Los Angeles Business Journal articles from January 2009

Los Angeles Business Journal archives from January 2009

Cutting it close: sales and debt pile up at American Apparel.
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AMERICAN Apparel Inc. may be known for problems few other companies face, such as lawsuits alleging controversial behavior by its chief executive, Dov Charney. But lately the company has faced the same problems...

NFL bid passed to handful of voters in town: stadium fate lies with 100 industry residents.(SPORTS)(National Football League)
January 5, 2009... About 100 people in the City of Industry could determine whether Los Angeles County gets its own professional football team. They are the registered voters in that San Gabriel Valley city who will decide Jan. 20 whether to approve a $500...

Angelenos set to join Obama in Washington: L.A. awaits return of Bush appointees.(POLITICS)(Barack Obama)
January 5, 2009... President-elect Barack Obama has already appointed several Los Angeles Democrats to key roles in the new White House, and more Angelenos are likely to serve in the incoming administration. The competition for a position is fierce: More than...

Sweet, Petite: two Southland dealers do heavy trafficking in Minis while national car sales continue to skid.(UP FRONT)(Austin Mini of BMW)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 2008, the Mini was big. The stylish compacts regularly rolled off L.A. dealers' lots, while just about every other kind of car may as well have had square wheels. And that translated into good news for...

Grinding gears: L.A. law on licensing bicycles has owner of local bike shop riding around in circles.(UP FRONT)(Josef Bray-Ali)
January 5, 2009... Josef Bray-Ali said he's breaking the law every time he sells a bike at Flying Pigeon LA, a bicycle shop he owns with his brother Adam in Highland Park. That's because state law requires cyclists to have licenses, and Los Angeles city law...

Banking on new business.(PAGE 3)(Alan Thian )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... With more than two decades of banking experience under his belt, Alan Thian decided in 2006 to strike out on his own and start a business bank. Little did he know that by the time the institution would finally open, it would be in the midst of...

Knack for right track.(PAGE 3)(Roger Snoble of Los Angeles County, California. Metropolitan Transportation Authority)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Now that Roger Snoble is retiring from his post as chief executive of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, maybe there's a future career for him in real estate. At least, he seems to have a knack for timing. Shortly after...

Multicultural flavor.(PAGE 3)(Aileen Watanabe)(Restaurant review)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... What do you do when you have a common Japanese name and you own a restaurant with "Asian fusion" food, but your top selling item is a Mexican dish? If you're Aileen Watanabe, you go with it. Came asada is the most popular dish at Watanabe's...

Space contract: Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk's Hawthorne startup, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., better known as SpaceX, is one of two recipients of NASA contracts to ship cargo to the International Space Station in a historic commercial outsourcing agreement valued at up to $3.5 billion.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
January 5, 2009... SPACE CONTRACT: Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk's Hawthorne startup, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., better known as SpaceX, is one of two recipients of NASA contracts to ship cargo to the International Space Station in a historic...

Vote delayed.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
January 5, 2009... VOTE DELAYED: Facing growing internal dissent, leaders of the Screen Actors Guild postponed a potentially divisive strike authorization vote for two weeks. The vote, which had been set to go out Jan. 2 and be tabulated Jan. 23, will be delayed...

Layoffs rise: nine employers laid off at least 2,744 employees in Los Angeles County in December.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... LAYOFFS RISE: Nine employers laid off at least 2,744 employees in Los Angeles County in December. Bankrupt department store chain Mervyns accounted for more than 60 percent of the job losses, according to state data. Hayward-based Mervyns told...

Taking loss: Beverly Hills concert promoter Live Nation Inc. bought back 1.6 million of its shares from Irish rock band U2 for $25 million, taking a $19 million loss on the deal, according to a regulatory filing.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
January 5, 2009... TAKING LOSS: Beverly Hills concert promoter Live Nation Inc. bought back 1.6 million of its shares from Irish rock band U2 for $25 million, taking a $19 million loss on the deal, according to a regulatory filing. As part of a wide-ranging...

Acquisition made: Ducommun Inc. said it has acquired competitor DynaBil Industries Inc., which makes titanium and aluminum structural components for commercial and military aerospace craft, for $46.5 million.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... ACQUISITION MADE: Ducommun Inc. said it has acquired competitor DynaBil Industries Inc., which makes titanium and aluminum structural components for commercial and military aerospace craft, for $46.5 million. Coxsackie, N.Y.-based DynaBil...

MOCA deal.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Museum of Contemporary Art (Los Angeles, California))(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... MOCA DEAL: The board of Los Angeles financially strapped Museum of Contemporary Art voted to accept a $30 million bailout offer from billionaire philanthropist Eli Broad, a thunder and life trustee of the museum. MOCA's director. Jeremy Strick,...

Cash infusion: Merrill Lynch.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Merrill Lynch & Company Inc. provides finance for Valley Economic Development Center)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... CASH INFUSION: Merrill Lynch said it loaned $1 million to the Valley Economic Development Center that will be used to help small businesses throughout Southern California. The Merrill Lynch loan comes about two weeks after the Los Angeles City...

MGA relief: the judge who barred MGA Entertainment Inc. from selling or manufacturing its Bratz doll line agreed to consider changing his order, allowing the toys to be sold through the end of 2009.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... MGA RELIEF: The judge who barred MGA Entertainment Inc. from selling or manufacturing its Bratz doll line agreed to consider changing his order, allowing the toys to be sold through the end of 2009. The tentative decision by U.S. District Judge...

Ford exit: Kirk Kerkorian sold all his Ford Motor Co. shares, freeing the billionaire investor's Tracinda Corp. to focus on investments in energy, gambling and hotels.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
January 5, 2009... FORD EXIT: Kirk Kerkorian sold all his Ford Motor Co. shares, freeing the billionaire investor's Tracinda Corp. to focus on investments in energy, gambling and hotels. Kerkorian, 91, had started selling the shares in October.

Double buy: Teledyne Technologies Inc. announced two acquisitions.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)
January 5, 2009... DOUBLE BUY: Teledyne Technologies Inc. announced two acquisitions. The Thousand Oaks maker of components and systems for aerospace, energy and power generation uses acquired the assets of Moorpark-based Demo Systems LLC, which makes...

Correction.(NEWS OF THE WEEK)(Correction notice)
January 5, 2009... The interview published in the Dec. 15 edition, "No Insurance," should have stated that Andy Funk funded his Internet startups with a line of credit that was granted to him because of his family's prominent name in Germany and the insurance...

Collateral damage: prisoner's rights campaigner among small groups hurt by Madoff scandal.(NON-PROFIT)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AN air of disbelief hangs over the Los Angeles offices of Just Detention International these days. The human rights organization, aimed at preventing the sexual abuse of prisoners, is spread thin with 11 staffers...

L.A. Port pays for truck replacements despite fund shortage: partial incentive payments worry motor carriers.(TRANSPORTATION)
January 5, 2009... The Port of Los Angeles is forging ahead with its Clean Trucks Program despite various delays, and expects to dole out $44 million to licensed motor carriers that already bought low-emissions trucks. Over the next few weeks, 107 licensed...

Namvar investors push businessman into bankruptcy.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Nameo Capital Group Inc.)(Ezri Namvar)
January 5, 2009... Local businessman Ezri Namvar's plan to pay back up to $400 million he's been accused of losing has been halted by a group of his investors, who on Dec. 22 filed involuntary bankruptcy actions against him and his L.A. investment company, Nameo...

Allure of downtown reels in supplement maker: Herbalife sees new digs at L.A. Live as way to impress clients.(RELOCATION)(Herbalife International Inc.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... IT'S a new year and new digs for Herbalife Ltd. The maker of nutritional and weight-loss supplements last month completed the move of its headquarters from Century City to the AEG Building at downtown's L.A. Live. Herbalife is the...

Planning ahead.(HEALTH CARE & BIOTECH)(Mannkind Corp. to acquire SemBioSys Genetics Inc.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... MannKind Corp. is still roughly a month away from submitting its Afresa inhalable insulin system for U.S. regulatory approval. But the Valencia biotech already is looking ahead to a possible future as a commercial drug maker. Just before...

Happier holidays.(HEALTH CARE & BIOTECH)(Amgen Inc. v. federal court)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Amgen Inc. employees ended 2008 on a jollier note than a year ago. The Thousand Oaks biotech not only submitted a potential billion-dollar blockbuster drug for FDA approval, but had a potential class-action lawsuit against it dismissed that...

Look, up in the sky, it's Christian Audigier's brand! Promotion gum puts Ed Hardy graphics on remote-control toys.(RETAIL)(HobbyTron.com)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... FASHION figure Christian Audigier's designs have moved beyond just clothes. HobbyTron.com, a San Fernando company, is producing a line of remote-control toys featuring the L.A.-based designer's popular Ed Hardy look. The best-seller so far...

Prix fixe fun.(MARKETPLACE)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... This year's Dine LA Restaurant Week will offer a lot more choices than last year's. Restaurant Week is really two weeks, and will take place Jan. 25-30 and Feb. 1-6. The event is staged to promote L.A. restaurants by using special pricing...

Spaced out.(MARKETPLACE)(Spacecraft)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Hollywood-based architectural design firm Spacecraft, which specializes in designing and building bars and restaurants, is keeping busy despite a downturn in the dining industry. Spacecraft owner Kristopher Keith, who was behind the designs...

UCLA Extension is offering a 10-day executive hotel management program from Aug. 17-28. Some of L.A.'s best-known industry players, including Ali Kasikci, managing director of Montage Beverly Hills, and Offer Nissenbaum, managing director of Peninsula Beverly Hills, will play a role in developing the program.(News & Notes)(University of California, Los Angeles)(Brief article)(Conference notes)
January 5, 2009... UCLA Extension is offering a 10-day executive hotel management program from Aug. 17-28. Some of L.A.'s best-known industry players, including Ali Kasikci, managing director of Montage Beverly Hills, and Offer Nissenbaum, managing director of...

Newly reimagined clothing boutique Jane Doe on West Third Street is now Jane Doe John Doe.(News & Notes)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Newly reimagined clothing boutique Jane Doe on West Third Street is now Jane Doe John Doe. The store now carries menswear and collections from several contestants from the "Project Runway" show, including L.A.-based designer Jerell Scott, who...

Well-pedigreed attorneys take the outsource route: Axiom appeals to lawyers seeking flexible schedules for lower rates.(LAW)
January 5, 2009... WHEN Hilton Hotels Corp. needed to fill Glenna Shen's position during the attorney's maternity leave, the Beverly Hills company asked Axiom Legal Solutions Inc. to send a substitute. That was in 2006, and since then, Hilton continued to use...

Glaser Weil veterans together again at new firm: founders of Lurie & Park departed amid Christensen scandal.(PARTNERSHIP)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... BARAK Lurie and Daniel Park made friends when they worked together at Glaser Weil Fink Jacobs & Shapiro LLP. They've joined forces at Lurie & Park, a five-attorney shop specializing in business litigation and real estate. The firm was...

Networking scene.(LAW)(The Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel scheduled awards ceremony for top attorneys)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... The Association of Media and Entertainment Counsel has scheduled its fourth annual awards ceremony this Friday at the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard. The event, which honors L.A.'s top entertainment attorneys, is part of the...

Talk radio.(LAW)(Thomas Girardi hosted legal radio show "Champions of Justice" on radio station KRLAAM)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Prominent plaintiff's lawyer Thomas Girardi has been hosting legal radio show "Champions of Justice" on talk radio station KRLAAM (870) on Saturdays since 2006. The L.A. attorney broadened his audience Jan. 3 after KABC-AM (790) began...

California businesses get breather on new laws: state's budget crisis puts damper on 2009 regulations.(GOVERNMENT)
January 5, 2009... As the new year dawns, most Los Angeles employers are finding they don't have to rush to comply with a host of new and burdensome state laws. For the first time in two years, they won't face an increase in the minimum wage. However, some...

Hollywood Park's closure means stable business: owners, equines to seek services at Santa Anita track.(HORSE RACING)
January 5, 2009... THIS horse-racing season at Santa Anita Park will last 84 days, but it may get longer next fall with the closure of the track at Hollywood Park, which is scheduled for Aug. 1. As a result, other facilities will expand their seasons because...

Game time.(SPORTS BUSINESS)(Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission sheduled for basketball competition )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Officials at the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment Commission weren't sure what to expect for their annual Basketball 101 with the Los Angeles Lakers event scheduled for Jan. 20. Attendance, however, is expected to surpass last year as fans...

Volley snowball.(SPORTS BUSINESS)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... AVP Inc. learned some lessons after its first winter volleyball tour, one of them having to do with cold feet. So some changes have been made. The league is launching its second annual winter volleyball tour through the Midwest and...

Los Angeles firm tackles cost of Super Bowl ads: eight clients of Cesario Migliozzi may share spot during game.(COMMERCIALS)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... L.A.-based advertising agency Cesario Migliozzi LLC is giving eight clients a shot at the Super Bowl. Normally, a Super Bowl ad costs $3 million, out of the price range for many advertisers. But this spot will go for only $395,000. The plan...

Billboard charges.(ADVERTISING & PR)(McDaniel Inc.'s owner Timothy McDaniel and three property owners faces illegal billboards charges)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... The city of Los Angeles has filed criminal charges against the owner of a construction company and three property owners for their role in erecting illegal billboards. Timothy McDaniel, owner of construction firm McDaniel Inc., and three...

Fox Worldlink deal.(ADVERTISING & PR)(Fox Broadcasting Co. signed a deal with Worldlink Media)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... WorldLink, an L.A.-based advertising sales company, has signed an agreement with Fox Broadcasting to place infomercials on Fox's Saturday morning schedule. In November, Fox announced it would cancel its children's programming on Saturday...

M&A for 2009.(ADVERTISING & PR)(FiveW Public Relations)(mergers and acquisation)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... FiveW Public Relations plans to continue growing during 2009, which is expected to be a tough year for PR agencies. But instead of signing more clients or building business with existing relationships, the focus will be on acquisitions. ...

On Dec. 19, the familiar blue-uniformed Helpful Honda types served food to 750 homeless people in shelters across Los Angeles and Orange counties.(Agencies & Accounts)(Kurent Inc.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... On Dec. 19, the familiar blue-uniformed Helpful Honda types served food to 750 homeless people in shelters across Los Angeles and Orange counties. Kurent Inc., a Torrance-based PR agency, manages the Helpful Honda campaign on behalf of local...

Three local companies won first-place trophies at the 2008 Mobile Excellence Awards, which honor media, marketing and technology for cell phones and other handheld devices, at the Sofitel Hotel in Los Angeles in December.(Agencies & Accounts)(Sony Pictures Television, DIRECTV Inc., and GoTV Networks Inc. won the award)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Three local companies won first-place trophies at the 2008 Mobile Excellence Awards, which honor media, marketing and technology for cell phones and other handheld devices, at the Sofitel Hotel in Los Angeles in December. The winners were Sony...

Neotrope, a brand identity and marketing firm, will give $25,000 in pro bono work to Starlight Children's Foundation during 2009.(Agencies & Accounts)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Neotrope, a brand identity and marketing firm, will give $25,000 in pro bono work to Starlight Children's Foundation during 2009. Both Neotrope and the Foundation are based in Los Angeles. Staff reporter Joel Russell can be reached at...

Hydra LLC, an online ad network, has hired Johnny Talisman in the new position of creative director.(Agencies & Accounts)
January 5, 2009... Hydra LLC, an online ad network, has hired Johnny Talisman in the new position of creative director. At his previous job with McCann Erickson, Talisman worked on campaigns for Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., AltaVista and Shell Oil Co. Staff...

Media watch.(NEWS & ANALYSIS)(Statistical table)
January 5, 2009... MOVIE BOX OFFICE Weekend Total Gross Gross Rank Title (millions) (millions) Distributor 1 Yes Man $18.3 $18.3 ...

Caped crusading.(OUTTAKE OF THE WEEK)(The Dark Knight)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The Dark Knight" notched the second-best box office run ever this summer with its $529 million take, and now has debuted atop the lists of movie downloads, and DVD rentals and sales. The late Heath Ledger, who...

Fit to a 'T': Hollywood-based clothing maker BigEnder.com has launched its high-end line of custom-designed graphic art T-shirts for men and women.(CENTRAL AREA: HOLLYWOOD)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Fit to a 'T': Hollywood-based clothing maker BigEnder.com has launched its high-end line of custom-designed graphic art T-shirts for men and women. The shirts, which retail for $40-$60, are available on the company Web site and will be rolled...

Bioenergy buzz: OriginOil Inc.(CENTRAL AREA: BALDWIN VILLAGE)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Bioenergy Buzz: OriginOil Inc., developer of a technology to transform algae into an alternative fuel, has been named one of the 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy by Biofuels Digest, a daily newsletter tracking the biofuels sector. The 50...

Jersey connection.(MID-CITIES: CERRITOS)(A Lodi purchased industrial building from Button Family Trust)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Jersey Connection: A Lodi, N.J., private investment group has purchased a Cerritos industrial building for $4.8 million from the Button Family Trust. The 44.172-square-foot warehouse, at 12765 166th St., was built in 1975.

Enterprising pickup.(MID-CITIES: SANTA FE SPRINGS)(Sona Enterprise acquired industrial property from Vantage Point Products Corp. )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Enterprising Pickup: Sona Enterprise, a Paramount-based importer and distributor, has acquired a Santa Fe Springs industrial property for $7.46 million from Vantage Point Products Corp. The 62,196-square-foot building, at 10233 Palm Drive, was...

Wholesale lease.(SOUTH BAY: HAWTHORNE)(Costco Wholesale Corp. signed a deal with AMB Property Corp. for center building)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Wholesale Lease: Costco Wholesale Corp. has signed a 15-year lease for the LAX Cargo Center building in Hawthorne with AMB Property Corp. Costco is leasing 127,845 square feet of space at 80 cents per square foot on a triple-net basis.

Checking in.(SOUTH BAY: LONG BEACH)(Payroll Company Inc. has signed a deal with Granite Long Beach LP for retail space )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Checking In: Payday financial services business Check 'N Go of California Inc. has signed a three-year lease valued at $120,000 for retail space in the Long Beach Promenade from Granite Long Beach LP. The leased property includes 1,200 square...

Lots of expansion.(SOUTH BAY: LONG BEACH)(CVS Pharmacy Inc. acquired long beach from Bixby Land Co.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Lots of Expansion: CVS Pharmacy Inc. has bought two lots in Long Beach for $7.6 million from Bixby Land Co. The lots, at 4400 E. Los Coyotes Diagonal and 4401 E. Pacific Coast Highway, total 3.1 acres and will be developed into a new CVS...

Industrial purchase.(SOUTH BAY: COMPTON)(Apex Investment Associates Inc.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Industrial Purchase: Apex Investment Associates Inc. has sold a Compton industrial building for $5.6 million to 610 Carob Street LLC. The 69,000-square-foot building, at 610-630 W. Carob St., was built in 1971. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Healthy move.(NORTH COUNTY: VALENCIA)(Southern California Orthopedic Institute signed a deal for office space)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Healthy Move: Health care provider Southern California Orthopedic Institute has signed a 15-year lease for office space in Valencia. The institute will take up 23,329 square feet on the second floor of the building, at 24015 Newhall Ranch Road....

Buildings bought.(SAN GABRIEL VALLEY: CITY OF INDUSTRY)(J.H. Properties acquired Business Center from Industry Urban Development Agency)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Buildings Bought: J.H. Properties has bought the Valley Pacific Business Center for $6 million from the Industry Urban Development Agency. The business center, at 20862-20976 Currier Road and 605-621 Brea Canyon Road, has 16 buildings that...

Apartments acquired:.(SAN GABRIEL VALLEY: WEST COVINA)(Gleiberman Investments Inc. and GJS Atrium LLC purchased apartment building from Pacific Property Co. )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Apartments Acquired: Gleiberman Investments Inc. and GJS Atrium LLC have purchased West Covina apartment complex the Atrium for $15 million from Pacific Property Co. The two-story multifamily building, at 1829-1841 E. Workman Ave., has 138...

Retail purchase.(SAN FERNANDO VALLEY: RESEDA)(The Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency acquired retail building from Canoga Park investment group.)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Retail Purchase: The Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency has acquired a Reseda retail building for $5.52 million from a Canoga Park investment group. The one-story multitenant retail building, at 18128-18132 Sherman Way, has 16,927...

On the fly: partners in ad shop Goodness Manufacturing launched firm without clients while on move from Miami.(This Week: STARTUP)(advertising)(Company overview)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GOODNESS Manufacturing is an ad shop that has quite a pedigree. Its five partners all resigned from superhot agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky in Miami and launched the firm 18 months ago. At Crispin Porter, they...

Made his play: Stephen Berman launched a fitness business in college that would put him on the path to founding video game and toy companies.(PEOPLE)(Interview)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] STEPHEN Berman, president and chief operating officer of Malibu-based toy company Jakks Pacific Inc., started working in his teens and hasn't stopped. While attending college, he started a fitness company, Balanced...

HGA Architects and Engineers.(ARCHITECTURE)(appointment of Steven Thomas Powell)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Steven Thomas Powell has been hired as senior medical planner and senior associate in the Century City office of HGA Architects and Engineers, a Minneapolis architecture, engineering and planning firm. Previously,...

Callison.(ARCHITECTURE)(promotions of Mare Fidler and TracT Woods)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... The Santa Monica office of Callison, a Seattle retail design firm, has promoted Mare Fidler and TracT Woods to associate principals. Fidler and Woods were previously associates with the firm.

Wells Fargo Community Bank.(BANKING & FINANCE)(appointment of Karineh Naaman )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Karineh Naaman has been named district manager for Wells Fargo Community Bank's Glendale-Burbank market. Naaman was previously store manager for the bank's main banking branch in Glendale.

Comerica Bank.(BANKING & FINANCE)(promotion of Tonya Perez-Wright)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Tonya Perez-Wright has been promoted to assistant vice president and banking center manager of Comerica Bank's new Marketplace Long Beach branch. Perez-Wright previously served as assistant banking center manager for the bank's Torrance-Towne...

CSI Capital Management.(BANKING & FINANCE)(promotion of Adam Keefe)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Adam Keefe has been promoted to executive vice president in the Westwood office of CSI Capital Management, a San Francisco wealth management firm. Keefe was previously vice president of wealth management with the firm.

City National Bank.(BANKING & FINANCE)(promotion of Jodi Huston)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... City National Bank has promoted Jodi Huston to senior vice president and manager of the core banking division's Westside region in its West L.A. office. Huston was previously executive vice president and regional manager with the bank's...

Miyamoto International.(ENGINEERING)(appointment of Rhonda BIT)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Miyamoto International, a Sacramento structural and earthquake engineering firm, has hired Rhonda BIT as senior associate of business development and marketing in its downtown L.A. office. BIT was previously director of business development and...

Knitting Factory Entertainment.(ENTERTAINMENT)(promotion of Morgan Margolis)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Knitting Factory Entertainment, a national music club and concert house headquartered in Boise, Idaho, has promoted Morgan Margolis to president in its Hollywood office. Margolis was previously vice president of national operations with the...

Department of Water and Power.(GOVERNMENT)(appointment of Jonathan Parfrey)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Jonathan Parfrey has been appointed to the board of Department of Water and Power. Parfrey is director of Green LA Coalition, a Santa Monica nongovernmental environmental coalition, and vice president of the Los Angeles League of Conservation...

City of Hope.(HEALTH CARE)(City of Hope National Medical Center (Duarte, California) appointed Warren L. Chandler)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Warren L. Chandler has joined City of Hope in Duarte as chief information officer. Chandler was previously president of Strat-Tech Group LLC, a Jacksonville, Fla. health care information technology management company.

Burns & Wilcox.(INSURANCE)(appointment of Christian T. Hamlin)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... The Woodland Hills office of Burns & Wilcox, an insurance company headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., has hired Christian T. Hamlin as professional lines broker. Hamlin was previously vice president of brokerage at Breckenridge Insurance...

Doniger Law Finn APC.(LAW)(appointment of Scott Alan Burroughs)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Scott Alan Burroughs has been named partner and shareholder of Doniger Law Finn APC based in Culver City. Burroughs was previously an associate with the firm.

Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps LLP.(LAW)(appointment of Jeryll Cohen )(American Bar Association Forum Committee on Sports and Entertainment Law taps Henry W. Root)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Luce Forward Hamilton & Scripps LLP, a San Diego law firm, has named Jeryll Cohen partner in its downtown L.A. office. Cohen was previously senior counsel with the firm. Henry W. Root has been appointed chairman for the music division of the...

Nixon Peabody.(LAW)(appointments of )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... The downtown L.A. office of Nixon Peabody, a Boston-headquartered international law firm, has named David Bacon partner of labor and employment, Richard Bromley counsel of labor and employment, Michael Curtis associate of labor and employment,...

Winston & Strawn LLP.(LAW)(promotion of Justin Rawlins )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Justin Rawlins has been promoted to partner in the downtown L.A. office of Winston & Strawn LLP, a Chicago-headquartered international law firm. Rawlins was formerly an associate with the firm.

Exhibitgroup/Giltspur: Red Delperdang.(MARKETING)(appointment of)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Reg Delperdang has joined the Cypress office of Exhibit-group/Giltspur, a marketing agency based in Roselle, Ill., as director of client technology services. Delperdang was previously a self-employed Delperdang...

Exhibitgroup/Giltspur: Gina McDuffie.(MARKETING)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Gina McDuffie has joined the Cypress office of Exhibitgroup/Giltspur, a marketing agency based in Roselle, Ill., as vice president of marketing. McDuffie was previously senior director of marketing with El Segundo-based DirecTV Group Inc.

Trailer Park.(MARKETING)(appointment of Evan Geerlings)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Trailer Park, a Hollywood-based entertainment marketing agency, has named Evan Geerlings vice president of business development for the company's newly launched digital design group. Geerlings was previously a co-founder of iCandy Interactive,...

Hershey Cause.(MARKETING)(appointments of Kristen Staneik and Aimee Teplinsky )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Hershey Cause, a Santa Monica marketing, publications and design services agency, has hired Kristen Staneik as senior communications manager and Aimee Teplinsky as chief operating officer. Previously, Stancik was program manager for Rock the...

944 Magazine.(MEDIA)(appointment of Valarie Anderson )(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 944 Magazine, a West Hollywood publisher of city lifestyle publications, has named Valarie Anderson publisher for its Los Angeles edition. Anderson was previously fashion director and publisher of the Los Angeles...

Fox Sports International.(MEDIA)(appointment of Bhavesh Patel)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... Bhavesh Patel has been appointed vice president of interactive media in the Century City office of Fox Sports International. Patel was previously director of global digital media for the National Basketball Association in New York City.

LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine.(MEDIA)(appointment of Nic Harcourt)(Brief article)
January 5, 2009... LA, Los Angeles Times Magazine, a weekly section published by the Los Angeles Times, has named Nic Harcourt editor at large of music and culture. Harcourt was previously music director at Santa Monica radio station KCRW.