Firms

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District's efforts to renovate its aging facilities took a giant step from concept to reality with the hiring of five architectural firms. The companies -- selected in late November -- have their work cut out for them, as they will share the design on the 28 schools designated for improvements. Only one company will be assigned to each school, however, said Mike Fine, the district's assistant superintendent. The improvements will be funded by Measure A, a $110-million bond passed in June 2000.

Newport Beach resident and indicted financier Danny Pang did not die as a result of foul play, coroner’s officials said. An autopsy performed Sunday proved inconclusive as to what killed Pang, 42. Coroners will now wait for toxicology results, which will take two to three months, officials said. Pang was on house arrest and had to wear an electronic monitoring device around his ankle as part of federal authorities’ investigation into his Irvine-based firms, Private Equity Management Group Inc., and Private Equity Management Group LLC. Pang was the founder and former chief executive of the two firms.

Donald A. Ruston, 1929 – 2011, Eminent Trial Lawyer  Donald Allen Ruston of Newport Beach, passed away in Corona Del Mar on April 8, 2011. Don was born on November 28, 1929 in Globe, Arizona to Ira and Evelyn Mills Ruston. He graduated from Excelsior High School in 1947, and received his Bachelor’s Degree from Pepperdine University in 1951. He acquired his Juris Doctorate from the University of California Los Angeles in 1954, and was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1955.

Paul Clinton A classically styled three-story office building is expected to complement other Newport Center structures once it is completed later this year. With the 50,000-square-foot building at 680 Newport Center Drive, the Irvine Co. hopes to attract more of the upper-level professional clients that now lease other space in the center. "We expect the building will attract financial service firms and other professional services firms," company spokeswoman Jennifer Heiger said.

Citizen Academy still has openings The Laguna Beach Police Department is still accepting applications for the Citizen Academy, a 12-week course designed to educate the community on local law enforcement. The academy begins Sept. 14 and is free to anyone who works or lives in Laguna Beach. Throughout the course, citizens will learn about crime scene investigation, narcotics enforcement, the police K9 program and more. The class will also include a tour of the Orange County Jail and a chance to shoot a weapon at the police firing range.

Edward G. Segovia has been promoted to vice president of operations for Costa Mesa-based Andrew L. Youngquist Construction. Segovia will be responsible for the development, implementation, monitoring and oversight of the company's administrative and field management operations. He has been involved in a variety of construction projects throughout the U.S. and Mexico. "Ed's continued growth with our company and the extensive abilities he has demonstrated over the years make him an ideal fit for vice president," said Andrew L. Youngquist, president and CEO. "We have watched him develop into a multifaceted industry expert and congratulate him on his professional accomplishments."

Alicia Robinson A good place to seek people who might visit Newport Beach is away from the city, the city's travel experts have found. City promoters are drumming up potential business travel through a one-person satellite office of the conference and visitors bureau in San Francisco and two outside marketing firms with offices in Washington, D.C., as well as Chicago, Denver and Houston. "We know that they're instrumental in bringing in about 30% of our leads," Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Marta Hayden said.

Because of the monopoly they have on providing services to residents, most municipal governments provide those services at too great a cost. If municipal governments had competition, free market forces would determine the cost of those services. That usually means they can be provided at a lower cost. At Tuesday's Costa Mesa City Council meeting, it looks like the process of bringing competition into the picture will begin as the council is expected to give the required six-month notice to employees whose jobs may be outsourced.

Two Newport-Mesa companies are set to share the stage with renowned basketball coach John Wooden on Tuesday when the firms are honored as exemplars of responsible business practices. Newport Beach's CWS Capital Partners LLC and Costa Mesa's Mission Controls Automation Inc. were two of five Orange County businesses selected as recipients of the Passkeys Foundation's Ethics in America Awards. This will be the 10th year the Mission Viejo-based foundation has given the awards.

The Roxburgh Agency, a multifaceted advertising and public relations agency headquartered in Costa Mesa, received top honors at the Major Achievement in Marketing Excellence Awards ceremony hosted by the Sales & Marketing Council of the Building Industry Assn. of Southern Arizona. As part of a marketing campaign created to display the sophistication and timeless beauty of the luxury homes of Firenze by Camelot Homes, the grand opening ad made Roxburgh the recipient of the Grand Award trophy.

Lindsay Lohan maybe getting a new lawyer if she signs off on a plan to have a  prominent Orange County law firm help represent her on criminal charges she lied about a car crash on Pacific Coast Highway. The latest development comes after her New York attorney was warned by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge that he did not know California law. Paul Wallin, a partner at Wallin & Klarich, said Lohan's attorney, Mark Heller, has asked one of the firm's attorneys, David Wohl, to help represent the actress at trial March 18. "We are awaiting Ms. Lohan's approval," Wallin said.

A Costa Mesa-based law firm announced Wednesday that it has a new executive director. Tony Malkani will lead Rutan & Tucker, one of California's largest full-service public agency and business law firms, according to a news release. Malkani replaces Rich Boden, who joined Rutan & Tucker in 1976. Malkani was last at Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth, where he was the Newport Beach-based firm's chief financial officer. He will lead Rutan & Tucker's "day-to-day business strategy and operations" with a staff of more than 130, according to a news release.

Dashiell Codd went to Disneyland with his family Monday. It was part of the 5-year-old's dream that was being fulfilled through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He started off bashful and nervous in the park, his mother, Pam, said. He's always been that way, even before he was diagnosed in March with a rare liver cancer and had to endure almost contestant prodding, procedures and needles. But then he met Winnie the Pooh. "I think this was the first time he understood that this was a place just for kids," Pam said.

For anyone involved in the consumer tech industry, the 2013 International CES (formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show) is the holy grail of exposure and opportunity. The largest such tradeshow in the world, CES attracts more than 150,000 attendees eager to see what's next in the world of tech and online content. The show is open to those with affiliation to the consumer electronics industry, such as engineers, buyers and industry analysts, as well as the press. Many local companies were in attendance this year, including three from Irvine who made waves at the event.

For Southern Californians, excursions in the snow are typically found in the mountains or out of state. But on Saturday morning 40 tons of snow descended on Costa Mesa's Balearic Community Center. For many, the experience was a first. Horacio Berruecos, 12, made a bowling ball-sized creation - sometimes a snowman, sometimes a snowball - as he stood in the slush, an ear-to-ear grin across his face. "This is the first time I've ever seen snow," the Adams Elementary School student said.

Let's revisit the last two weeks of August. On Aug. 16, the Orange County Register Watchdog blog ripped law firm Lackie, Dammeier & McGill's playbook for twisting arms during impasse negotiations. The firm suggested on its website that police associations should " … keep the pressure up until that person assures you his loyalty and then move on to the next victim. " The "victim" essentially refers to a politician unfavorable to an association's position. Less than a week later, on Aug. 22, that playbook was followed step by step.

A major law enforcement association has denounced the law firm that until recently represented the Costa Mesa Police Assn. (CMPA). The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) late Thursday issued a statement critical of Upland-based Lackie, Dammeier & McGill. The CMPA retained the firm used by multiple Southern California police unions until late last week. The LAPPL said the firm's "hardball tactics" can erode the public's trust. "The LAPPL has a proven track record of working with city officials to ensure that public safety comes first, and is proud to say that it has achieved success through collaboration during negotiations, not through intimation," said the group, which includes 9,900 members from the Los Angeles Police Department.

Costa Mesa Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer took to the steps of City Hall on Tuesday to criticize a law firm that until recently represented the city's police association. Righeimer said Lackie, Dammeier & McGill's negotiating tactics are having a "chilling effect" on elected officials throughout Southern California who want to reform pay and pension packages for public safety personnel. "They're forcing you to vote against the best interests of your community," he said. During the press conference, Righeimer and city council members from Buena Park, Fullerton and Irvine claimed that the Upland-based firm and its clients have harassed city officials leading up to elections and contract negotiations.

Demonstrators on Saturday gathered in front of the Costa Mesa Police Department to support Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer, who they contend was falsely accused of driving drunk by a private investigator who works for a law firm that represents police unions. A motorist tailing Righeimer called 911 Wednesday, saying the councilman was swerving and appeared drunk. Righeimer, who said he only drank a Diet Coke, was given a sobriety test by police at his home and passed. The man who made the call is a fired Riverside police officer who works with a law firm that until recently was retained by the Costa Mesa Police Assn.

An ordinance that would open for public review many aspects of negotiations between Costa Mesa employee groups and city management will come back to the City Council for further review. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer said the proposal needed more detail before going forward. The Civic Openness in Negotiations, or "COIN," ordinance would require the city to lay out the costs of current employee contracts by provision and hire an independent negotiator. It would also require the council to tell the public of each side's offers and counter-offers, presumably allowing residents to give input on proposals.