Yes, it's True - Old NFO Really Does Know Everybody!

Today I had a client I'm representing in a civil dispute up from Florida to participate in a court-ordered mediation to try and resolve the dispute short of continued litigation.

Mediation, is as the name suggests, facilitated by a mediator and after the parties initially meet and go over the dispute, we start having the mediator do some shuttle diplomacy with proposals to resolve it. In short, it's a way to let the parties try to resolve their differences and craft their own destiny.

This leads to some time to chat as the other side debates and thinks about our proposal, and then refuses it, or issues a counter or what-not.

Proposals turns into a back and forth negotiated number for settlement, which leads to time to talk while waiting for the next number to come by as the other side needs to figure out their next move.

My client is an Annapolis Grad, former surface warfare type and engineer and we're busy chatting about all sorts of stuff and his many interesting adventures.

So I decide to go for the Old NFO test: "Hey, do you know Old NFO {actual name}?"

His eyes get kinda wide and he goes "How the F do you know Old NFO {actual name}?"

So I explain how I know him and he says how he knows him, and yep, he really, really does.

Yep, they know each other quite well, although he notes he hasn't talked with Old NFO in a while, but we both have Old NFO's phone number in our phones.

Quite a small world out there.

Heck, it's like 3 degrees of Old NFO, which is much cooler than 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon.

So Old NFO, Brian out of Florida says "Hi".