Obituary — John M. Hartenstein

Bond attorney John M. Hartenstein died Sunday at his home in Berkeley, Calif. He was 52.

Mr. Hartenstein chaired the school finance and general obligation bonds group at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in San Francisco.

He was an authority on voter-approved debt, California election law, and California school and community college districts. Mr. Hartenstein developed a bond and disclosure counsel practice that stretched across the state.

He was credited with helping draft laws implementing Proposition 39, the 2000 ballot measure that lowered the threshold to 55% for passing most California local school bond measures. It led to a wave of school GO issuance.

“He was a friend to school districts in California and provided counsel to many of us trying to understand the complicated world of bond and debt financing,” said long-time client Patty Hagemeyer, chief business officer for the Sacramento Unified School District. “On a personal level, he always made time for those of us lucky enough to work with him. I will miss him greatly.”

Mr. Hartenstein’s colleagues remember a man apt to sprint through halls, take stairs two at a time, and avidly debate etymology — the history of words and language — with the help of the complete Oxford English Dictionary in his office.

“He was an excellent and thoughtful attorney who cared deeply about his clients. As importantly, he was a true gentleman and a dear friend,” said Roger Davis, chair of the public finance department at Orrick.

Friends describe Mr. Hartenstein as a true son of Berkeley, who graduated from Berkeley High School and received his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. He also received a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

From 1984 to 1988, he was a policy analyst at San Francisco International Airport. Before attending law school, he trained as a pastry chef in Vienna, Austria.

Mr. Hartenstein is survived by his daughter Meena and many family members and friends.

A memorial service will be held Saturday at noon at the Julia Morgan Center for the Arts at 2640 College Ave., Berkeley, Calif.

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