drug disposal programs that often coordinated through local government, police or fire departments. If a drug disposal program is not available, there are a number of ways to safely dispose of your unwanted medications.
- The Drug Enforcement Agency partners with local authorities for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. This program provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing unused or expired prescription medication. Find a local collection site near you. If you're located in the United States or a U.S. Territory, you can safely dispose prescription drugs at military pharmacies. Learn how
Opiate medications can be an important part in treating pain. As with any medications, there are risks and benefits. Following these basic tips can help keep your treatment with opioid pain medications safe, while ensuring you get the pain relief you need.
Express Scripts pharmacists have the knowledge to advise patients about medication interactions, side effects and the impacts of medications during treatment. To contact Express Scripts, call 877.363.1303 or visit express-scripts.com/TRICARE for more information.


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The weather was absolutely perfect on the patio Saturday at Cazuela's for the first ABQBeer.com MiniFest. The sky was overcast, but only delivered brief and minimal sprinkles on occasion. My good friend and hop-centric beer tasting companion Paulette and I pulled up to Cazuela's just about a half hour after the general admission start time.
As tends to happen with new festivals, there were a few little issues. I was told ahead of time that one of the breweries scheduled to attend (Kaktus) had to pull out. At such a small festival, that could be kind of a big deal. But the other four breweries poured on. Another issue gave us a shaky first impression. We parked and walked into Cazuela's. But it turned out that they wanted everyone to park in a separate lot and enter west of the main building. We were told we actually had to leave Cazuela's, even though it was on their patio that connects to the restaurant, move our car to that other lot, and enter on the west side. Some good signage would have been helpful because it was a little annoying.
Once in the correct lot, the entry point was not apparent, either, because there were no lines. At all. At a beer fest. I know ticket sales were limited, but you don't expect to walk right in. After entry, you had your ID checked, received a wristband, a plastic cup, and three drink tickets. The tickets were good for samples of about four ounces each. More sampler tickets were available for purchase as well as tickets for full pints.
Breweries in attendance included, of course, Cazuela's as well as Red Door, Albuquerque Brewing, and Ponderosa. There were never any lines for beer. For those of us that have stood in the hot sun in long beer lines at many festivals, this is where the beer gods rewarded us, and mightily. There was plenty of seating at tables, both in the "sun" (partial, due to overcast skies) and in the covered portion of the patio. It may well have been the most comfortable I have ever been hanging out at a beer fest. The quality of beers and the ease of getting them definitely made up for the small number of vendors. It was also really great to be able to have extended conversations with the staffs at each of the vendor booths.
We made our way around and tasted a first round of the most interesting-sounding beers. I always enjoy Piedra Del Fuego (Stoned Cream Ale) and Beer for My Horses (Oatmeal Stout) from Cazuela's, so I knew I would get to those. The first beer I tried ended up being my favorite new beer of the festival. It was the Ryeson Sun Saison from Red Door. I am as giddy as a kid on Christmas morning when I get to try new rye beers, and this 7.6-percent ABV rye saison (whoa, interesting!) did not disappoint. I made sure I ended the day with it as well. Albuquerque Brewing only ended up bringing one beer. Apparently, they had a Fourth of July event and ran out of beer. Good for them! But good for us was the fact that the beer they brought was so unusual and super easy-drinking. It was their "505 Bananas" saison, a beer that tasted more like a light but fruity hefeweizen. Their staff said it is because they did use wheat as an ingredient.
We were able to try some beers from Ponderosa's new head brewer Andrew Krosche; he was also in attendance so we got to chat. My favorite there was the Rip Saw Red. Normally reds are not my first choice, but it was reminiscent of Andrew's days at Marble. This one had a nice, bright, hoppy finish. His plan is to change that, though, and start heading toward a truer, maltier style.
A limited food selection was also available for purchase. The food we had was very good, but if you were already a fan of one of their particular dishes, you could not walk right in there and get additional items. My friend was unfamiliar with al pastor, so when I explained it to her and she saw the spit of delicious-looking meat and pineapple roasting, she was sold — the tacos al pastor were very good at $2 each. We paired the street-style tacos with Cazuela's Piedra del Fuego.
The event included music, and the first scheduled band was really a blast. I did not know who they were so I made sure to ask them after their set. Their set list includes everything from Elvis and Johnny Cash to Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam, to Kenny Wayne Shepherd. They are the "Woohabs," which one band member told me means "worn out old has-beens." Pretty funny stuff.
While the band was tearing down, my friend and I grabbed more beer and strolled over to watch some kids batting at the batting cages directly behind the back wall of the patio. I have never experienced anything like this at a beer fest before. We did this, since, as my friend said so simply and yet eloquently, "Because beer and baseball."
The second band scheduled to perform was a no-show. This is one of the areas where the event organizer and Cazuela's impressed us. It was great to see them smoothly improvise when needed. In a strange and beer-foggily-magical turn of events, they called in a karaoke DJ as a last minute replacement. He showed up just as the first band finished tearing down, so it looked as if it was planned all along. Say what you want because karaoke is a divisive thing, but it's another thing I have never experienced at a beer fest, and likely never will again. Now I have seen it all!
My friend and I discussed how it would be great if new festivals had a suggestion box. I am sure it would be kind of a double-edged sword, because you would have to sift through a bunch of beer-fueled crazy responses or just plain mean comments to get to the constructive ones. But if the constructive ones are very helpful, it might be worth it. Our box submissions would include a suggestion about having flag ropes and better signage to show people where to turn and where to park. Also, the admission might need to be restructured. There were promo codes for discounts (including for our readers on this site), but if you didn't have a discount, $15 for three samples — albeit large samples — might be off-putting.
I was a little concerned for the vendors regarding low attendance. It was great as attendees, but I am unsure how it worked out for the breweries. I did quite enjoy the fact that the admission ticket sales were limited. However, since the patio is so large and people will come and go, perhaps it could increase somewhat. Rio Rancho needs more events like this, and there are not enough outdoor venues with the amenities that Cazuela's can provide. Depending on whether or not my schedule permits, I would absolutely attend this event again next year.
— AmyO


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In celebration of Superbowl, DHD is having a site-wide Super "Gallery" Bowl of our own!
Starting January 31st - Febuary 6th, Design House Digital will be a having a huge SALE - 25% off the entire store! Plus there will be additional 'gallery bowl' challenges for chances to win prizes! Chats will be on-going all afternoon on Superbowl Sunday from 1-8 pm and there will be a HUGE prize to a random gallery poster who posts a layout during that week using any DHD product!
Don't miss out! I will be hosting my own Super Gallery Bowl challenge starting Jan. 31st! So stay tuned for that!


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Come Day 14, and I don't even want to think about how far behind Wordcount (yes, with a capital W) I am - albeit I do mean behind my double-wordcount of writing two novels in a month, but that only makes it worse.
In my defence, unlike for all those lovely Americans out there, for whom November is that month when things don't happen and the weather isn't that great (sort of like an Australian July, I imagine), November in Australia is the months of exams. On top of my 3334 words a day (yes, I know, what was I thinking?) I have had to write some 6000 words all-up of assessments. All in all, this seems like a bad idea.
In terms of the actual novels, they are not actually progressing poorly, wordcount. Yes, the Fantasy novel has descended into something which I would refer to as 'self-fanfiction': I have been writing one-shots about my characters' childhoods, cute little stories about their future children, and other things that will never serve any purpose. On the plus side, this adds to wordcount, and is more fun than stressing about plot (what is this...plot?). On the minus side, they have nothing to do with the novel, which is becoming something like a series of loosely connected vignettes. But I'm sure it can be salavaged, and by the end of the month it will have presented me with a whole host of interesting ideas, which may be turned into a novel, one day.
As for the Dystopian novel, I have been presented with a problem, which I saw coming a mile off. It was meticulously planned, and in planning, it's very easy to kill of your characters. You just write, "Arthur dies," and there you have it - Arthur is dead. In actual writing, you have just spent 13 days with Arthur, and you're far too attached to him to just kill him off. I have a feeling my novel will end up with a whole lot less deaths than I originally intended, simply because I'm a wussy writer who doesn't want to kill people. We shall see how that progresses.
Conclusion is that writing two novels may have been overreaching myself, just a little. On the other hand, it may still be salvagable, after I hand in my final essay come Friday, and then have two weeks of frantic novelling stretching before me. I have seriously considered just giving up on Nano, looking at my thirty-something-thousand words with pride, and then taking up a series of short stories in which Enjolras and Cicero solve crime instead. But I've found that I can't do it. After four years of successfully completing Nano, I don't want to break my streak. I really like those little purple badges that sit on my profile and make me feel incredibly smug. So I'm not giving up yet. I am just taking a break. I want that purple badge.
I hope the rest of you Wrimos out there are feeling more motivated than me, and also finding yourselfs burdened with less essays on the moral decline of the Late Roman Republic. Happy novelling! (If you're not doing Nanowrimo, and are feeling left out, I promise you a post later this week, written by my lovely sister, on why Nano doesn't have to be everyone's cup of tea. Watch this space.)
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Reports from the Novelling Front: Day 14
4 comments:
Wait--so you're attempting to do 100,000 words then? 50 for each novel? If that's true. Wow!ReplyDelete
I want that purple badge too. And the funny thing is, just last September, I didn't even care. I sorta got excited about it in October. Decided to try it. I'm about 26K. So right on track.
And no. I am not burdened with any essays on the moral decline of the Late roman Republic. Makes life a lot easier! :)
You can totally do this! Don't get down. Even if you only end up writing one novel, then it was worth it. But you still have plenty of time to finish both. So keep writing.
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Banking Lawyer
- Recruiter
- Chadwick Nott
- Location
- England, Berkshire
- Salary
- £60000 - £110000 per annum
- Posted
- 05 Mar 2018
- Closes
- 02 Apr 2018
- Ref
- Contact
- Penny Heighway
- Sector/Practice Area
- Banking/Finance
- Vacancy Type
- Lawyers, Private Practice
- Contract/hours
- Full time
Banking Lawyer
60k to 110k
Our client, a national practice with a progressive and entrepreneurial vision, coupled with a client-focused approach is seeking to recruit a 2PQE plus banking Solicitor/Associate to join their growing banking team in their new flagship office in Reading.
The role will involve assisting on a broad range of syndicated, bilateral and club financings including real estate finance, leveraged buyouts, asset based lending and general corporate lending (for both lenders, borrowers and PE funds including domestic UK and cross boarder deals). You will be given the opportunity to develop existing client relationships with the support to help you develop your experience and career. This is an opportunity to be part of a growing team with no barriers to future promotion for the right candidate.
The role will involve working on transactional banking matters acting for bank and other lenders as well as borrower, corporate and private equity clients. Working in a team you will be responsible for drafting and negotiating all primary documents (loan agreements, security documents and intercreditor agreements) and managing the transactions to a successful completion.
For more details and a confidential discussion about this role please contact Penny Heighway at Chadwick Nott.
0739 378 2702
Chadwick Nott Ltd is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.


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An annual multi-trip / frequent traveller policy covers any trip made internationally and domestically within the year.
Please note - There is no limit on the number of journeys you can make during the period of insurance but insurance is limited to maximum of 90 days for any one journey.
A single trip policy covers one trip only.
Bank of Queensland Limited ABN 32 009 656 740, AFSL and ACL No 244616@ Copyright All rights reserved


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Namaycush Sentence Examples
- Salmon trout (Salvelinus namaycush, Walb.) and whitefish (Coregonus clupeiformis, Mitchill) are the most numerous and valuable.
- The fishing industry of Lake Superior is important, salmon-trout (Salvelinus namaycush, Walb), ranging from 10 to 50 lb in weight, being gathered from the individual fishermen by steam tenders and shipped by rail to city markets.


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Zwane happy to be an impact player
Posted: 13 April 2018 Time: 20:30
Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Themba Zwane says he is comfortable coming on as an impact player for the side.
Zwane, who has four goals and six assists in all competitions this season, came on as a substitute in three of Sundowns' matches last week against Cape Town City, Chippa United and Baroka FC.
READ: Zwane denies Mosimane's claims
The last time 'Mshishi' started a league match was on March 2, when Masandawana beat AmaZulu 3-1 at King Zwelithini Stadium. Coach Pitso Mosimane has recently gone with Uruguayan Gaston Sirino in his starting line-up, using Zwane as an impact player in the second half.
READ: Slight change to Downs, Wits clash
Despire not featuring in the starting line-up, Zwane says he is happy to come off the bench, as long as the team is winning.
"At the moment I put the team first. As long as the team is winning I appreciate whatever time the coach gives me," Zwane tells KickOff.com.
"I will do my best with whatever time they give me on the pitch."
Sundowns take on outgoing league champions Bidvest Wits at Loftus Stadium on Saturday (18h00), hoping to open the gap at the top of the table to six points.
After losing the title to the Clever Boys last season, Sundowns want to make sure that they get the job done this time round.
Get the latest Sundowns news sent to your phone!


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Marcy Playground "Marcy Playground" (SDS-1501) First time on HQ-180g black vinyl. Printed inside cover and includes inner sleeve.
We have a limited number in stock now. Contains the Alt.Radio classic "Sex and Candy"... but the record is so much more than that. "Saint Joe on the School Bus" is a classic in its own right and sadly "One More Suicide" is even more relevant today than 20 years ago when it was written.
Mastered from the 1630 digital source, Kevin Gray did his magic to the original recording which is full of warmth and dynamics. Pressed from the same metal mother of our previous Marcy Playground releases this 180g pressing is dead quiet. It makes a case that 180g actually does sound better, a theory I sometimes struggle with.
"Stop and Hear the Music"