The unexpected star of the Mirkarimi hearings, by many accounts, was the Ethics Committee Chairman, Benedict Hur. A partner in the law firm Keker & Van Nest, Hur ran the contentious hearings in a professional and effective manner, forced the Mayor's office to stick to the evidence - and in the end, voted (alone) against the motion to remove Mirkarimi, warning of a dangerous precedent for mayoral power.
Ben Hur litigates intellectual property and commercial disputes for companies ranging from start-ups to established corporations. He has tried over half a dozen cases as first chair, and handled numerous criminal and civil cases in state courts, federal courts, and before the International Trade Commission.