Remembering Don Alexander.

• Position: In Memoriam

Don Alexander was my lawyer. For the past 12 years, Don Alexander also was my mentor, my confidant, and my very good friend. Not only was Don technically brilliant; he also was remarkably wise, thoughtful, and caring. Don was a man who epitomized integrity. And his razor sharp wit and keen humor were beautiful things to behold.

IRS Eats No Bananas

My first encounter with Don was in the 1970s when I was a young tax lawyer in San Francisco employed by Castle & Cooke, the predecessor of Dole Foods. I had migrated from Brooklyn and was eager to develop my West Coast tax career. To kick things off, I joined TEI. Then, as luck would have it, I was presented with a unique opportunity. Don Alexander was IRS Commissioner and I was asked to testify on a regulations project before Commissioner Alexander and the IRS at a hearing in Washington.

My mission was to convince the IRS that bananas were not produced in commercial quantities in the United States. As props, I bought with me six boxes of perfect-looking bananas grown in Latin America and two boxes of short, brown, stubby bananas grown in Hawaii. Following my presentation, I offered to leave the bananas at the IRS building at 1111 Constitution Avenue. Don quipped: "Mr. Coffino, you are at liberty to leave the bananas here, but we have a standing rule at IRS that employees are prohibited from eating taxpayer exhibits." The room filled with laughter.

Don Serves TEI

I encountered Don periodically in the years that followed, mainly at TEI conferences and meetings. Don was a sought-after speaker and always filled the room to capacity when he spoke. But Don was more than a speaker for TEI. When, in 1980 or 1981, TEI had to deal with a sensitive matter requiring the advice of counsel, the Executive Committee turned to Don Alexander for advice, which Don provided competently, promptly and, at his insistence, pro bono.

Getting Closer

My close relationship with Don Alexander began in 1997 when I joined Fremont Group, where Don had been a long time adviser. It was during this period that I learned more about and developed a deep appreciation for his keen intellect, his heroism during World War II, his passionate patriotism, his fierce loyalty to people he cared about, his absolute dedication to clients, and his unwavering friendship. It would be a gross understatement for me to state that I have been fortunate to include in my career the experience of knowing Don Alexander and having him serve as my lawyer...