Legal News

Circumstances of L.A. attorney's shooting a mystery

By Richard Binder

Jeffrey A. Tidus, a prominent Los Angeles attorney and former State Bar Board of Governors member, was found found fatally shot in the driveway of his Rolling Hills Estates home at 8:33 PM Monday night. He was transported to Torrance Memorial Hospital and pronounced dead at 9:30 AM on Tuesday.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting, stopping short of calling it a homicide.

Sheriff's Lt. Dave Dolson said authorities would be looking into Tidus' cases to determine whether his death might be linked to his work. He also tried to assure residents that the attorney's death appears not to have been random.

Tidus was an attorney with the civil law firm Baute & Tidus in downtown Los Angeles. A graduate of the UC Berkeley School of Law, Tidus had earned his undergraduate degree in history and economics from UC San Diego. After being admitted to the State Bar in 1979, he began his legal career with Lewis D?Amato Brisbois & Bisgaard.

Over his 30 year career, Tidus also worked with the former international law firm Coudert Brothers and with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips before joining Baute & Tidus.

Clients listed on his firm?s website included Hawthorne Savings, Thales Navigation, Isuzu Motors of America, California Federal Savings, Aames Financial, First Alliance Mortgage Company, First Los Angeles Bank, Tokai Bank, and now-defunct subprime mortgage lender New Century Financial.

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Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on December 09, 2009 (boomark / email).