Blake T. Franklin was born September 28, 1942, in San Mateo, Calif., to parents Harvey James and Marie Agnes Franklin.
He attended Menlo-Atherton High School. Blake graduated from Dartmouth College, cum laude, in 1963, and from Harvard Law School in 1966. He taught law in Costa Rica through the U.S. Peace Corps upon graduation.
In 1969, Blake joined Coudert Brothers where he developed a transactional practice with an international focus. Blake had an outstanding reputation in the business community and was very much a citizen of the world. He was gifted with languages and was fluent in Spanish and French.
Blake joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as a partner in the New York office in 1983. He specialized in international transactions, including project finance, partnerships, joint ventures, and corporate transactions. Blake had a national and global practice; he was admitted to the California Bar in 1966, the Washington, DC Bar in 1969, and the New York Bar in 1976. He served as a Visiting Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Costa Rica and as an International Legal Advisor for the Government of Bolivia in 1993.
Blake was a modern-day Renaissance man. He was sophisticated, well-read, well-spoken, and impeccably dressed. He was kind, generous and compassionate, comfortable with different cultures and genuinely interested in people and the broader world. He was an elegant man with a compassionate heart and a brilliant mind. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
Blake retired Jan. 1, 2008. In retirement, he split his time between his homes in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Laguna Beach and was active in both communities.
Blake served on the Board of Columbia University and the National Law Center in Tucson. Blake was on the GLSEN Board, and he was also very active as a Trustee of the Union Theological Seminary for nearly 25 years during which he chaired or participated in virtually every committee of the Board. Blake viewed the seminary as the spiritual and intellectual home that kept him grounded and joyfully engaged. Blake also served on the boards of Feeding Santa Fe and Andean Resources, SA. and AIDS Service Foundation (ASF) Orange County
He was being treated for multiple myeloma and ultimately succumbed to complications from his chemo treatments.
His funeral service was at St. Mary’s Laguna Beach, where his memorial remains.
Blake is survived by his long-time husband, Tom Getgood, his sister, Barbara Quinton, his brother, Barry Franklin, and his nephews, Derek and Colin Franklin.
