Search

Discusses how the 14-partner law firm of Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca & Fischer has godfathered some of the biggest deals in Hollywood. Brokering over $15 billion worth of corporate business and grossing more than $50 million in fees; On Forbes' list of America's highest-paid lawyers; Some of their famous clients; The partners' backgrounds; The evolution of the firm.

Discusses the growth of proprietary schools in the United States. How these schools, which are for profit, are aimed at parents who want to give their children the best education, but cannot afford elite private schools; How public schools have deteriorated and private schools have become more costly; How proprietary schools fill this market gap; Examples, including Merryhill Country School and the Challenger schools; Nobel Education Dynamics.

The article features businessman Michael Freed who runs the Post Ranch Inn, in Big Sur, California. Originally, he hadn't wanted a hotel at all. Freed had fallen in love with the crashing breakers and dramatic slopes of the lovely spot when he was still a kid. By 1981 he was a highly successful 31-year-old real estate lawyer and wanted to build a house there. Post had about given up hope of getting zoning changes through with the people who run the California Coastal Commission. A specialist in coastal land-use regulations, he figured a way around the commission's obduracy. To keep good relations with the locals, Freed hired a Big Sur architect to design the rooms and local craftsmen to build the furniture. To keep building costs from running out of control, he gave his contractor a small piece of equity.

This article presents information on the foreign investors who invested in Hollywood, Los Angeles in California and lost their money. During the eighties the movie game was one of the worst investment plays around. Wall Street raised hundreds of millions of dollars in limited partnerships and initial public offerings, only to see outfits like De Laurentiis Entertainment Group and the Weintraub Entertainment Group collapse. Over the last few years eager foreign investors have pumped some $17 billion into the U.S. movie business-and have probably lost a good $3 billion of their investment.

The article presents a company profile of DIC Enterprises, an animated-cartoon producer based in Burbank, California. Its eight-show lineup includes animated versions of ALF, Alvin and the Chipmunks, and Beany and Cecil. By keeping out unions, chairman Andrew Heyward has made the company one of the lowest-cost animation houses in Hollywood.

The article focuses on the efforts made by Richard Rainwater, an investor, in searching for companies to acquire in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. He aims to put up investments with David Geffen, owner of the recording company Geffen Co. However, his proposal was denied by Geffen because the recording company has generated more than $300 million with a cash flow. Also, Geffen insists that whatever outside money that his company needs comes from Warner Communications Inc.

The article focuses on the factors responsible for the business development of City National Bank in Los Angeles. It is one of the profitable banks in the financial industry with assets that reached $3 billion and an increased net margin partly brought by its actor clients. Its data processing system served it well and is used by other banks which paid it with 17 percent of its total pretax income and its major stockholders which are both whisky distillers are its prized possessions.

This article focuses on the revival of Mode O'Day, which is the Los Angeles, California-based dress business of Wickes Cos. Crippled with underproductive factories, Mode O'Day was losing $1.5 million a year on sales of about $100 million. Worse, local manufacturers who also supplied Mode O'Day's 550 stores were threatening to stop shipping new goods. Although Mode O'Day is a retail franchiser, it does the buying for all the stores. Albert Berger, garment manufacturer shut the seven factories of Mode O'Day. He also scrapped Mode O'Day's strategy of operating in towns of under 2,500 populations, a relic of a bygone age before suburban malls spread across the landscape.

This article presents information on several clubs in Los Angeles, California. The biggest, newest club, in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, is Vertigo. It has seven bars on two floors. One owner, Mario Oliver, used to squire Monaco's Princess Stephanie about, and there's still a large European contingent on the dance floor. Los Angeles' most architecturally astonishing nightspot is just above the runway at the Santa Monica airport. Five-month-old DC3 was named for the plane built there in the 1930s.

The article focuses on the failure of California-based disk-drive maker Computer Memories in finding someone to merge or to buy the company. Along with 25 million in cash, the company is supposed to merge with Hemdale Film Corp., but the deal fell apart when Hemdale got involved over videocassette rights issue. On its second attempt, it projected DIC Animation as a potential mate, but stockholders Paul Koether and Natalie Koether block the deal because of the debt of DIC Animation.

The article focuses on the conversion of the Santa Ana, California-based Community Psychiatric Centers (CPC) Inc. from a public corporation to a public master limited partnership (MLP). In 1986, CPC announced that it will go into disincorporation for the fear of the effectivity of the new tax law in 1988, which enable corporations to pay income taxes of more than 52%. In an MLP, CPC could pay only 28% in their income taxes but some stockholders are opposing the transition.