Got Them Cornered
Many lawyers dream of the day that they will sit on the highest court of the land. Until then, a corner office on the 45th floor will do just fine.
The 200 lawyers at the Los Angeles law firm of Latham & Watkins took four months to choose their offices in the firm’s future digs at First Interstate World Center--the city’s tallest tower.
Those with seniority--based on the year they received their law degree--got first pick of the offices located on the 45th through 38th floors. Lawyers who graduated in the same year drew straws to determine the next in line.
Corner offices proved the most popular, said partner David Vena, who ended up with such an office on the 44th floor. “Those went first with few exceptions,” he said.
Judging Report by Its Cover
When Southwest Airlines Co. puts out its annual report it certainly toys around. This year the Dallas-based carrier was flooded with requests for copies from schoolteachers, parents and kids because it included a punch-out paper airplane on the back page.
The jet--which was so popular that the airline printed 60,000 reports instead of its usual 40,000--is designed to resemble Shamu, the killer whale. A spokeswoman said Southwest is the official airline of Sea World, the aquatic entertainment parks operated by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in San Diego, Cleveland, San Antonio and Orlando, Fla.
To help shareholders get Shamu aloft, Southwest added a helpful hint to the back cover: “Herb attaches a paper clip to the nose for longer flights.” Herb should know. He’s Herbert D. Kelleher, the chairman of Southwest. Just to dispel any doubts as to Herb’s sincerity, at the front of the report there’s a photograph of him launching a paper airplane.
Art Is in the Right Place
Robinson’s is showing Phoenix that its art is in the right place.
In February, five Goldwaters stores in Phoenix were merged into the Robinson’s department store chain of Los Angeles. This week, Robinson’s will present to the city’s Heard Museum five Native American works, originally commissioned by Goldwaters and housed in the Phoenix stores.
In the case of the “Sunset Cowboy” oil by Fritz Scholder, known for his satires of Southwestern stereotypes, the donation marks a coming of age for the museum. As director Michael J. Fox tells it, years ago Scholder arranged to have the museum receive a numbered edition of each of his lithographs, thinking that the museum would never be able to afford his original canvas works. (His works have lately gone for as much as $125,000.) Thanks to Robinson’s, Fox noted, the museum has been able to enhance its Scholder collection “in a way that neither the artist nor the museum dreamed possible.”
Penney Made Sense to Him
Did Macy’s tell Gimbels? No. Does Sears tell Penney? In this case, probably.
M. C. (Chris) Sears, executive assistant to the chairman at J. C. Penney Co., recently took on the added responsibilities of vice president and director of public affairs for the Dallas-based retailer. Sears, a 27-year veteran of Penney, reportedly is not related to the Sears family of rival Sears, Roebuck & Co.
A Penney spokeswoman was not certain what the “M” stood for. Likely not Montgomery.
