AIG, I Quit -- a different perspective

I sometimes joke that I represent the "wrongly accused and misunderstood." But, for my clients that is not really a joke. You never really know until you get the full story. In this crazy time, I thought that the attached article by one of the recipients of the AIG bonuses was an interesting counterpoint to other perspectives.

So, this leads to some questions: anyone in our class working for the government on the bailout?How about in a bank doing bailout-related work? Any lawyers out there working on part of this? It would be great to hear what people are up to.

Financial Crisis Debate

With so many of our classmates in DC and on Wall Street, I pose the following question:  who is most responsible for our country's financial condition -- DC, Wall Street or Main Street?  Please let everyone know what you think.  As you consider your answer, please consider the attached post and related speakers via YouTube.

Liddy Manson is CEO of DigitalSports.com

 

Some interesting news about Liddy Manson.  Liddy is now the CEO of DigitalSports.com.  Before joining DigitalSports in November of '08, she served as the Chief Operating Officer of Freewebs, Inc. a venture backed, early-stage internet company focused on user-generated content and social publishing.  Prior to joining Freewebs in January of '07, Liddy spent nine years in various senior management roles at the interactive subsidiary of The Washington Post Company.  In those years she served in both functional roles (sales, marketing, business development) and ran the largest P&L at the company, Local Commercial Products and Online Classifieds.

DigitalSports - About Us - Management Team

Wife/Mother/Worker/Spy - The Adult Thing to Do - NYTimes.com

Last year, my mother passed away after a difficult struggle with cancer.  It is the sort of thing that people in our class are likely to face more and more frequently.  I found the article attached to this link relevant to all of us who have had to help a parent through an illness.

Wife/Mother/Worker/Spy - The Adult Thing to Do - NYTimes.com

Yale Alumni Magazine -- David Swensen's Guide to Sleeping Soundly

Here is a very interesting article from the recent Yale Alumni Magazine.  The latest issue is, I think, particularly good.

Yale Alumni Magazine

Thinking about the curve balls life sometimes throws us

As you can tell, the Class Blog is becoming a bit more than a posting of news.  It seems that many of us have dealt with the same things, which is not much of a surprise.  So, I thought that from time to time I might post a piece or two on items I find interesting with the hope that you find them interesting as well.  Please let me know if you do.

Sunday morning, over coffee, I read a New York Times piece written by the husband of a woman who became a paralyzed in a car accident.  I was touched by the article and thought I would share it.  (One of our classmates read the same article and posted it on Facebook.) 

When one chooses a life partner, one never knows what might come up.  For better or worse can seem like an easy promise to make, but life is not always easy.  There are bumps, sometimes big ones, along the way.  I found the way this couple dealt with one such bump inspirational.

If you come across other stories or topics that interest you that you would like to share, please send them my way.

Modern Love - In a Charmed Life, a Road Less Traveled - NYTimes.com

Yale Class of 1987 Lunch -- NYC

With Spring threatening to melt away the snow, we hope you can make it out for the class lunch on Thursday, March 12 from 12:30 to 2 in the Tap Room (3rd Floor). The Yale Club is located at 44th Street and Vanderbilt.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A YALE CLUB MEMBER TO JOIN US FOR THE LUNCH!

Our success has inspired the Class of 1989 (as well as the Classes of 1986 and 1988) to join us, so come early to get a seat at the main 1987 table.

As always, the lunch will consist of the Tap Room's buffet, non-alcoholic beverage and coffee.

The cost is only $25. Members can sign for the lunch and all others can pay by check payable to "The Yale Club of New York City."

PLEASE RSVP TO PAUL SARKOZI (pdsarkozi@hhlaw.com) SO THAT WE RESERVE ENOUGH SPACE.

SEE YOU THERE!

Facebook | Yale Class of 1987 Lunch -- NYC

The Ivy Referral Network (IRN) on LinkedIn

I recently heard about a new networking group on LinkedIn for Ivy grads.  Apparently people have enjoyed this, so I pass it on for what it is worth.  Formed by a Princeton grad, the network not only links people together virtually, it also holds networking events.  This network is not run by a business -- it is run by the people who attend the events.

I hear that this group has a Yale Referral Network that they are about to launch, too.  If you're interested in more information, please let me know.

Welcome to Ivy Referral Network (IRN) on LinkedIn

Class of '87 Alumni Fund Update

A toast to our legion of Class Agents, who thus far have shepherded our annual Alumni Fund efforts through interesting times. As you may know, the endowment lost 25% of its value since mid-2008, proving it is neither invulnerable nor immune to the market. Versus our $230,000 target, our Class has raised $181,000(79% of goal) from 215 classmates, meaning that 1 in 6 of us has given to the Fund this fiscal year.

Here is the breakdown by college:

Calhoun 30.2% participation
Morse 23.1%
Branford 22.4%
Pierson 19.0%
D'port 17.6%
JE 16.5%
Saybrook 15.2%
Trumbull 14.4%
Stiles 14.3%
Berkeley 13.8%
TD 10.5%
Silliman 7.7%

Thanks much to those have already participated and thanks to our Agents. Recall that our class also has the legacy of breaking Yale's 10th, 15th, and 20th Reunion Gift Records. It's not too late. Do what you can, at any level, even $50. Annual participation adds up, and helps ensure the legacy of an institution that now gets 25,000 freshman applicants per year, and was first established over 300 years ago, by one single gift...........

Regards, Gavin Wellington (Chair of Agents '87)

Yale Global Day of Service

The Yale Global Day of Service is slated for May 16, 2009 -- and their web site is up and running.  Please visit it to find out about opportunities in your community to participate in this wonderful event.

Yale Global Day of Service

Feb Club Emeritus

Feb Club Emeritus 2009 is in the books.  

28 nights, 62 cities, 6 continents, 5,000+ Yale alums from 7 decades of classes later, Feb Club '09 has drawn to a close.  From the all-night fest in London to the elegant carving stations in Newport; from the six-foot groundhog in Pittsburgh to the celebration of Bacchus in New Orleans; from central command in Kabul to Alumni Tang in Boston; from the sophisticated Ambassador Bar in San Francisco to the month-ending blowout in New Haven, it was a month to remember (or not, depending exactly how much fun one might have had.....).

Check back over the next few days as the tales and photos from this legendary month continue to roll in.

A special thanks goes to Jordan Warshaw, for his tireless work to get this month going, as well as all of the hosts.  What a month!

Feb Club Emeritus

Laid-Off Lawyers and Other Professionals - WSJ.com

Classmate Kinney Zalesne wrote a very interesting article about lay offs and lawyers.  Being a lawyer at a big firm, I found the article to be interesting and insightful.  What do you think?

Laid-Off Lawyers and Other Professionals - WSJ.com