Bakersfield.com

I live in Stockdale Estates with my wife Alice, daughter Paige (8 1/2), son Blair (7 1/2), daughter Taber (7 months), and Boston Terrier Bruno (12) I am a business and real estate attorney with Borton Petrini, LLP, My wife is a very busy homemaker and Mary Kay Consultant. My children attend Downtown School. We are very active members of First Presbyterian Church.

I was born and raised in Bakersfield, although I left for nearly 14 years after high school, returning in 1993.  I graduated from South High School (1978), U.C. Davis, with a degree in Economics and Political Science (1982), and the University of Southern California with a J.D. and MBA (1986).  I have been a lawyer for over 20 years.  I have also taught business law and ethics at various local universities since 1997; taught various law school courses at California Pacific School of Law; and periodically teach Real Estate Law for CSUB's Extended Studies Program.   I am passionate about doing everything possible to making Bakersfield a great place to live. Although I have no problem with my children going away to college to gain new experiences, I would like to see them return after college or grad school to make Bakersfield better than when they left.  In that regard, I am starting to get involved in programs to stop the "brain drain" of talented Bakersfield citizens that leave Bakersfield each year and do not return.

I am an avid Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, USC Trojan football, and CSUB Roadrunner basketball fan.  I am so avid that I even track the Angels minor league system and follow high school recruiting.

I am an active user of Bakersfield.com, not so  I can read the newspaper for free (I subscribe to The Bakersfield Californian, including the electronic version through Newstand.com), but rather, to do Restaurant Reviews. I have the same philosophy about restaurant reviews that I have about movies. Basically, if you have worked hard enough to make a movie (or in the case of a restaurant, to open shop, observe all laws, and pay your employees), you deserve at least a C or three stars. I would never give a restaurant less than 3 starts unless I believe a restaurant owner is intentionally acting in bad faith.  On the other hand, I like to reserve 5 stars to those restaurants that serve excellent food, provide timely service, and make their customers feel like that customer is their only customer.

User Name:usclawyer
Real Name:MICHAEL ABRIL
Email:usclawyer@hotmail.com
Gender:male
Date of Birth:March 12, 1960
Member Since:March 14, 2006
Last Signed In:November 20, 2008
Profile Views:714
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