HARRY B. SONDHEIM PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD 2012 NOMINEE. Robert L. Kehr and Jerome Sapiro, Jr. GUIDELINES ELIGIBILITY, AND CRITERIA

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1 HARRY B. SONDHEIM PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD 2012 NOMINEE Nominee: Paul W. Vapnek Attorney, San Francisco Bar Number: Date of Admission: 1965 Disciplinary/Administrative Actions: None Nominator(s): Robert L. Kehr and Jerome Sapiro, Jr. Letters of Support: Harry B. Sondheim Kurt W. Melchior Ellen R. Peck Mark L. Tuft Hon. Ignazio J. Ruvolo GUIDELINES ELIGIBILITY, AND CRITERIA X X X X X X X X X At least 15 years in the practice of law in California; Service as a member of COPRAC, the Rules Revision Commission, or another State Bar or Supreme Court committee charged with studying a professional responsibility Service as a member of the Board of Governors Service as a member of a county bar or specialty bar association ethics committee, including specialty groups such NOBC or APRL Experience teaching professional responsibility to law students, including as an adjunct Extensive writing and MCLE presentations on professional responsibility Service in the State Bar discipline system as a trial counsel, a respondent s counsel or a State Bar Court Judge, or in the State Bar Professional Competence Office Service as a fee arbitrator Service as an expert witness on matters of professional responsibility Litigation experience in attorney professional liability or related subjects Experience giving risk management advice to lawyers, including activity as a member of law firm management or on behalf of legal malpractice insurance carriers Service as a member of the ABA House of Delegates on behalf of a group in the California caucus (i.e., a State Bar delegate or a local California bar association delegate) Charitable financial contributions directed toward the support of professional responsibility programs or activities (i.e., sponsorship of educational events; or State Bar Foundation contributions) Noteworthy activity as a legislative or judicial proponent of advancing professional standards and the law governing lawyers in California (including, revision, interpretation, enactment or repeal of governing standards). 1

2 NOMINATION FORM AND INSTRUCTIONS 2013 Harry B. Sondheim California Professional Responsibility Award For Outstanding Long-Term Contribution to the Advancement of Attorney Professional Responsibility Standards in California Nomination Deadline: Friday, August 31, 2012, 11:59pm Instructions: Self-nominations are accepted. Anonymous nominations are not accepted. The following documents are required for a complete application submission: 1. Nomination Form. 2. At least one (1) but no more than five (5) letters in support of the nomination. Letters should be addressed to the Harry B. Sondheim Award Selection Committee and should be submitted together with the other application materials. 3. Resume or a separate document describing the accomplishments, contributions and/or initiatives of the nominee in the area of professional responsibility. Depending on the accomplishments of the nominee, this may include a list of relevant published cases where the nominee served as counsel or the judicial officer; and/or a list of relevant articles or other publications authored by the nominee including, if available, URL links. If an article is not readily available online a scanned PDF of the article may be requested by the selection committee after submission of the nominator s materials. Submit the nomination form and all accompanying materials electronically by using this online form by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, August 31, The total size of all documents submitted electronically should not exceed 10 MB. The entire application submission should not exceed 25 pages, excluding the nomination form. Submit only one nomination per nomination form. If you wish to nominate more than one person, a separate form and submission package is required for each nominee. Nominators will receive notification acknowledging receipt of each nomination within five (5) business days. Please contact Ms. Marlaud at angela.marlaud@calbar.ca.gov to confirm receipt of submission if needed. Please carefully and thoroughly prepare a nomination submission. If a nomination package is incomplete, the nomination may be disqualified. Please note that all submissions are treated as public record information. Additional Information on the Harry B. Sondheim Professional Responsibility Award NOMINEE INFORMATION Name of Nominee: Paul W. Vapnek Title/Position: Partner Firm/Organization: Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP Address: 2 Embarcadero Center City San Francisco State CA Zip Code Address: pvapnek@kilpatricktownsend.com Phone Number:

3 NOMINATOR INFORMATION Name of Nominator (Your Name): Robert L. Kehr Close Title/Position: Partner Firm/Organization: Kehr, Schiff & Crane, LLP Address: Wilshire Blvd. Address: 13th Fl. City Los Angeles State CA Zip Code Address Phone Number ATTACHMENTS Resume and/or Supporting Documents (required) Resume and/or Supporting Documents Resume and/or Supporting Documents file: RLKltrtoCommitteereVapnek.pdf (83k) Upload Upload Upload Letter of Support #1 (required) Letter of Support #2 file: SondheimltrrePaulVapnek.pdf (50k) Upload file: SeLegueltrrePaulVapnek.pdf (19k) Upload Letter of Support #3 Letter of Support #4 file: LamportltrrePaulVapnek.pdf (54k) Upload file: RuvololtrrePaulVapnek.pdf (41k) Upload Letter of Support #5 file: PeckletterreVapnek.doc (44k) Upload 3

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6 NOMINATION FORM AND INSTRUCTIONS 2013 Harry B. Sondheim California Professional Responsibility Award For Outstanding Long-Term Contribution to the Advancement of Attorney Professional Responsibility Standards in California Nomination Deadline: Friday, August 31, 2012, 11:59pm Instructions: Self-nominations are accepted. Anonymous nominations are not accepted. The following documents are required for a complete application submission: 1. Nomination Form. 2. At least one (1) but no more than five (5) letters in support of the nomination. Letters should be addressed to the Harry B. Sondheim Award Selection Committee and should be submitted together with the other application materials. 3. Resume or a separate document describing the accomplishments, contributions and/or initiatives of the nominee in the area of professional responsibility. Depending on the accomplishments of the nominee, this may include a list of relevant published cases where the nominee served as counsel or the judicial officer; and/or a list of relevant articles or other publications authored by the nominee including, if available, URL links. If an article is not readily available online a scanned PDF of the article may be requested by the selection committee after submission of the nominator s materials. Submit the nomination form and all accompanying materials electronically by using this online form by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, August 31, The total size of all documents submitted electronically should not exceed 10 MB. The entire application submission should not exceed 25 pages, excluding the nomination form. Submit only one nomination per nomination form. If you wish to nominate more than one person, a separate form and submission package is required for each nominee. Nominators will receive notification acknowledging receipt of each nomination within five (5) business days. Please contact Ms. Marlaud at angela.marlaud@calbar.ca.gov to confirm receipt of submission if needed. Please carefully and thoroughly prepare a nomination submission. If a nomination package is incomplete, the nomination may be disqualified. Please note that all submissions are treated as public record information. Additional Information on the Harry B. Sondheim Professional Responsibility Award NOMINEE INFORMATION Name of Nominee: Paul W. Vapnek Title/Position: Senior Counsel Firm/Organization: Kilpatrick Townsend Address: Eighth Floor, Two Embarcadero Center City San Francisco State CA Zip Code Address: pvapnek@kilpatricktownsend.com Phone Number:

7 NOMINATOR INFORMATION Name of Nominator (Your Name): Jerome Sapiro, Jr. Close Title/Position: Lawyer Firm/Organization: The Sapiro Law Firm Address: Suite 201 Address: 77 Van Ness Avenue City San Francisco State CA Zip Code Address Phone Number ATTACHMENTS Resume and/or Supporting Documents (required) file: PaulW.Vapnek.pdf (55k) Upload Delete Resume and/or Supporting Documents Upload Delete Resume and/or Supporting Documents Upload Delete Letter of Support #1 (required) file: ltrtoharryb.sondheimawardselectioncommitteedated pdf (98k) Upload Delete Letter of Support #2 file: MelchiorletterreVapnek pdf (100k) Upload Delete Letter of Support #3 file: AronsletterreVapnek.pdf (69k) Upload Delete Letter of Support #4 file: MarkTuftletterrePaulVapnek.pdf (55k) Upload Delete Letter of Support #5 Upload Delete 7

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15 ELLEN R. PECK, Lawyer PRACTICE LIMITED TO LAWYERS= PROFESSIONAL 2410 CRESTVIEW ESTATES PLACE RESPONSIBILITIES AND ETHICS ESCONDIDO, CALIFORNIA Tel.: Fax: DATE: July 15, 2012 TO: SUBJECT: Angela Marlaud Letter of Support for Nomination of Paul W. Vapnek for 2013 Harry B. Sondheim California Professional Responsibility Award For Outstanding Long-Term Contribution to the Advancement of Attorney Professional Responsibility Standards in California Dear Angela: I join Robert Kehr and others in enthusiastically supporting the nomination of Paul W. Vapnek for the 2013 Harry B. Sondheim California Professional Responsibility Award for Outstanding Long-Term Contribution to the Advancement of Attorney Professional Responsibility Standards in California. I have known and worked with Paul Vapnek since I first began to work in the field of professional responsibility and ethics in He has been kind enough to serve as a mentor to me for many years. Since I regard Paul Vapnek as the Father of California ethics programs, I cannot think of a person more deserving of this second award. In 1978, Mr. Vapnek and his fellow members of the fledgling State Bar Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct worked to build a new ethics committee, the membership s confidence in an ethics opinion program and other State Bar risk management programs for lawyers in ethics. Paul Vapnek was one of the hardest working members and soon rose to a leadership position. Between 1978 and 1983, Paul Vapnek: 1. Worked tirelessly to obtain funding for and establishment of a publication that became known as the State Bar s California Compendium on Professional Responsibility. For example, Paul personally appeared at the then Board of Governors committee meetings to persuade the Governors to approve funding for the publication. 2. Volunteered to provide editorial services and made other contributions to the State Bar s California Compendium on Professional Responsibility. 3. Personally assisted in the promotion of the Compendium after publication to all California law libraries, private law firms and others. 4. Also recommended that the then Board of Governors fund a toll free Ethics Hotline to provide ethics information to California lawyers to maintain and improve their professional standards. 5. Assisted in developing standards and procedures for the operation of the new Ethics Hotline and provided technical support for the staff providing line services. 15

16 6. Promoted continuing legal education for lawyers in ethics and professional responsibility by personally encouraging sponsorship of such programs and by volunteering his time to teach them. Mr. Vapnek continued to volunteer his time and energy in the field of ethics and professional responsibility through succeeding decades, as Mr. Kehr has outlined in his excellent letter. In my opinion, the recipient of this award should not only be a leading contributor in the field of California professional responsibility, but also, like the first recipient of this award, be a personal example of the values of this field. In this respect, Paul Vapnek has been a personal role model to me; he is well respected by our colleagues as one who walks like he talks. Paul is a model of civility, who stretches out the hand of professionalism, friendship and caring to all lawyers, whether powerful or unknown, regardless of gender, race, religion, age, ethnic origin or any other personal attribute. In our extremely competitive lawyer market place, when Paul s name is mentioned, everyone has good things to say about him and I have never heard anything bad about him. In his work, he is a model of competence, hard work, and genuine caring about achieving the best results for a client. In professional volunteer efforts, he is issue oriented, not ego-driven and searches for mutually agreeable compromise. Like the first recipient for whom this award is named, Paul Vapnek is a pioneer in the field of attorney professional responsibility and ethics, who continues to contribute to this vital field of law. I hope that you will recognize his long labors and unique contribution by naming him as the next recipient of this wonderful award. Very truly yours, Ellen R. Peck 16

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