FIRST AMERICAN FINANCIAL CORP
SC 13G, 1999-11-12
TITLE INSURANCE
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

             INFORMATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO RULES 13d-1 AND 13d-2
                    UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


                            First American Financial
                              --------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)


                                  Common Stock
                         ------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)



                                    318522307
                                    ---------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


                                  October 31, 1999
                     --------------------------------------
             (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)


Check the  appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:
     [x] Rule 13d-1(b)
     [_] Rule 13d-1(c)
     [_] Rule 13d-1(d)


                                Page 1 of 6 Pages

<PAGE>

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

CUSIP No. 318522307                                          Page 2 of  6  Pages
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1)       NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
         S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON

         Gilder Gagnon Howe & Co. LLC
         13-3174112
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2)       CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP     (a)     [ ]

                                                              (b)     [ ]

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3)       SEC USE ONLY


- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4)       CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

         New York

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               5)     SOLE VOTING POWER
                                      27,111
         NUMBER                -------------------------------------------------
         OF                    6)     SHARED VOTING POWER
         SHARES                       None
         BENEFICIALLY          -------------------------------------------------
         OWNED BY              7)     SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
         EACH                         None
         REPORTING             -------------------------------------------------
         PERSON                8)     SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
         WITH                         3,631,146

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9)       AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING
         PERSON

         3,631,146
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10)      CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN
         SHARES                                                    [ ]

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11)      PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)
         5.6%

- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12)      TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON
         BD
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<PAGE>

                                  Schedule 13G

ITEM 1(A). NAME OF ISSUER:

First Americian Financial

ITEM 1(B). ADDRESS OF ISSUER'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES:

114 East Fifth Street
Santa Ana, CA 92701

ITEM 2(A). NAME OF PERSON FILING:

Gilder, Gagnon, Howe & Co. LLC

ITEM 2(B). ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE OR, IF NONE, RESIDENCE:

1775 Broadway, 26th Floor
New York, NY  10019

ITEM 2(C). CITIZENSHIP:

New York

ITEM 2(D). TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES:

Common Stock

ITEM 2(E). CUSIP NUMBER:

422077107

ITEM 3.    IF THIS  STATEMENT  IS FILED  PURSUANT TO  SS.SS.240.13D-1(B),  OR
           240.13D-2(B) OR (C), CHECK WHETHER THE PERSON FILING IS A:

          (a) [X]  Broker or Dealer Registered Under Section 15 of the Act
                   (15 U.S.C. 78o)
          (b) [_]  Bank as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 78c)

          (c) [_]  Insurance  Company as defined in section  3(a)(19) of the Act
                   (15 U.S.C. 78c)

          (d) [_]  Investment  Company  registered  under  section  8 of the
                   Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-8)

          (e) [_]  Investment Adviser  in  accordance with
                   ss.240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)


                                Page 3 of 6 Pages

<PAGE>

          (f) [_] Employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with
                  ss.240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F)

          (g) [_] Parent  Holding  Company or control  person in  accordance
                  with ss.240.13d-1(b)(ii)(G)

          (h) [_] Savings  Association  as defined in ss.3(b) of the Federal
                  Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813)

          (i) [_] Church plan that is  excluded  from the  definition  of an
                  investment company under ss.3(c)(15) of the Investment Company
                  Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C. 80a-3)

          (j) [_] Group, in accordance with ss.240.13d-1(b)(ii)(J)

ITEM 4.   OWNERSHIP.

          (a)  Amount beneficially owned:  3,631,146

          (b)  Percent of class:  5.6%

          (c) Number of shares as to which such person has:

                    (i)   Sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
                          27,111

                    (ii)  Shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
                          None

                    (iii) Sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:
                          None

                    (iv)  Shared  power to dispose or to direct the  disposition
                          of: 3,631,146

The shares  reported  include  3,543,402  shares held in customer  accounts over
which  members  and/or  employees  of the  Reporting  Person have  discretionary
authority to dispose of or direct the  disposition of the shares,  60,633 shares
held in  accounts  owned  by the  members  of the  Reporting  Person  and  their
families,  and 27,111 shares held in the account of the  profit-sharing  plan of
the Reporting Person ("the Profit-Sharing Plan").

Item 5. Ownership of Five  Percent or Less of a Class.

Not applicable.


                               Page 4 of 6 Pages
<PAGE>

Item 6.    Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

          The owners of the  accounts  (including  the  Profit-Sharing  Plan) in
which the shares reported on this Schedule are held have the right to receive or
the power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale
of, such securities.

Item 7.   Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired
          the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company.

Not applicable.

Item 8.   Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.

Not applicable.

Item 9.   Notice of Dissolution of Group.

Not applicable.

Item 10.  Certification.

          By  signing  below I certify  that,  to the best of my  knowledge  and
belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the ordinary course of
business  and were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the effect of
changing or  influencing  the control of the issuer of such  securities and were
not acquired in connection  with or as a participant in any  transaction  having
such purposes or effect.


                               Page 5 of 6 Pages
<PAGE>

                                    SIGNATURE

           After reasonable inquiry and to the best knowledge and belief of the
undersigned, the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this
Statement is true, complete and correct.


                                    November 10, 1999
                                    ------------------------------
                                        Date


                                    /s/ Walter Weadock
                                    ------------------------------
                                       Signature


                                    Walter Weadock, Member
                                    ------------------------------
                                       Name/Title



                               Page 6 of 6 Pages




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