Los Angeles Business Journal back issues from August 2002:
Houlihan fairness opinions come under fire.(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Investment banking firm Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin often trumpets its "dominant" market share in the area of fairness opinions, the outside seals of approval corporate boards seek out when trying to cut a deal. The L.A. firm rendered 85 fairness opinions last year, three ...
Frequent flyers adjust.(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... DAN Sernett has learned that when it comes to business travel these days, shoes are a very big deal. "I joke with my family that one of the things I am absolutely sure I do is wear loafers," said the 39-year-old group manager for business risk services at Ernst & Young. ...
Cost up, flights down.(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... It used to be so easy. Park your car within yards of the terminal, race through security, onto the plane and off. A year ago there were a stunning 34 daily departures out of LAX to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, eight offered by United Airlines alone. ...
Federal official signals county health support.(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Los Angeles County's financially ailing public health system will have to be downsized, but the federal government won't allow it to collapse when its current bailout expires in three years, a key Bush administration health official has told the Business Journal. Tom Scully, who ...
Bump in feature filmmaking slows year-long decline in local shooting. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... A surge in feature filmmaking in the L.A. area is giving rise to hopes for a big finish to what has been a disappointingly slow production year. No less than 15 feature-length movies either have started or are preparing to begin principal shooting in the region, the most at one ...
Hahn courts black support by pushing transit line. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... At a time when L.A. Mayor James Hahn is looking to repair frayed relations with the city's African-American community, his administration is pushing a long-stalled proposal for a light rail line or dedicated bus lanes along Crenshaw Boulevard, through the heart of the city's black ...
Cost of workers' comp rising for state employers. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Employers in L.A. and throughout the state, already reeling from double-digit increases in workers' comp premiums over the last two years, are bracing for a triple dose of rate hikes likely to drive up premium rates at least another 20 percent over the next six months. Last ...
Review & Preview.(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... JULY 25 - AUG. 1 Earnings Reports: Hilton Hotels Corp. reported second-quarter net income of $76 million, compared with $66 million for the like period a year ago. Revenue for the Beverly Hills-based operator of Hilton and Doubletree Hotels fell 5.4 percent, to $1.04 billion ....
Nutty philosopher. (L.A. Stories).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Nobel Peace Prize nominee, USC film professor, record-breaking charitable fundraiser, Hollywood survivor and, according to USA Today, one of the five most recognizable people ever. Would you believe Jerry Lewis? This summer, The Learning Annex is billing its featured workshop, ...
Papal prints. (L.A. Stories).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Vedo is Italian for "I see" and the Los Angeles company behind new e-commerce Web site Vedo.com is betting that lots of people will be interested in seeing artworks from the Vatican Library grace the walls of their home. Under a new licensing agreement with the Vatican, Vedo's ...
Hello Norma Jean. (L.A. Stories).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Want to look like Marilyn Monroe? If so, "Night of 1,000 Marilyns" at the Don O'Melveny Gallery in West Hollywood on Aug. 5 may be your ticket to Marilyndom. Marking the 40th anniversary of Monroe's death, the gathering is expected to draw a mixed crowd of 500 gallery regulars, ...
Garcetti glam. (L.A. Stories).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... L.A. City Councilman Eric Garcetti can now add another title to his resume: "Hottest Councilmember." In its annual survey of the "Best of Downtown," the Los Angeles Downtown News proclaimed Garcetti, son of the former District Attorney Gil Garcetti, the hottest councilmember, ...
Pricey pruning. (L.A. Stories).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... The city of Claremont is very protective about its trees. When a contractor employed by Southern California Edison alledgedly destroyed three trees, the city slapped the company with a $17,000 claim for damages to two that were owned by the municipality. "Trees are a ...
Conga crazy. (The Roving Eye).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... WATCH out Miami and New York. There may soon be another major contender for the nation's salsa-dancing capital. This month, the Conga Room, the Wilshire Boulevard nightspot that has singer Jennifer Lopez and comedian Paul Rodriguez among its celebrity co-owners, puts on its 5th ...
Shareholders push for sale of ethnic Chinese bank. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Institutional shareholders of GBC Bancorp., unhappy over the refusal of several board members to sell the bank holding company despite offers that value the company at twice its current market value, are mounting a campaign to push for a sale. GBC is parent of one of L.A.'s most ...
Pharmaceutical buyback. (Up Front).
Aug 05, 2002; ... SIX months after issuing $144 million in stock to the public, American Pharmaceutical Partners Inc. has spent $30 million of the money to buy back shares. The privately negotiated transaction, announced on July 29, unwinds a 5.8 percent investment in American Pharmaceuticals by ...
Nurses' dispute with Tenet over Queen of Angels is heating Up. (Health Care).(Tenet Healthcare Corp. Queen of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center)
Aug 05, 2002; ... THE already nasty contract dispute at Queens of Angels-Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center has gotten even nastier, enough so that both sides are sitting down at the table again. Tenet Healthcare Corp., owner of the East Hollywood hospital, and the Service Employees ...
County ills. (Health Care).(The California Medical Association is doing its part to help doctor the L.A. County's financially ailing health system)
Aug 05, 2002; ... The California Medical Association is doing its part to help doctor the county's financially ailing health system - though not without its own interests in mind. The CMA's leadership did some lobbying in Washington last month for federal funds, and is now pushing to get the ...
Crisis mismanagement. (Health Care).(Good Samaritan Hospital, Los Angeles)
Aug 05, 2002; ... This could be a textbook example of what not to do during a public relations crisis. Good Samaritan Hospital, stung by publicity over an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease, secretly collected water from the Los Angeles Times and the county Hall of Administration and had it tested ...
No happy ending expected in Hollywood's bid for secession. (Politics).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... PROPONENTS of Hollywood secession may have scored a victory last month when the effort to break away from the city of L.A. was placed on the Nov. 5 ballot. But they appear to be losing the war -- badly. The most recent Los Angeles Times poll shows only 25 percent support for Hollywood ...
Secession and police. (Politics).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... It's been commonly assumed the Valley would have three options for policing the new city: contract with the Los Angeles Police Department, set up its own police force or contract with the L.A. Sheriff's Department. But on the weekly television series Secession 101, Valley VOTE ...
Westside council. (Politics).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Westside cities long have been at each other's throats, attacking other cities' project approvals, road works and the like. But collaboration now seems to be the name of the game. Recently, this column reported on economic development officials and businesses in the four ...
Farmer Bros. asked to open books. (Up Front).
Aug 05, 2002; ... The largest institutional investor in Farmer Bros. Co. has demanded that the company open its financial records to determine how it is managing its investment funds. The move by Franklin Mutual Advisers LLC comes a month after it asked the Los Angeles-based coffee concern to ...
Reforms have lawyers running for liability coverage. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... It's more than a name change. A few months ago, Latham & Watkins began laying the groundwork for the conversion from a general to a limited liability partnership. Latham is the only major L.A. firm not to have restructured as an LLP. As a general partnership its ...
Peeved at valet parking policy, past guest sues Beverly Hilton. (Law).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... VALET parking fees too high? Try suing. That's the tack Kathleen Riley took in an effort to get back the $48 she spent on parking after staying two nights at the Beverly Hilton two years ago. The Nevada resident claims the hotel did not display its valet parking fees ...
Out of focus. (Law).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... SeeBeyond Technology Corp. has been sued in at least eight separate shareholder lawsuits over the past month, all claiming the Monrovia software company inflated earnings expectations as it prepared for a secondary public offering. In announcing fourth quarter 2001 results, ...
Regulated firms pay house counsel best. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Good lawyers don't come cheap. That's the verdict of Corporate Counsel Magazine, whose August issue ranks the 100 highest-paid general counsels in the U.S. Eight L.A. attorneys made the list, which counted salary and bonus. Stock option exercises were provided, but ...
Lease woes stall Reynolds' museum. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... The developer of Hollywood & Highland, seeking to shake the stalled Hollywood Motion Picture Collection museum from its 18,000-square-foot lease, has sued the project's organizers. TrizecHahn Hollywood LLC claims that the museum, a project of actress Debbie Reynolds and her ...
Small deals dominate Hollywood's limited revival. (Up Front).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Four years ago, in the midst of stepped-up real estate speculation in Hollywood, Meringoff Equities bought the 30,000-square-foot Ivar Campus for $2.4 million. In October 2000, after redeveloping the property from multi-tenant to single-user, the firm signed Propaganda Films to ...
Airlines. (L.A. Business Travel - The New Reality).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY LAST year was not a banner year for the airports serving Los Angeles County. Passenger travel at Los Angeles International Airport was down 8.5 percent in 2001, with 61.6 million people traveling through the facility in 2001 compared with 67.3 ...
Price alone not enough to lure travelers. (L.A. Business Travel - The New Reality).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... BOB Blongiewicz's first day on the job as national sales manager at Loews Santa Monica Hotel was supposed to have been last Sept. 11. But as the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon unfolded, his boss called and told him not to show up until the ...
Roommates, coach seating are the new business travel perks. (L.A. Business Travel - The New Reality).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... WHEN a Los Angeles manufacturing company sent 100 employees to Chicago last January for its annual sales meeting, it reflected a willingness to start traveling again. But this time, the sales team was instructed to share rooms - and not just doubles, but quads. Two beds and two ...
Travel Agencies/Vendors. (L.A. Business Travel - The New Reality).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IT'S no surprise that tourism in Los Angeles County took a hit last year. International visitors were staying away in record numbers, down 8.6 percent in 2001 over 2000, and regional tourists helped buoy numbers only slightly. There were 23.8 ...
Gay publications show strength in down ad market. (Media & Technology).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Joe Landry should be the envy of the troubled magazine world. With ad revenue and circulation plummeting at any number of publications, Landry has found success as publisher of the gay-oriented Out and Advocate magazines -- so much so that he plans to slow down circulation ...
Compensation conundrum at AOL Time Warner. (Media & Technology).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Robert Pittman became seriously rich because of the old America Online Inc.'s way of paying executives. Now he's out of a job as AOL Time Warner Inc.'s chief operating officer and the pay strategy is in tatters. America Online favored ultra-large grants of stock options, rather ...
My favorite sites. (Media & Technology).(Web sites used by Michael Vallente, director of Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Michael Vallente EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CITIZENS AGAINST LAWSUIT ABUSE overlawyered.com This is a great resource for tracking frivolous lawsuits around the United States and the world. The site has a constant running narrative of lawsuits, and they ...
Riordan paper's debut delayed, slow summer cited. (Media).(Former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... FORMER L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan is backing off on his plans to launch a local newspaper this summer. The wealthy entrepreneur said last week he now hoped to get prototypes of the publication ready for focus groups and potential advertisers by September. The first issue might ...
Thinking big. (Media).(Jane Dalea-Kahn talks about boosting circulation and doubling ad revenues at New Times Los Angeles)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... While many publications struggle to just stay alive in this tough advertising market, Jane Dalea-Kahn talks about boosting circulation and doubling ad revenues at New Times Los Angeles. After less than two months on the job, Dalea-Kahn, former L.A. advertising manager for Vogue ...
Getting with the programs. (Media).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... L.A.'s Southern California Magazine Group will be publishing programs for the Music Center of Los Angeles County. Like venues throughout the state, the Music Center found itself without a publisher for the upcoming cultural season when it was announced a few weeks ago that ...
'Family' goes to Mexico. (Media).(KCET-TV's "American Family")(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... KCET-TV (Channel 28) has been struggling to become a major national programming producer in the public television world. Still far from that goal, the station is getting some international attention. KCET's Latino drama "American Family" soon will be airing in Mexico on the ...
Legal shuffle. (Media).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... The Los Angeles Daily Journal has dropped its weekly California Law Business and Verdicts & Settlements sections. The daily legal paper is replacing the two with one section tentatively titled "Daily Journal Extra." "This is an exciting development that will combine the best of ...
KABC-TV (Channel 7) makes some changes to its on-air line-up in the wake of anchor Laura Diaz's departure for KCBS-TV (Channel 2). (In Other News).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... KABC-TV (Channel 7) makes some changes to its on-air line-up in the wake of anchor Laura Diaz's departure for KCBS-TV (Channel 2). Kathy Vara becomes co-anchor from 5 to 7 a.m. Ellen Leyva co-anchors ...
Minorities claim discrimination in union, venue hiring practices. (Media & Technology).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... Gilbert Becerril jumped at the chance to join the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees three decades ago through a new affirmative action program at the union. The program was mandated by the U.S. Department of Justice, which investigated Hollywood in 1969 ...
Metal heads: business may be off, but Murray's Iron Works clings to the old-fashioned ways of making furniture - whether it's for large hotels or residences. (Small Business).(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... ED Leisner's world is a low-tech affair. Awash in the sparks and clanging that come with fabricating iron furniture and other household accessories, the massive downtown production plant of Murray's Iron Works maintains an old-fashioned feel. "We are a throwback to ...
Sierra Madre gift shop focuses on novel food. (Weekly Briefing).(New specialty food store)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... AFTER working at a hospital gift shop for 22 years, Karen Keegan decided to open a gourmet food store in Sierra Madre. Her husband's job transfer had brought her to California and she didn't want to work for others anymore. Savor the Flavor has offered specialty food items and gift baskets ...
Urban grit meets high-end as residential projects built. (Spotlight on Venice).(Art Lofts priced from $400,000 to $800,000)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Aug 05, 2002; ... JACK Hoffman thinks the Venice Art Lofts on Main Street will give people a chance to participate in what once was reserved for artists and wealthy hipsters: creative living space. "In the past people either had to build their lofts or come at exactly the right time," he said. "So the ...
Immigration law changes add pressure to employers. (Entrepreneur's Notebook).(U.S. Department of Labor rules on green cards for employees with special skills)(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... THE federal government's effort to tighten up the Immigration and Naturalization Service promises to make it more difficult than it already is for employers to hire foreign workers. Even so, those employers who understand and follow the increasingly complex rules of the INS will ...
Middle man: Bill Rosendahl, the face of Adelphia Communications Corp. in L.A., has had to balance role of firm spokesman with unabashedly liberal views. (People).(Adelphia Communications Corp.'s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing)
Aug 05, 2002; ... WHEN Bill Rosendahl and Bill Clinton first met in 1972, the two young men shared the same dream - to become president of the United States. While one followed through, the other found a different way to get involved in the political process. Rosendahl, 57, is the host of several ...
Advertising. (Newsmakers).(New senior vice president)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Juan Jose Quintana has been promoted to senior vice president, executive creative director at La Agencia de Orci & Asociados, a ...
Architecture. (Newsmakers).(New director of marketing)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Jyenny Babcock has joined Melendrez Design Partners as director of ...
Banking. (Newsmakers).(United California Bank names 2 new vice presidents)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Andres Brown has been named senior vice president and manager of the commercial banking center at United California Bank and Vicente Timiraos has been ...
Entertainment. (Newsmakers).(Universal Music Publishing Group, other music firms hire top executives)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Kirsten Wilson has been promoted to senior manager of international finance at Universal Music Publishing Group, where she will provide reporting and analysis of the company's consolidated financial results, as well as assisting UMPG on a variety of other international finance and business ...
Government. (Newsmakers).(Los Angeles' Housing Working Group)(Government Activity)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Adriana Martinez has been named to Mayor James Hahn's Business Team, working with East Los Angeles businesses and the Housing Working Group ....
Health Care. (Newsmakers).(Los Angeles appointments in health care industry)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Cheryl Nance is the new vice president and chief nurse executive for Simi Valley Hospital. Nance, a former principal with health care consulting firm Dean Associates, she has held a number of administrative positions at hospitals throughout Southern California. Winnie Willis, ...
Hospitality. (Newsmakers).(Century Plaza Hotel & Spa's new managers)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Klaus Kelterborn has been named manager and Darren Green director of sales and marketing at the Century Plaza Hotel & Spa. Kelterborn, responsible for all lodging and food-and-beverage operations, was most recently managing director at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City. Green will ...
Letters.(Caltrans' expensive new headquarters in Los Angeles, CA)(Government Activity)(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Staying On We appreciate your coverage of the appointment of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund's new chairman (Law column, May 20 issue). However, some readers were misled by the headline, which they interpreted as meaning there was a forced departure of ...
Insurance. (Newsmakers).(Scott Holman, new manager of underwriters and brokers)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Scott Holman has joined Howard James/Burns & Wilcox as Los Angeles branch manager, where he will oversee its staff of underwriters and brokers. He previously served in management positions for both a national multi-line carrier and two regional ...
Law. (Newsmakers).(New law firm hirings)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Douglas Silverstein has joined Littler Mendelson's Los Angeles office. Silverstein specializes in employment discrimination defense. Carlyle Hall has joined the Los Angeles office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. Hall was a commissioner on the Los Angeles Community ...
Marketing. (Newsmakers).(SGI Marketing's new creative director and executive vice president)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Brien Scott has been named creative director and executive vice president of SGI Marketing. Scott will oversee casting, advertising, ...
Performing Arts. (Newsmakers).(Pasadena Symphony personnel changes)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Maxim Eshkenazy has been appointed conductor of the youth orchestra and Rhonni Hallman manager of the Pasadena Symphony. Eshkenazy is music director and conductor of the Music of Changes Chamber ...
Technology. (Newsmakers).(New executives at Capstone Turbine Corp., Computer Sciences Corp.)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002 ... Hal Koyama has been promoted to senior vice president of sales and marketing and Jeff Willis to senior vice president of engineering at Capstone Turbine Corp., a microturbine power systems manufacturer. Prior to joining Capstone, Koyama was vice president of business development for ...
Consultant returns from dot-com foray. (People).(LEK Consulting's new vice president)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... KEVIN Mayer has slipped back into the consultant's seat, and he likes the way it feels. As the new vice president and head of the media and entertainment practice at LEK Consulting, Mayer returns to the firm after a long stint on the corporate side. Prior to rejoining LEK, which ...
Highly leveraged, imaging company ekes out a profit. (Investments & Finance).(Medical diagnostic imaging company has debts of $123.4 mn)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Aug 05, 2002; ... By most measures, Primedex Health Systems Inc. has had a rotten year. Earnings are off and the stock price has fallen nearly 50 percent since February, to around $1 recently. But compared with three years ago, things are looking pretty rosy. Back then, stock of the ...
Cash not the answer. (Investments & Finance).(Financial strategies during a bear market)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
Aug 05, 2002; ... JOHN Norstad believes in holding tight. A 53-year-old systems engineer at Northwestern University who intends to retire in 10 years, Norstad still keeps 60 percent of his portfolio in stocks and 40 percent in bonds. He has ignored the conventional instinct to completely bail out of stocks ...
Corporate accounting woes weigh on firm's bond pool. (Wall Street West).(Western Asset Management'a strategy of investing in mortgage-backed securities, corporate bonds)(Brief Article)
Aug 05, 2002; ... IT'S been a challenging year for Western Asset Management, the Pasadena bond manager that has quietly assembled a $100 billion bond portfolio over the past three decades. Last year, Western Asset's strategy of investing in either mortgage-backed securities or corporate bonds -- ...