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BY LARRY SOKOLOFF ’92
PHOTOS BY NANCY MARTIN 2009 CELEBRATION OF LEADERSHIP
AND ACHIEVEMENT An impressive group of alumni and friends of the School of Law was honored on May 1 at the law school’s Celebration of Leadership and Achievement event held at the Hyatt Santa Clara.
Larry Sonsini received the Santa Clara Law Amicus award, given for the first time. He is chairman of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, and has been described by Fortune magazine as “the most important lawyer in the most important industry for the past 30 years.” Since 2003, he has served Santa Clara University as a trustee and Santa Clara Law as a member of the Dean’s High Tech Advisory Council. In addition, his firm is a benefactor of SCU’s High Tech Law Institute. In 2004, Sonsini gave the law school’s commencement address.
“Larry Sonsini changed the way lawyers provide legal advice and services to the technology industry,” said Santa Clara Law Dean Don Polden. “His entrepreneurial spirit and creativity in shaping the ways that lawyers protect their clients’ intellectual property made him a leader and visionary in the early days of Silicon Valley, and continue to this day.”
The Edwin J. Owens Lawyer of the Year award was presented to Ronald H. Malone ’71, a partner at Shartsis Friese in San Francisco, and one of the nation’s leading fiduciary litigators. Representing the interests of donors and charitable trusts in some of the nation’s largest and most important cases, he is especially respected for his work in the field of donor intent. Recently he represented a family which sued Princeton University over its claim that the family’s large endowment was being abused. After a tough, multi-million dollar legal battle, Princeton agreed to pay back $101 million to the family foundation.
The Owens Award is named for its first recipient, Edwin J. Owens, dean of Santa Clara’s law school for 20 years, and later a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge.
Recipients of the Alumni Special Achievement Award were W. David P. Carey and the Honorable Jean High Wetenkamp.
W. David P. Carey III ’81, MBA ’82, is president and CEO of Outrigger Enterprises in Hawaii, which has become one of the largest and fastest-growing privately held leisure lodging and hospitality companies in the Pacific region. Before joining Outrigger in 1986, he practiced real estate and corporate law at the law firm of Carlsmith Wichman Case Mukai and Ichiki. Carey is active in educational issues, and has worked with Hawaii’s Department of Education to strengthen the islands’ public schools.
The Honorable Jean High Wetenkamp ’76 retired this year after a long career in criminal law, including 12 years as an assistant district attorney, and 20 years as a judge in Santa Clara County. She is well known for handling some of the area’s toughest criminal cases with fairness and professionalism. She has served as president of the Santa Clara Law Alumni Association, and as a member of the law school’s Board of Visitors.
Alumni Special Achievement Awards have been given since 2001 to alumni who have distinguished themselves in their profession, community, and service to humanity. For a list of past award winners, visit law.scu.edu/lawyerswholead.
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