Political Junkie: Dewey, Cheatam, and Gonzalez?

The Recorder, Northern California's legal newspaper, breaks the news that mop-topped progressive pixie Matt Gonzalez is starting a law firm (subscription required) with his old Stanford Law School roommate and former SF public defender colleague, Whitney Leigh. The law firm of Gonzalez and Leigh, LLP will be opening its Pine Street offices on March 1. We're sure the name Gonzalez goes first purely on an alphabetical basis.

They're hoping to become the city's next high-level trial-oriented civil and criminal defense shop, like the prestigious local law firm Keker and Van Nest, started by former PD John Keker (and where Leigh used to work). Mr. Van Nest is all for it: "The one difference is that Gonzalez has been successful in politics, and John [who lost a supervisor election back in the 70s] hasn't." Ouch! Mr. Van Nest, you'll no doubt be seeing a sharp reduction in your share of the partnership profit distributions next week.

Gonzalez will be handling the criminal side and Leigh the civil (since civil, you know, brings in the money). Leigh also hopes to do pro bono progressive work with the Green Party. The other partners on deck in this Superfriends' Hall of Justice are: Aquaman Nima Nami (special powers of financial transactions) and Batman Bryan Vereshagin (with the utility belt of insurance fraud, personal injury, and toxic torts). No Wonder Women yet. And filling the Wonder Twin associate role is Enrique Pierce, who previously managed Gonzalez's campaign. (Funny, Pierce is not registered with the state bar. Shape of: a malpractice claim?)