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It is with great sadness that the team at Payne & Fears mourns the loss of our good friend and valued colleague, Jim Scott, who passed away on Nov. 15, 2022. We remember Jim as a great friend, a trustworthy resource, and a valuable mentor. He was a genuinely good and caring individual and we’ve already missed his affable, considerate presence in the early mornings at the Irvine office since his retirement less than a year ago.
Jim was a great asset to the firm over the course of the 23 years he spent at Payne & Fears. Over the years, he helped a wide variety of clients with their business transactions needs. In the 1980s, despite not speaking Japanese or having a strong affection for sushi, Jim established a substantial mergers and acquisitions practice representing the influx of Japanese corporations expanding their businesses into the United States.
Rich Zepfel remembers his best friend and mentor, Jim, as an avid race car driver, a devoted student of history, and a proud Dodgers and USC Trojan fan. Jim was also a dog lover, having owned several St. Bernards over the course of his life. The affection for St. Bernards carried over from his days at Dartmouth, where his fraternity house dog was a St. Bernard (this may or may not have been connected to the tradition of St. Bernards carrying alcohol to people in distress).
Payne & Fears co-founder Jim Payne remembers Jim as a “kind and generous man who will be missed by all who knew him.” Dan Livingston describes Jim as a true gentleman, with a sharp legal mind and a well-honed sense of humor. He particularly values his memories of talking sports with Jim “when the USC Trojans were on probation and/or losing to Stanford.” Another colleague remembered: “Never one who was quick to anger, when we weren’t busy working with clients, I looked forward to spending time every day with Jim laughing and talking about everything from current events, news, travel experiences and history to sports and, most important, what was going on with our families.”
Please keep Jim’s wife, Cindy, his daughter, Molly, and all of his family in your thoughts. While the family is not planning on any local service, those who want to express their support may direct donations to City of Hope or Dartmouth Tennis in Jim’s memory.