The singular focus on the pavement below helped clear his mind of its daily clutter, however, and freed him to think about the things in life that matter most to him.
Shopoff sent family, friends and colleagues regular updates � about flat-tire repairs, critiques of America’s motels and diners, and how the troupe handled the absence of roadside facilities � via a blog he fed from his cell phone on the road.
Since completing the ride in early October, Shopoff says he still notices which way the wind is blowing. “If the wind is behind you on the bike, it cuts the work in half. When the wind is coming at you, it can be extremely difficult.”
Has he inspired co-workers with his feat? “No,” Shopoff said. “Most of them think it’s a little nuts. I get compliments for having done it, but very few people want to do it themselves.”
� Petra Pasternak
WHY NOT ORRICK DEWEY?
Ralph Baxter Jr. and Morton Pierce were eager to share the highlights of the upcoming merger between their firms, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and Dewey Ballantine.
Well, most of them.
The co-chairmen-to-be waxed eloquently Wednesday about the plan to combine their firms, how well they’ll harmonize in sharing the reins of power, and how everyone agreed the new firm ought to be called “Dewey Orrick.” Makes sense to lead with the New York component, Pierce said, since it’ll be the bigger office. But asked about an online rumor on the topic, both men went silent.
Last month, a poster to an entry on the Wall Street Journal’s law blog � signing off as “insider” � wrote that if the merger happens, the Dewey name “will have to come first, as Dewey Ballantine’s agreement with the Thomas Dewey estate allows them to use the Dewey name only if it come[s] first.”
Baxter and Pierce, as the saying goes, would neither confirm nor deny the allegation. But Dewey Executive Director Dennis D’Alessandro said in a statement Friday that the name of the new firm was not influenced by any such agreement. “During the merger discussions between Dewey and Orrick, there were, to my knowledge, no references to provisions in any agreement between the estate of Thomas Dewey and Dewey Ballantine LLP.”
� Zusha Elinson
