BB&K In The News

BB&K Partner is Profiled in Riverside Lawyer Magazine

By Boyd Jensen

Attorney Mike Grant, transactional real estate specialist and a senior partner with the firm of Best Best and Krieger LLP “BB&K,” after practicing 40 years, will retire in early 2017. This quiet and dignified¹ representative of our Riverside legal community has an idyllic story.

Born in Fairfield, Iowa, the southeast corner of the state, population 7,000, he lived there for eleven years while his dad was working for the United States Department of Agriculture until transferred to Riverside in 1957. After attending Central Middle School (then Central Jr. High), he graduated from Riverside Poly High School (Class of ’64) with one of his future partners, John Wahlin…and as if choreographed, his high school diploma was signed by one of BB&K’s then senior partners, Art Littleworth, President of the Riverside Unified School Board.

Mike met his future wife, Chris Berkey, at Central Middle School. They became high school sweethearts and later, attended Brigham Young University together. After a year of college, Mike volunteered for a two-year LDS² mission in Argentina. He learned to speak Spanish fluently, which he retained, as well as his love for Argentina, its people and cuisine, being reminded when he on occasion has returned. He described his mission as a deeply “spiritual and life changing experience.”

He returned to BYU (graduating in 1970 – History & International Relations), proposed to Chris and commenced teaching Spanish at the LDS Language Training Center. Chris accepted his proposal, but so did the United States Navy. Given the Vietnam War and the draft, Mike decided he preferred seeing Vietnam from the air rather than the ground. Not long after their nuptials, Mike began officer and flight training at the Naval Air Station “NAS” in Pensacola, Florida.

His military service included flying 99 carrier combat missions in Vietnam and two cruises to the Western Pacific, after which he continued in the Naval Air Reserves flying the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior, which was used for electronic warfare and air refueling. He accumulated more than 2,000 flight hours, flying from seven different aircraft carriers and was part of a crew that set a record for the longest nonstop flight by a tactical Navy carrier aircraft— from NAS Rota, Spain to NAS Alameda, California (air refueling three times enroute). Mike retired from the Navy Reserves in 1995 as a “Commander.”³

While serving as legal officer in his Navy squadron, Mike studied and took the LSAT between cruises. He attended Hastings College of the Law from 1974 – 1977 and became a California lawyer in December of 1977. He clerked with BB&K after his second year (summer of ’76) and returned full time in 1977 following the bar exam. Mike loved the people and culture at BB&K and they loved him. It was much smaller then, only 25 attorneys in three offices (Riverside, Sun City & Palm Springs), compared to now with 185 attorneys in eight California offices and one office in Washington D.C. He still appreciates the people, the culture, and the friendships. Mike considers Art Littleworth, Justice Bart Gaut, Bill DeWolfe, Judge Dallas Holmes, Chris Carpenter, and others at BB&K as great examples and mentors.

Attorney Grant began specializing almost immediately in transactional real estate, representing a mix of private and public clients. Private clients have included commercial and residential developers, landowners selling/leasing property for development and portfolio investors. Public entity clients have included many cities, water districts, school districts and special districts. Mike became a partner in 1983 and has served on various nonprofit boards including; California Inland Empire Council, Boy Scouts of America; Visiting Nurses Association; Jefferson Transitional Programs; and is currently on the Board of Palm Springs Air Museum. Mike has always been active in his faith and for many years was the President (ecclesiastic presiding leader) of the Riverside units of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Practicing in Riverside allowed time for family, church, the Navy Reserves, public service, and the ten minute commute from home to office.

Two of Chris and Mike’s five children were born during his college and Vietnam years and all five graduated from Riverside’s North High School. Despite contacts with the legal field, none of their children pursued the law as a career. Their son was a “runner” at BB&K and is now a firefighter. All four of their daughters were in mock trial at North and had great experiences — one (Amy) being a top prosecutor in 1994. The girls include a CPA and a speech pathologist, although all daughters are also homemakers to Mike and Chris’ 15 grandchildren living in Gig Harbor, Washington; Kennewick, Washington; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Las Vegas, Nevada and Aurora (Chicago), Illinois.

The Grant family enjoys skiing together and cycling. Mike and his son cycled across Iowa (529 miles) in seven days as part of the annual RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.) BB&K partners Frank Adams, Jim Harper, and Mike participate in regional cycling events.

In terms of future plans, Chris and Mike may serve another LDS mission particularly in a Spanish speaking area. “No rocking chairs for us,” Mike says, to no one’s surprise. This Riverside boy, Navy flier, “Mormon Missionary” and quintessential representative of Riverside’s preeminent firm, will be a credit to our Riverside legal community whatever he chooses to do.

¹ Though he did drive a red Corvette “Sting Ray” for a while.
² Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon).
³ Navy Commander is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the other uniformed services.

Attorney Boyd Jensen of Garrett & Jensen has been a civil practitioner in Riverside County since 1979.

This article originally appeared in the September 2016 edition of Riverside Lawyer magazine, a publication of the Riverside County Bar Association. Reprinted with permission.