What's in a Name?

GA was perusing a web site called Above The Law this morning... have you heard of it?  Here is how it describes itself:

AboveTheLaw.com takes a behind-the-scenes look at the world of law. The site provides news and gossip about the profession’s most colorful personalities and powerful institutions, as well as original commentary on breaking legal developments. 

It is extremely widely read in the legal profession- ask Not-Stempler.

I'm told the salacious items grab the most attention.

For example, if the wife of a partner at a white-shoe law firm were to be indicted as part of a criminal enterprise that allegedly intercepted emails from the mayor of a city... well, that's the kind of gossip one would find there.

If that were to ever happen.  Yet.

So when GA was at the site this morning, a name popped out at me: Dan Neff.   Neff is co-chair of the Executive Committee at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz:

Where did GA hear that name.... oh, yes!

Thomas Neff!

Neff is the NJ Director of Local Government Services who just warned the Hoboken City Council minority that the consequences of not passing the line item budget transfer are ILLEGAL- they violate statutory law.  According to The Jersey Journal:  

Without the line transfers, the Hoboken council will not be able to pay these bills without exceeding their allotted budget, which Neff noted is illegal.

Neff added that the city may not only violate statutory law, but also suffer financial difficulty.

"Any overexpenditures or deferred charges must be raised in the subsequent year‘s budget within the spending and levy limitations of the cap laws," said Neff.

"I urge you to fulfill your fiduciary responsibilities and convene a special meeting to act on the budget transfers to avoid placing the municipality in this position," he added.

Council minority members Beth Mason, Mike Russo, Tim Occhipinti and Theresa Castellano voted against the resolution.

Wow!  I wonder if the Neff that warned Hoboken officials (including Beth Mason) that they were breaking the law by voting down the line item transfer is related to the Neff  that is co-chair of the Executive Committee at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz?

The population of NJ is 8.7 million, and Verizon White pages returned 100 Neffs. 

Here's what Intellius returned:

What are the chances...?

Wouldn't it be a scream if those Neffs were at the same Thanksgiving table... imagine the conversation:

"So Thom, how's work?"

"Stressful, Dan. These idiots in Hoboken are breaking NJ statutory law and forcing  us to call in a Fiscal monitor...  one in particular- Councilwoman Beth Mason, refuses to let her BA move line items in the budget. Can you believe that moron? She clearly doesn't understand her obligations."

"Did you say Mason?  Her husband, Ricky is a partner at my firm! He was the Treasurer of her last City Council campaign!  Did you say she's breaking the law? This doesn't look good for Wachtell... not good at all. The Executive Committee will have to review this."

Can you imagine that dinner conversation over a plate of turkey with stuffing?  Wouldn't that be ironic!   One Neff laying down the law ON (Beth) Mason, another Neff practicing the law WITH (Ricky) Mason...

Well, who knows if those two Neffs are related.  Maybe  GA's super-sleuth One Eye can look into it.

Who knows what's in a name?