Michael Reidenbach - Autobiographical Sketch
I was born in San Francisco on October 23, 1944. I grew up in Berkeley, and have lived in the Bay Area essentially my whole life. My mother’s side of the family goes back to 1852 in Oakland. My paternal grandfather was a prominent minister in Oakland at the First Congregational Church from 1933 until his retirement in 1972. My mother and father met at the church. My father was a medical doctor. I was very active in Boy Scouts growing up and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. I have three grown children who all live in the greater Bay Area.
Education
I graduated from Stanford University in 1967. I graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1972 and was admitted to practice law in California the same year. I studied graduate German at Middlebury College in Vermont in preparation for a job with Stanford University in Germany. I have also studied graduate military law at the University of Virginia. These military courses extended over a number of years in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.
Professional Information
My first job was with Stanford University as an administrator at Stanford’s overseas campus near Stuttgart, Germany, in 1968 and 1969. In 1972 I became a deputy district attorney in Alameda County. I did criminal trial work and also went on a six- month rotation to the state Attorney General's office in San Francisco where I did criminal appellate work. In 1972 I went to the law department of Pacific Gas and Electric Company where I still am. At PG&E my work has mostly been in complex business and regulatory litigation. I have developed a reputation for success in very large, difficult and controversial cases. Insurance issues have come up frequently in cases I have handled. Thus, I feel I have a professional background in insurance that extends well beyond my time as an agent (see also military duty on this point). I have also had two other significant assignments at PG&E. For five years I served as the general counsel of PG&E’s interstate pipeline company, Pacific Gas Transmission Company. I also served one year as the manager of compensation and benefits in the Human Resources Department. This work involved designing compensation plans, health plans, retirement plans, etc. I have belonged to a variety of professional legal organizations, but I do not think my involvement was significant enough to warrant mention.
My major professional related activity was grading the California Bar Exam, which I have done for well over twenty years.
Military Duty
In late 1969 I enlisted in the U.S. Army and ended up staying in the Army until late 2000, almost 31 years. Most of this time was spent in the Reserve, not on active duty. The vast bulk of that time in the Army was spent in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) or Army lawyers. As you can imagine, a lawyer in the military does all sorts of legal work. However, there is one type of legal work that has a significant bearing on my business interests now. Both in Reserve status and on active duty I would often serve as a Legal Assistance Officer. All military personnel and their dependents are entitled to free legal assistance from a JAG officer. This involves helping them with essentially every legal matter, including wills, debt problems, consumer protection issues, employment problems, criminal problems, etc. I have done this type of work for many years. It is significant for two reasons. First, through the military I have considerable experience with estate planning and insurance. Second, from this experience I learned that I obtain considerable satisfaction out of helping people with their personal problems and issues. It has helped shape my interest in an insurance and estate planning business.
Community Activities
In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s I served a four year term on the school board of the Orinda Union School District. For many years I have been actively involved in historic preservation activities in Oakland. I am currently serving as the Moderator (chief lay person) of the First Congregational Church of Oakland (where my grandfather was the minister) and am working hard to help revitalize the church.
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