Promotions and appointments
Sean Berkowitz joined Latham & Watkins LLP‘s Chicago office as a partner. UCLA School of Law announced the appointments of two of its faculty to endowed chairs. KB Home Chairman and CEO Bruce Karatz and Tata Sons Ltd. Chairman Ratan N. Tata have been appointed to the board of trustees of the RAND Corporation.
Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds announced three new hires. Parsons hired James Brummond. Bryan Cave Partner Curt Dombek has been appointed to the firm’s executive committee. The Buxbaum Group reported management changes in the wake of resignations. True Religion Apparel hired Emilio Fields. Marc Mushkin has been promoted to vice president of franchising for Sagittarius Brands. Sunwest Bank announced Glen R. Mozingo, Esq., has been appointed as a member of the board of directors.
****
Global law firm Latham & Watkins LLP announced Sean M. Berkowitz has joined the firm’s Chicago office as a partner in the litigation department, effective November 1, 2006. Immediately prior to joining Latham, Berkowitz served as the director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Enron Task Force. He assumed the position in July 2005, and has been responsible for leading a team of prosecutors, F.B.I. agents and Internal Revenue Service personnel in prosecuting criminal violations in connection with the collapse of Enron Corporation in 2001. Berkowitz served as lead prosecutor in the trial of Enron’s founder, Kenneth L. Lay, and former chief executive, Jeffrey K. Skilling. Berkowitz joined the Enron Task Force in December 2003 after working in the criminal division of the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office. Latham & Watkins was founded in Los Angeles.
****
UCLA School of Law said it has chosen Professor Stephen Bainbridge as the William D. Warren Professor of Law. The William D. Warren Endowed Chair in Law was created through the kindness of many donors, including several UCLA Law alumni, in honor and recognition of former UCLA School of Law Dean William Warren, whose academic expertise was in the areas of commercial, consumer, real estate and bankruptcy law. Bainbridge has written more than 50 law review articles, which have appeared in such leading journals as Virginia Law Review, Northwestern University Law Review and Stanford Law Review.
In addition, Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl was named to the Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Endowed Chair in Islamic Law, which was created through the generosity of Dr. Omar Alfi and Mrs. Azmeralda Alfi. Professor El Fadl, a 2005 Carnegie Scholar, teaches courses in Islamic law, immigration law, national security law, investment law, and terrorism and the law. He also conducts a seminar in human rights. Dr. El Fadl has served as an expert witness in international litigation involving Middle Eastern law, and in cases involving terrorism, immigration law and political asylum claims.
****
KB Home Chairman and CEO Bruce Karatz and Tata Sons Ltd. Chairman Ratan N. Tata have been appointed to the Board of Trustees of the San Monica-based RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, RAND President and CEO James A. Thomson announced today. KB Home is one of the America’s largest homebuilding firms - operating in 16 states and headquartered in Los Angeles - and is the majority owner of Kaufman & Broad S.A., one of the largest homebuilders in France. Tata Sons Ltd. is the promoter company of the Tata Group - India’s largest private sector conglomerate with operations in seven business sectors through 96 operating companies including Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Tea, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels and Tata Teleservices.
****
Pasadena-based Parsons announced that James C. (J.C.) Brummond was recently hired as senior vice president of the new heavy civil/transportation and environmental division of Parsons Construction Group (PCG), a global business unit of Parsons Corporation. Brummond will be responsible for PCG’s business development and construction work that focuses on large-scale transportation and infrastructure projects throughout the Unites States with future plans to expand into Western and Central Canada.
The company also announced Armando Ramos, business development manager, was selected as a 2006 Luminary Honoree by HENAAC (Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Conference). The conference supports and recognizes Hispanic men and women in engineering and technology careers and focuses on opening doors for those from multicultural communities. Ramos was honored at HENAAC’s Luminary luncheon on October 6, 2006, in Anaheim, California.
****
The Los Angeles-based Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds reported hiring of three new professionals. Jose Quesada and Lisa Roth have joined the company as vice president and Jared Lazarus has joined Canyon-Johnson as an associate. At Canyon-Johnson, Quesada identifies and oversees potential new investment opportunities as well as provides oversight of existing investments, primarily focusing on the West Coast and South Florida. Roth is responsible for the asset management of investments in the Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds’ portfolio and Canyon’s senior loans and mezzanine investments. Lazarus underwrites the acquisition of existing and to-be-developed real estate throughout the United States.
****
Bryan Cave Partner Curt Dombek has been appointed to the firm’s executive committee by Chairman Don Lents. Dombek, who works out of Bryan Cave’s Santa Monica office, will serve a three-year term on the 15-member committee, which is charged with developing and executing policy for the law firm. He has practiced since 1983 in the field of international trade and also has worked in the firm’s Washington, London and Kuwait offices.
****
Buxbaum Group, an investing and consulting firm headquartered in Calabasas, today announced several changes in its senior executive ranks. Paul Buxbaum, chairman and chief executive officer, will reassume the role of president, while Jim Siebersma, executive vice president, will take on the additional post of chief operating officer. Siebersma will continue to direct the firm’s asset appraisal group. These moves follow the resignation of David Ellis, president and chief operating officer, who left the firm to pursue other interests. The firm also announced that executive vice president Richard Ellis, has resigned to pursue other interests. Additionally, Scott Rusczyk, who joined the firm earlier this year as director of business affairs, has been named vice president-business affairs. He will be responsible for overseeing all activities of Buxbaum Group, including the firm’s liquidation, advisory and turnaround engagements, as well as investments, mergers and acquisitions. Rusczyk rounds out a senior team that also includes executive vice president Stevan Buxbaum, who leads the firm’s marketing and business development efforts.
****
Los Angeles-based True Religion Apparel, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRLG) today announced the appointment of Emilio Fields to the newly created position of director of marketing and public relations. Fields is a fashion industry veteran who has guided media relations and marketing campaigns for many of the fashion industry’s premium designers. Most recently, he created a program for Andrew Marc, as well as handled promotions and sales for Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino and Christian Dior. He reports directly to Jeffrey Lubell, chairman and chief executive officer.
****
Marc Mushkin has been promoted to vice president of franchising for Sagittarius Brands for both their Captain D’s Seafood Kitchens and Del Taco Restaurants. He joined the Del Taco organization in 2004, following two years in his own consulting practice, representing a number of brands both domestically and internationally. Mushkin was senior director of franchise sales for Del Taco prior to this promotion.
****
Tustin-based Sunwest Bank announced that Glen R. Mozingo, Esq., has been appointed as a member of the board of directors. Mozingo has over twenty seven years experience as a senior trial lawyer and is one of a few lawyers who have been admitted to both the United States Supreme Court as well as the Law Society of England and Wales. He has extensive experience serving the business community in Southern California by providing counsel in numerous matters including state and federal taxation, securities, banking, real estate, corporations, partnerships and contract law.
