Cassidy Hunter Hayes

January 3, 1985 - April 8, 2022 Cassidy Hunter Hayes, our cherished son, brother, friend and colleague passed away on April 8, 2022. His scholastic accomplishments were well known. He was a National Merit Scholar at Alemany High School in Mission Hills where he graduated Salutatorian in his class. He was a Regent's Scholar at UCLA receiving a B.A. in History and later graduated from UCLA Law School number one in his class, Order of the Coif and one of the two Chief Managing Editors of the UCLA Law Review. After graduation from law school Hunter clerked, first for a year with Judge Michael Fitzgerald of the United States District Court, and then for a year with Judge John Owens of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. After his clerkships ended, he spent almost three months in Europe going to every conceivable place. He then joined the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olsen as an associate.
Hunter's friend and colleague Max Rosen, also an MTO associate, described Hunter in a way no one else could. We repeat his comments here in full.
"Hunter had an unfailing, sarcastic, but gentle sense of humor that made anything better-any difficult day, any difficult life event, any complicated project. He somehow was the calmest person in any room-and also the most adventurous. He was brilliant, but more than that-curious and kind, making others feel smart and strong in his presence. I know lawyers decades his senior who thought of him as a mentor, for his legal intelligence, yes, but also his demeanor, patience and strength. He was vibrant and social, but always introspective. For those who knew him, he was, quite simply, the best person that we knew. Becoming his friend was one of the great joys of my life. I have not known anyone like him in my life, and imagine I never will again."
His friend Lauren Barnett, also an MTO associate said, "Hunter was instantly likeable, greeting everyone with the same easy smile and warm curiosity. He was fiercely intelligent yet humble, purposeful yet humorous. And to the lucky among us, Hunter was a true and loyal friend."
Hunter was a champion of diversity serving as a member of MTO's LGBTQ+ Initiative since 2016 and its co-chair since 2019. In his spare time he enjoyed doing carpentry projects in his garage and landscaping the home he owned with the love of his life, partner Rocco Pascale.
Hunter is survived by his two brothers Joshua and Desmond, his sister Bridget, his parents Jon and Gerry, and of course Rocco. He and Rocco explored the world going not only to Europe, but to China, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico City, Vancouver and most recently traveling to South America (where they visited Hunter's favorite animals, penguins). He explored Iceland and Ireland with his brother Desmond including bicycling through parts of Sweden. He and Rocco were planning a trip to Antarctica. He loved his three dogs, who miss him terribly every day. So do we.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center, Anita May Rosenstein Campus, 1118 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles, CA 90038.