SAN JOSE, Calif., July 2, 2007 – Daniel Ballesteros, a shareholder at Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc., has been elected Chairman of the Board of the Mexican Heritage Plaza or Centro Cultural de San Jose (MHC) , one of the largest Latino cultural centers in the nation.

Regarding the election of 2007’s new executive officers, outgoing Board Chair Eddie Garcia states: "These individuals will bring their considerable expertise and commitment to public service to our organization as we look to the future. We believe their dynamic leadership will provide MHC with the vision and capacity needed to achieve financial sustainability and to build on our considerable momentum from a programming standpoint."

 “I am privileged to chair an organization committed to the celebration and preservation of the art and culture of Mexico,” said Dan Ballesteros. “I will focus on financial stability and revenue growth, allowing our visionary executive director, Marcela Davison Aviles, to focus on the artistic goals of the Plaza.
The San Jose International Mariachi Festival is our flagship event.  Mariachi music, with its frequent theme of regional pride, is a perfect match for San Jose.”

Ballesteros co-chairs Hoge Fenton’s Litigation Group,, focusing his practice on disputes arising from the purchase, ownership, and sale of real property.  He has successfully defended owners and brokers against allegations of nondisclosure, misrepresentation and breach of fiduciary duties. In addition, he has represented property owners in all manner of disputes, including specific performance actions, partition actions and tort claims by and against third parties.

Ballesteros is a member of the Executive Committee of the Real Property Law Section of the California State Bar, has served three terms as Chair of the Executive Committee of the Santa Clara County Bar Association, and is a member of the Santa Clara County Chapter of the American Inns of Court.  He received his J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law at University of California, Berkeley and his B.A. from Stanford University.

About The Mexican Heritage Plaza
The mission of the Mexican Heritage Plaza is to affirm, celebrate and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Mexican community and showcase multicultural arts within the region. The Plaza is the largest Latino and multi-cultural arts facility in the state of California.  Founded in a partnership with the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose, the Plaza opened to the public in September 1999. Located in San Jose's Mayfair/Alum Rock community, it is also one of the largest Latino cultural centers in the United States.  The Plaza features a 500-seat state of the art theatre, a 3,500 square foot gallery with Smithsonian Institution affiliation; two classrooms including an art and technology lab, conference room, public gardens; a multi-use pavilion and a large central plaza for public gatherings and performances.  Programming is multi-disciplinary, presented at the Plaza, in schools and at outreach sites in order to provide educational and arts opportunities for people of all ages.  The Plaza is a gathering spot for people of all cultures including Latinos, Blacks, and Asians including Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese, East Indians and many others.

About Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc.:
Hoge Fenton celebrates more than 50 years of outstanding client service.  We provide a single source of diverse legal services to both emerging and established companies for their most important needs, including business formation and transactions, real estate and land use development, financing, mergers and acquisitions, labor and employment law, intellectual property, estate planning and wealth management, and litigation relating to these areas.  Our clients appreciate our ability to quickly respond to their needs, from our main office in downtown San Jose and offices in East Palo Alto, Pleasanton, Hollister, and Modesto.   www.hogefenton.com.