LOS ANGELES — Public finance attorney Jeffrey A. Stava has died. He was 56.
A memorial service was held Monday in Brea, Calif.
Stava, who died on Dec. 30, worked virtually his entire career at Nossaman LLP, where he was a partner. He joined the firm as an associate in 1987.
"He was just the nicest person to work with that a person could hope to have as a co-worker or to work on a deal with," said Albert Reyes, a Nossaman partner, who worked closely with Stava in the firm's public finance practice. "He was a gentleman in every way. He treated everyone equally and with the utmost respect."
Reyes described Stava as very easy-going, highly intelligent, compassionate and non-confrontational.
Stava received his law degree from Loyola Law School in 1983 and graduated magna cum laude from Loyola Law Marymount University in 1980, according to a release from the law firm. He was a member of the firm's executive committee and administrative partner of the firm's Orange County office. He also chaired numerous committees at the firm over the years.
His work included serving as bond counsel for the redevelopment agencies of San Diego, Redwood City, Oakley and Grover Beach on their tax allocation bonds. He also had since 1988 represented the California Special District Association, an organization that has issued over 50 series of certificates of participation for special districts totaling $500 million. He had represented various water authorities on water bank and water/wastewater financings throughout the state.
The service for the veteran attorney at St. Angela Merici Church in Brea drew an overflow crowd, said Raul Amezcua, a managing director at Stifel.
Nossaman attorneys, who flew in from all over the country to attend the memorial, were joined by underwriters and attorneys from competing firms.
"A lot of different people were there," Amezcua said. "It was a testament to who he was."
Amezcua's children attended school together with Stava's at St. Angela Merici. He said Stava was a frequent volunteer at the school and always willing to pitch in to support charities and causes. Stava is survived by four children and Patty, his wife of 30 years.
"Jeff was a highly respected lawyer and leader both at the firm and throughout the Southern California legal community. He was also a very close friend of mine, and of many other members of the Nossaman family," George Joseph, Nossaman's managing partner, said in a statement. "This is a great loss for us, and we will miss Jeff deeply. Our thoughts are with his family at this time."
Donations in Stava's memory can be made to Catholic Charities USA.
