Moving Metal

With both the 37 th Street and 26 th Street warehouses working to capacity, in 1956 Reliance built a new bay onto the 26 th Street facility, pictured here.

Preparing for a delivery of sheet metal in a truck sporting new lettering, shortly after Kaiser Aluminum convinced Neilan to change his company’s name to Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.

that could stand up with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. He was directed to the small but highly competent practice of Lawler, Felix & Hall of Los Angeles, and a lawyer named William T. “Bill” Coffin. “Can you deal with the Gibson lawyers?” Neilan asked. “Sure, I can handle it,” Coffin confidently replied. And so he could. Once negotiations resumed, Coffin matched the Gibson Dunn attorneys draft for draft. Bob Henigson, Coffin’s mentee, later laughed about the legal duel, reminiscing, “They were throwing these drafts back and forth like a ping pong ball!” Eventually the ball stopped; the

Corporation. Bernard Hiemenz represented Neilan during the ensuing negotiations conducted in August 1957 in Los Angeles. Hokin hired Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, then the biggest law firm in Los Angeles. Hiemenz found himself over- matched by the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher attorneys, who ground out new draft agreements overnight. “I can’t cope with these guys,” he admitted, “they’re too high-powered for me.” So he threw up his hands and excused himself from the negotiations. Neilan asked one of the officers he knew at National Farmers & Merchants Bank to recommend a firm

30