Los Angeles Business Journal back issues from December 2008:
L.A. gets a live one: new destination perks up downtown.(Los Angeles, California)
Dec 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] L.A. Live passes a milestone this week as five businesses open at the $2.5-billion downtown real estate project, with more coming online before the end of the year. As such, L.A. Live, which stretches along the east side of the Harbor (110) ...
Flynt trying on clothes for a change: Hustler head targets edgy subculture with fashion sites.(APPAREL)(Larry Flynt)
Dec 01, 2008; ... The skin industry has earned Larry Flynt billions of dollars over the decades, but it's not treating him as well these days. The circulation of his 20 magazines is virtually flat, sales are falling at his Hustler retail shops and traffic at his online porn sites is slowing. ...
Charity groups finding savior in foundation: Weingart to pay operating costs.(NON-PROFIT)
Dec 01, 2008; ... In a move that could have big repercussions in L.A.'s world of philanthropy, one of the area's largest charitable foundations is departing from tradition by giving grants--not for programs but for operating expenses--to financially battered nonprofits. The Los Angeles-based ...
Same-sex site hits sour note for eHarmony: evangelicals, gays united in displeasure.(INTERNET)(CompatiblePartners.net)
Dec 01, 2008; ... EHarmony.com Inc.'s recent decision to provide a same-sex dating service has provoked a backlash among some in the conservative Christian community, who were once the company's most loyal supporters and reliable customers. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The reaction stems ...
Shot taker: sports agent on the mend as his business helps hoopsters sign up with European leagues.(UP FRONT)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tim Garrett's niche sports agency, which sends young basketball players to Europe, was sidelined five years ago when he had a debilitating stroke. Garrett's recovered to the point where he started it up again a few months ago. "I had to go ...
Got 'em covered: ad firm's program guards against porn pop-ups by measuring images' skin quotients.(UP FRONT)(advertising)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Engineers at a Santa Monica-based advertising company recently uploaded a lot of porn. But not to worry, it was for "training" purposes. Rubicon Project was developing an artificial intelligence program, called Helix, that recognizes and prevents adults-only ads from popping up ...
Bikini maker's big splash.(PAGE 3)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Three months after swimsuit designer Ashley Paige made her life available for the world on the TLC reality show "Bikini or Bust," Paige is a star and her shop on Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood is a destination. "People who come in here have told me that if they're on a ...
Sentencing: A federal judge sentenced prominent entertainment attorney Terry Christensen to three years in prison and fined him $250,000 for conspiring to illegally wiretap the ex-wife of billionaire Kirk Kerkorian.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... SENTENCING: A federal judge sentenced prominent entertainment attorney Terry Christensen to three years in prison and fined him $250,000 for conspiring to illegally wiretap the ex-wife of billionaire Kirk Kerkorian. The longtime friend and attorney of Kerkorian was found guilty in August ...
Tarp funds: Center Financial Corp. became the seventh Los Angeles-area financial institution to receive approval to obtain funds from the government's $700 billion financial bailout program.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
Dec 01, 2008 ... TARP FUNDS: Center Financial Corp. became the seventh Los Angeles-area financial institution to receive approval to obtain funds from the government's $700 billion financial bailout program. The holding company of Center Bank said the U.S. Treasury Department's Capital Purchase Program ...
Acquired: Home-entertainment distributor Image Entertainment Inc. agreed to sell itself to Nyx Acquisitions Inc. for approximately $60.2 million in cash plus assumption of debt, a deal valued at $100 million.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
Dec 01, 2008 ... ACQUIRED: Home-entertainment distributor Image Entertainment Inc. agreed to sell itself to Nyx Acquisitions Inc. for approximately $60.2 million in cash plus assumption of debt, a deal valued at $100 million. Shareholders of Chatsworth-based Image Entertainment will receive $2.75 per share ...
Strike vote: Screen Actors Guild leadership will send out a strike authorization vote to members next month, making it possible for actors to strike as early as January.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... STRIKE VOTE: Screen Actors Guild leadership will send out a strike authorization vote to members next month, making it possible for actors to strike as early as January. Marathon meetings with the Alliance of Motion Picture & ...
Ad deal: Video game publisher THQ Inc. and Microsoft Corp.'s advertising network Massive Inc. said that they will expand their relationship to put ads in upcoming THQ computer and Xbox 360 games.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
Dec 01, 2008 ... AD DEAL: Video game publisher THQ Inc. and Microsoft Corp.'s advertising network Massive Inc. said that they will expand their relationship to put ads in upcoming THQ computer and Xbox 360 games. Massive will ...
Bank seizures: Federal regulators seized Newport Beach-based Downey Savings & Loan and Rancho Cucamonga-based PFF Bank & Trust, saying hundreds of millions of dollars in bad loans from the housing bubble had rendered the Southern California institutions unsound.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... BANK SEIZURES: Federal regulators seized Newport Beach-based Downey Savings & Loan and Rancho Cucamonga-based PFF Bank & Trust, saying hundreds of millions of dollars in bad loans from the housing bubble had rendered the Southern California ...
Costume buy: Jakks Pacific Inc. has entered a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of Halloween costume and decor company Disguise Inc. and a related company.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
Dec 01, 2008 ... COSTUME BUY: Jakks Pacific Inc. has entered a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of Halloween costume and decor company Disguise Inc. and a related company, both subsidiaries of France-based Cesar S.A. San Diego-based Disguise is a 21-year-old ...
Oil exploration: Occidental Petroleum Corp. said it will form a partnership with Mubadala Development Co. of Abu Dhabi and the Sultanate of Oman to develop existing oil and gas fields and explore for new discoveries in Oman.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
Dec 01, 2008 ... OIL EXPLORATION: Occidental Petroleum Corp. said it will form a partnership with Mubadala Development Co. of Abu Dhabi and the Sultanate of Oman to develop existing oil and gas fields and explore for new discoveries in Oman. The 20-year agreement gives Los Angeles-based Occidental, which ...
Super celebs: Diverse Media Group Inc. said it plans to acquire a 50 percent stake in Celebrities In Action Inc.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... SUPER CELEBS: Diverse Media Group Inc. said it plans to acquire a 50 percent stake in Celebrities In Action Inc., which has a joint venture with Stan Lee's Pow Entertainment to create superhero character franchises based on real-life Hollywood ...
Passing: Carlton Varner, an attorney and former chairman of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. died Nov. 21 of Lou Gehrig's disease.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
Dec 01, 2008 ... PASSING: Carlton Varner, an attorney and former chairman of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. died Nov. 21 of Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 61. Varner, who began practicing at ...
Coliseum Caruso: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso to the Coliseum Commission, the state and local authority that oversees the Memorial Coliseum in Exposition Park.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... COLISEUM CARUSO: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso to the Coliseum Commission, the state and local authority that oversees the Memorial Coliseum in Exposition ...
Correction.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Correction notice)
Dec 01, 2008 ... The list of Los Angeles County-based banks in the Nov. 3 edition did not give the correct 2007 net income for Preferred Bank and American Business Bank. Preferred Bank reported net income of $14 million and American ...
Business Hazard: workers' comp carriers to hit employers with steep premium increases.(INSURANCE)(compensation)
Dec 01, 2008; ... IT'S one holiday present employers could do without. After years of dramatic drops, L.A.-area employers are bracing for higher workers' compensation premiums in coming weeks as dozens of insurance carriers raise their rates. In the last two months, more than 60 ...
Promotional partnership on cancer drug may have run course: Abraxis looks likely to buy way out of pact with AstraZeneca.(BIOTECH)(Abraxis BioScience Inc.)
Dec 01, 2008; ... The board of Abraxis BioScience Inc. is expected in January to approve ending, more than three years early, a co-promotion agreement with a larger drag company that helped the L.A. biotech launch its first commercial product. Abraxis last week announced it had come to an ...
Restaurateur wants vodka drinkers to chill out: creator of 28-degree tasting freezers pitching concept to hotels.(HOSPITALITY)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... LARRY Nicola, owner of Nic's Beverly Hills restaurant lounge, is a serf-proclaimed "vodkateur." He is turning over the restaurant reins to his son Luke, so he can focus on getting his concept of martini lounges and walk-in vodka freezers into some international hotels. The ...
Gift giving.(MARKETPLACE)(Web Personal Assistant Inc.)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Jon Siegal, chief executive of Santa Monica-based startup Web Personal Assistant Inc., has built a gifting concept that he hopes will be an online hit. Webgiftr.com tracks birthdays and anniversaries like other calendars, but also provides profiles that allow people to list ...
Accidents happen.(MARKETPLACE)(Accidental Wine Co.)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... A case of expensive wine falls during delivery and one of the bottles bursts. The other bottles are perfectly fine, except for the purple blotches staining the labels. The wineries and distributors can sell them to the Accidental Wine Co., an online retailer of what it calls ...
Playhouse and Sweet Love Hangover.(News & Notes)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Erie Samaha, film producer and nightclub impresario behind Roxbury and Sunset Room, has formed a partnership with club director Rob Vinokur to open Playhouse and Sweet Love Hangover, a nightclub and 24-hour restaurant, respectively. The ...
Santa Monica Place.(News & Notes)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Some local retailers will be getting space at the revamped Santa Monica Place mall. Kitson, Joe's Jeans, BCBG Max Azria and True Religion will be ...
Pinkberry.(News & Notes)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... L.A. frozen yogurt chain Pinkberry will open a shop in San Jose next month, marking its first outpost in Northem ...
Los Angeles firm prefers Midwestern sensibility: Spillane Shaeffer partners with Kansas City, Mo.-based Lathrop.(MERGER)
Dec 01, 2008; ... THEY tried life as a boutique for more than two years, and now they need the muscle that a partnership with a big firm can provide. So the partners at six-attorney L.A. firm Spillane Shaeffer Aronoff Bandlow LLP decided to merge with 300-attorney Lathrop & Gage LC. ...
New prospects.(LAW)
Dec 01, 2008; ... L.A. attorneys who practiced at the now-defunct Thelen LLP are beginning to find new homes for their practices, just as attorneys at Heller Ehrman LLP did when that firm dissolved earlier this year. Partners of the San Francisco-based Thelen voted to dissolve in late October ...
Solo driver.(LAW)(Edwin Reeser)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... After practicing in large law firms for 30 years, real estate attorney Edwin Reeser decided to go it alone. Reeser, 57, who most recently managed the L.A. office of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, started his own shop after leaving the Chicago-based firm in mid-September. ...
Firms partner to put companies in positive light: BNC and Sexton's programs to tout clients' social responsibility.(MARKETING)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Two marketing companies have consummated a Hollywood marriage aimed at making companies look like they care. West Hollywood-based BNC, which produces nearly 200 events a year, has signed a partnership with the Sexton Co., a consulting firm that helps companies show their sense ...
Environmental laughs.(ADVERTISING & PR)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Fun Little Movies, a Burbank company that produces comic short films for mobile phones, has debuted an ad-supported series called "No News Is Good News" that spoofs the global warming issue. The series has landed its first sponsor with Go Green Expo, an event organizer that will ...
Shoppers wanted.(ADVERTISING & PR)(Ashley Furniture HomeStores)(Ecko)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Channel M, an L.A.-based producer of in-store video networks for retail chains, is now selling advertising on its screens in Ashley Furniture HomeStores and Ecko clothing stores. Until now, both chains featured ad-free programming hyping their own merchandise. But faced with a ...
David&Goliath, L.A.-based agency of record for Kia Motors America Inc., designed the new Kia Soul Mobile microsite that debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show.(Agencies & Accounts)(Los Angeles, California)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... David&Goliath, L.A.-based agency of record for Kia Motors America Inc., designed the new Kia Soul Mobile microsite that debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The site ...
Farr Marketing Group, a PR shop in West Los Angeles.(Agencies & Accounts)(Public relations)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Farr Marketing Group, a PR shop in West Los Angeles, has won the assignment to create a campaign for Weekend College, an academic degree program ...
ThinkLA, the region's advertising trade group, has scheduled its annual Toys for Tots Holiday Party on Dec. 4 at the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood.(Agencies & Accounts)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... ThinkLA, the region's advertising trade group, has scheduled its annual Toys for Tots Holiday Party on Dec. 4 at the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. BBC.com is ...
Maya Communications.(Agencies & Accounts)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Maya Communications is handling PR for a pilot federal student aid program in Long Beach. Called Fafsa, for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the program helps Latino ...
PR agency Levine Communications Office has promoted Eddie Garcia to its lineup of entertainment publicists.(Agencies & Accounts)(Public relations)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... PR agency Levine Communications Office has promoted Eddie Garcia to its lineup of entertainment publicists. Garcia previously worked for the Professional Image agency ...
Association Hispanic Advertising Agencies.(Agencies & Accounts)(appointment of Roberto Orci)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... The board of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies has named Roberto Orci, president of L.A.-based Acento, to fill a vacant board seat. Orci will serve a short term and will be eligible ...
Picture appears cloudy for public access shows: state measure allows cable companies to change channels to commercial use.(TV)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Public access television producers throughout Los Angeles ,are up in arms because of a city agency s recommendation to make them all compete for limited air time on just one channel - LA36, a quasi-public channel. For years, cable operators, such as Time Warner, were legally ...
Love & marriage.(MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT)(Fiesta Publications Inc. launched Latino Bride and Groom bilingual magazine)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Even in a down economy when publishers are finding print advertising a more difficult sell, some entrepreneurs still have faith in L.A.'s niche markets. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Latino Bride & Groom, a 116-page glossy bilingual magazine, was recently launched by Fiesta ...
THR leaning consumer.(MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT)(THReviews.com)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... In an effort to reach out beyond its core entertainment industry readership, the Hollywood Reporter created a new interactive Web site last week that focuses on reviews and videos. THReviews.com features all existing review content from trade publications owned by parent company ...
Mediawatch.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Statistical table)
Dec 01, 2008 ... <Pre> MOVIE BOX OFFICE Weekend Total GrossGross Rank Title(millions) (millions) Distributor1 Twilight $69.6 $69.6 Summit 2 Quantum of Solace ...
Top twang.(OUTTAKE OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new CD "Fearless" by country singer Taylor Swift, topped the charts its ...
Agency makeover: the marketing and advertising agency previously known as Image Factory has changed its name to Mile 9, accompanied by a new logo and Web site, Mile9Agency.com.(SAN FERNANDO VALLEY: CALABASAS)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Agency Makeover: The marketing and advertising agency previously known as Image Factory has changed its name to Mile 9, accompanied ...
Stock buyback: the board of Ixia, a Calabasas-based maker of performance test systems, has approved a stock-repurchase program of up to $25 million.(SAN FERNANDO VALLEY: CALABASAS)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Stock Buyback: The board of Ixia, a Calabasas-based maker of performance test systems, has approved a ...
Fresh digs: ValleyCrest Design Group's Comstock Studio is moving from Calabasas to a site in Malibu.(WESTSIDE: MALIBU)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Frosh Digs: ValleyCrest Design Group's Comstock Studio is moving from Calabasas to a site ...
Common Language: Ascent Media Group, a Santa Monica-based creative and technical services provider, has teamed up with Miracle Mile-based SDI Media.(WESTSIDE: SANTA MONICA)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Common Language: Ascent Media Group, a Santa Monica-based creative and technical services provider, has teamed up with Miracle Mile-based SDI Media, a ...
Checking out award: International Checkout Inc., an e-commerce services company in Santa Monica, was named the most innovative company of the year at the 2008 Stevie Awards for Women in Business.(WESTSIDE: SANTA MONICA)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Checking Out Award: International Checkout Inc., an e-commerce services company in Santa Monica, was named the most ...
License splash: WaterStyle Holdings Inc., a water technology company based in Westwood.(WESTSIDE: WESTWOOD)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... License Splash: WaterStyle Holdings Inc., a water technology company based in Westwood, has licensed technology for advanced water systems, including ...
Punching in: Bellator Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotions and event company with offices in West Los Angeles and Chicago.(WESTSIDE: WEST LOS ANGELES)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Punching In: Bellator Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotions and event company with offices in ...
Museum debuts: the Taubman Museum of Art, designed by West L.A.-based architecture firm Randall Stout Architects Inc., opened its doors Nov. 8 in Roanoke, Va.(WESTSIDE: WEST LOS ANGELES)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Museum Debuts: The Taubman Museum of Art, designed by West L.A.-based architecture firm Randall Stout Architects Inc., opened its doors Nov. 8 ...
Lender expansion: Wilshire Finance Partners, headquartered in West Los Angeles, has announced that it has expanded lending services.(WESTSIDE: WEST LOS ANGELES)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Lender Expansion: Wilshire Finance Partners, headquartered in West Los Angeles, has announced that it has ...
'Clash' overseas: Riot Games, a Culver City developer of online video games, has signed an international licensing deal with Shenzhen, China's Tencent Inc., an Internet service portal company.(WESTSIDE: CULVER CITY)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... 'Clash' Overseas: Riot Games, a Culver City developer of online video games, has signed an international licensing deal with Shenzhen, China's ...
Payroll purchase: PayPro Services, a division of Claremont payroll services business Reece Capital Ventures LLC, has acquired Allied Business Capital, a West Covina financial services company.(SAN GABRIEL VALLEY: CLAREMONT)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Payroll Purchase: PayPro Services, a division of Claremont payroll services business Reece Capital Ventures LLC, has acquired Allied Business Capital, a ...
Building bought.(SAN GABRIEL VALLEY: IRWINDALE)(SCE Federal Credit Union)(Home Club Ventures Ltd.)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Building Bought: SCE Federal Credit Union has purchased a two-story office building in Irwindale for $9.9 million from Home ...
Double sale.(SAN GABRIEL VALLEY: SAN GABRIEL)(Thompson Development Co. )(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Double Sale: Austin Hathaway of 820 Thompson Development Co. has sold two multifamily properties for a total of $5.3 million to Karen Kay of Dragons ...
Warehouse Acquisition: Jade Apparel Inc. has bought an industrial building from Kenneth R. and Evelyn Mode in Montebello for $5.98 million.(SAN GABRIEL VALLEY: MONTEBELLO)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Warehouse Acquisition: Jade Apparel Inc. has bought an industrial building from Kenneth R. and Evelyn Mode in ...
Industrial Pickup: A subsidiary of Restaurant Depot has acquired an industrial building in Walnut for $9.25 million from Liu Living Trust.(SAN GABRIEL VALLEY: WALNUT)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Industrial Pickup: A subsidiary of Restaurant Depot has acquired an industrial building in Walnut for $9.25 million from Liu Living Trust. The ...
Holiday Flavor: Pinkberry Inc., a frozen yogurt business based in South Carthay, has announced a new seasonal flavor, Pinkberry Pomegranate.(CENTRAL AREA: SOUTH CARTHAY)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Holiday Flavor: Pinkberry Inc., a frozen yogurt business based in South Carthay, has announced a new seasonal ...
Research space: AIDS Research Alliance has leased office space at the California Professional Center building in downtown Los Angeles for approximately $1.81 million under a five-year deal.(CENTRAL AREA: DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Research Space: AIDS Research Alliance has leased office space at the California Professional Center building in downtown Los Angeles for ...
Media bias: web site rates news stories on companies as 'good' or 'bad' to help investors assess stock investments.(This Week: STARTUP)(Quant the News LLC)(Company overview)
Dec 01, 2008; ... A Century City startup claims to have the answer for traders frustrated by the notoriously unpredictable stock markets. Quant the News LLC, founded by local entrepreneur Brett Markinson and techie Ben Goertzel, recently unveiled a Web site aiming to give quantitative analyses of ...
Playing it up: Activision exec Michael Griffith sees little difference between managing sales of video games and cleaning products, but his kids do.(PEOPLE)(Interview)
Dec 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MICHAEL Griffith is a top executive in the world of video games and he likes to play them, too. Griffith is president and chief executive of Activision Publishing Inc., the chief subsidiary of Activision Blizzard Inc. and one of the largest video game ...
Century City Angeles.(ARCHITECTURE)(appoinment of Eric Chang)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... Eric Chang has been promoted to senior associate in the Century City Angeles office of HGA Architects and Engineers, a ...
HMC Architects.(ARCHITECTURE)(James Woolum and Dimitris Klapsis are appointed)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008; ... HMC Architects has hired Dimitris Klapsis as senior project manager and James Woolum as principal and director of design in its downtown L.A. office. Klapsis was ...