KEY WEST LOU / BIDEN AND MACRON FRIENDSHIP OBVIOUS

It was a pleasure watching Biden and Macron interact yesterday. Comforting. The friendship a true one. Not the phony put ons generally seen. The two actually like each other, trust each other.

They have differences. Both so acknowledged. However as friends they were confident they would work through them.

What a  difference an administration makes! Trump would have publicly embarrassed France and other nations by saying you are not meeting your NATO financial obligations. Pay up! The U.S. is considering pulling out if you do not.

A friend does not embarrass a supposed another by opening with a disparaging salvo. And a public one at that!

Trump loses again! Doesn’t seem to bother him. The 11th Circuit threw out the Special Master in the Mar-a-Lago case. Described Judge Cannon’s handling of it a “spectacle.”

If Trump opts to appeal, he will lose in the Supreme Court. The appeal will be a swift one. Removing the Special Master makes the road ahead for the Justice Department shorter and easier. Trump will be indicted.

Trump’s followers are becoming a smaller group. Shortly, if not already, it will consist solely of anti-Semites, white supremacists and haters in general. He has nowhere else to go for support.

A tale involving the Wall Street Journal.

On this day in 1970, a new federal agency opened its doors. The Environmental Protection Agency. What had been a small area of the law, expanded rapidly. Few lawyers knowledgeable. It became on the job training.

I was not involved. Not in 1970 and for 10 years. I was comfortable in the work I was doing and had no interest in learning something new. The closest I came to environmental work were asbestos cases. Asbestos did not fall under the purview of the EPA.

In 1980, I was convinced to get into a large environmental case in a significant way. I did so reluctantly. Again, I was comfortable with my practice, making a decent living and did not want to learn anything new.

As it turned out, I did not know what I was getting into. My life would change.

I was into the case about 6 months when I received a telephone call from a Wall Street Journal reporter in Atlanta. He wanted to fly up later in the day and meet me the next morning.

He spent the day interviewing me about the environmental case I had become involved in. The case concerned a major landfill that had contaminated everything around it years before. Millions of dollars involved. I was representing the two primary polluters. I had sued 603 other persons/businesses/companies that were potentially responsible also, though to a lesser degree.

A big deal.

Turned out to be a case of significance. My handling of it was novel at the time: I had sued 603 persons/businesses/companies who I thought were potentially responsible persons under the law. The only other large noteworthy case at the time was Love Canal in Buffalo.

I was in Key West 2 weeks later when the article broke in the Wall Street Journal. Front page right hand column.

My life changed that day. Everything. My practice, my bank account, my life. For the next 20 years.

The phone started ringing that day in Key West. Everyone wanted to talk with me. Actually, wanted me. Scary, initially. I was not as smart a they thought. Environmental law was still breaking new ground. I happened to have discovered a new mouse trap in my approach.

At one point in time, I had 3 top ten Harvard law graduates and a top NYU law graduate on my payroll. To provide the brain power. I was flying all over handling the cases. Represented only major corporations and large municipalities. When a prospective client called to talk with me, the first question was I available to speak with them later in the day or tomorrow., A corporate jet would fly to get me.

Meetings were only at the highest level. CEO, Vice-Presidents. Small group. The cases involved millions or billions of dollars. Secrecy imperative.

Hard work. However, exciting every step of the way.

My sole purpose in sharing this story with you is to show the value of being reported in the Wall Street Journal front page right hand column. Life changing. My words cannot even describe how much.

To Key West for a moment.

I mentioned Christmas decorations a few days ago. More and more every day. Trees and houses bright! Love it!

Busy doing the mundane yesterday.

A manicure with Tammy. Then a haircut with Lori.

Some exploring followed. I was looking for the Cow Key Marina. Took me time to find. I plan on writing about it tomorrow.

I finished my time on the road with lunch at Hogfish. Ate at the bar. Julia waited on me. Enjoyed hogfish and chips. The hogfish delicious. Julia charming.

Enjoy your day!

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]