Bet On Berg

(This article originally appeared in the February 5th, 2013 edition of the Century City News)

By Michael Douglas Carlin

There is a wind blowing through the industry… the wind of change. The landscape of the entertainment industry will be vastly different from 2012 and all of those changes are yet to be discovered. The industry itself doesn’t really know what it wants to be when it grows up… and with so many egos in the industry there is little fear the industry will ever grow up. One thing is clear there are going to be winners and losers in 2013 and everybody is prognosticating their picks to align themselves with the winning side.

One of the winds blowing through the industry is in every agency. When Jeff Berg left ICM and announced he would be starting another agency there were shivers down the spines of all entrenched in the agency business. Business affairs personnel were deployed to review contracts and shore up any vulnerabilities that might exist as Berg was anticipated to soon begin recruiting revenue streams. Now that Berg has landed squarely on his feet, he and his team are doing just that… building a mega agency from scratch with a war chest of two hundred million dollars.

But from scratch doesn’t really paint the picture. Berg and his crew have relationships spanning three decades into the farthest reaches of entertainment. At a time when overheads are being slashed throughout all of America I would not bet against the upstart that comes with virtually no overhead. Building an agency from the ground up allows them to cherry pick from the many revenue streams to select only the most desirable. They have the ability to recruit the dream team of agents in this changing landscape.

As all agency business affairs teams have ramped up the non-compete language in their contracts overheads have been going up at rival agencies as they seek to keep their revenue streams intact. Resolution arrives, lean and mean and ready to embrace the changes within the industry. Many agents out there must be thinking more long-term and really evaluating their positions. They must be thinking that a move is in their best interests and they are, no doubt, taking meetings with Berg and his team to make the move to the future.

The stranglehold once held by a handful of companies over the industry is crumbling and independents are emerging with content that consumers demand. Berg is a pipeline to get that content to the market. Celebrities will want to be on this train, filmmakers will want to be on this train, and investors wanting to tap into entertainment will want to be on this train.

I coined a phrase, “Writing with a calculator.” Every survivor in entertainment must begin writing with a calculator to match the resources they have with the budget level they can justify. Writing with a calculator will mitigate the risk in entertainment and I believe Jeff Berg’s Resolution is at the forefront of the new sensible budget format that will drive entertainment.


THE OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
Resolution Forms in Century City

Jeffrey Berg has announced the formation of Resolution, a new full-service talent and literary agency, which has opened in Los Angeles and New York. Mr. Berg, who served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ICM for 27 years, will be the Chairman of Resolution. Entertainment entrepreneur, film and television producer and music agent Jeff Franklin, will serve as Chief Operating Officer.

“As a founding shareholder, I am delighted to partner with Najafi Companies, a strategic private investment firm in the media industry, and Jeff Franklin, a recognized agent and builder in the music business, to launch Resolution. I look forward to working with an exceptional and diverse team of talents to provide our clients with the highest level of advisory and transactional services.” Mr. Najafi will serve on Resolution’s Board of Directors along with Mr. Berg and Mr. Franklin. Jahm Najafi, CEO of Najafi Companies added, “There is no smarter, strategic and knowledgeable agent than Jeff Berg. We look forward to sharing and building this progressive agency in an evolving entertainment marketplace.”

“We are fortunate to have Jahm and his team as our financial partners,” Mr. Berg said. “They are respected and experienced investors who share our passion for the worldwide entertainment community and bring deep critical industrial insights to our company.”
Mr. Franklin added, “With new office space secured and construction completed, our focus is to now expand the recruitment of agents to create a new enduring institution in our industry. Resolution will be active in all of the critical entertainment areas: film, television, theater, music, literary publishing, digital media, and marketing consultation.”

Resolution will focus on the core functions of talent representation but will also provide a wide range of financial and advisory services including the sale of libraries and catalogues, financial transactions for media companies, raising capital for independent and studio films, providing restructuring advice and the sale and licensing of independently financed films and television series to the domestic and international markets.

“After a long run at my former company, I want to re-engage in a new business again as an owner-operator, and Jahm and Jeff became my logical partners,” Mr. Berg stated. “Resolution has a business plan that allows for internal growth, and it also has the committed capital for outside strategic acquisitions.”

The executive team will include former WME Vice President of Finance and Controller Laura Li who will become Resolution’s Chief Financial Officer; former Universal Pictures and MGM senior international marketing and distribution executive Randy Greenberg who will serve as Co-Head of Operations and Business Development; and former Universal Pictures Executive-Vice President of Business Affairs and former CEO of Intermedia Pictures Jon Gumpert will act as General Counsel and Head of Business Affairs.

Jeffrey Berg began his career in 1969 as a literary and film agent at Creative Management Associates (CMA). Following CMA’s merger with IFA, which created ICM, Berg ran the literary and motion picture department. In 1980, he was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer, and in 1985, he became Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In 1988, Berg was part of a management team that took ICM private in a leveraged buyout financed by Chase Manhattan Bank and subsequently City National Bank. In 2005, Rizvi Traverse acquired ICM in a deal that brought in the first private equity investors to the agency business. In 2012, Mr. Berg and Rizvi Traverse sold their interest to the present ICM management group. Mr. Berg served as Co-Chairman of the California Information Technology Council. He has been a Director of Oracle Corp., since February 1997. He serves on the Board of Trustees and Board of Visitors of The Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles at UCLA. He served as a Member of the California Entertainment Commission and the President of the Executive Board of the College of Letters and Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. He has also lectured on Management and Finance in the arts at The London School of Economics where he was a member of its Court of Governors. Mr. Berg has been involved in the production financing and sale of over 500 films. In 1991, he was awarded the Cavaliere Ufficiale of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy. Mr. Berg holds a BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Liberal Arts from the University of Southern California.

Jeff Franklin is an entertainment industry entrepreneur, film and television producer, and one of the foremost music agents in the entertainment industry. Jeff Franklin and his Agency ATI represented some of the recording industry’s most successful and honored rock and rhythm and blues artists including Neil Young, Bob Seger, ACDC, KISS, Rod Stewart, Black Sabbath, Marvin Gaye, Deep Purple, Ozzie Osborn, Yes, Beach Boys, Guns and Roses and The Eagles just to name a few. His experience extends beyond these sectors into publishing, branded entertainment, new media and music publishing. Mr. Franklin was a partner in Casablanca Records and Film Works and Mr. Franklin is currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ATI, where he has served since 1970. In 1980, he sold his music business to International Creative Management (ICM), where he remained a consultant at the agency for five years following the merger. Through the formation of ATI Video, Mr. Franklin enjoyed a further successful television career, essentially creating music television with “Night Flight,” which ran on USA Network for sixteen hours a week for nine years, and an additional three years in syndication. ATI produced over 5,000 hours of the show. Mr. Franklin is considered an expert in international co-financing of filmed entertainment content.

Najafi Companies is an international private investment firm based in Phoenix, Arizona, with offices in New York, Paris, Toronto and holdings in sectors including consumer, media, technology, industrial, energy and real estate across seven countries including Columbia House, SkyMall, Direct Brands and Cinram. The Najafi Companies make highly-selective investments in companies with strong management teams across a variety of industries, often in areas undergoing rapid technological transformation. The firm takes a long-term view on its investments and focuses its efforts to create value through growth and superior performance. Najafi Companies funds its investments with internally generated capital, not through a fund. Free from the restrictions of a fund, the firm is able to move quickly and decisively when investing, and with no requirements to return capital to outside partners, Najafi Companies is able to make investments that create maximum value for the long term.

Resolution is located at 1801 Century Park East, 23rd Floor, Los Angeles CA 90067 (424) 274-4200

Keith Chagall Plays Century City

(This article originally appeared in the Jan 15th, 2013 edition of the Century City News)
by Michael Douglas Carlin



I met Keith a number of years back at what I consider to be the magical summer of my time spent in Century City. There was an entire group that hung out on the patio at the Century Plaza Hotel where he would play during happy hour. He truly made our time there happy and this led to a friendship as I have followed him throughout the number of gigs where I have enjoyed his music.
My aunt is a Keith Chagall groupie. I got into her car the other day and on the CD Player was Keith’s new album, “She’s Incredible.” My aunt was singing along with Keith and she knew all of the lyrics to his
music. It brought a smile to my face that I was able to introduce music to her that is making her happy.

Now Keith plays at Westfield Century City on Fridays and Saturdays from 12 – 2pm. I like to end my week listening to his music and relaxing in the food court and grazing on all of the new food options available inside the mall. It is a great way to reward myself for every action packed week.

Keith also plays other luxury high-end venues such as the Fairmont, Huntley Penthouse, etc. where is tropical lifestyle music sound appeal have prospered all of his clients.



American Federale

(This article originally appeared in the Jan 8th, 2013 edition of the Century City News)
By Melody Johnson

The typical L.A. Story. Michael Carlin is sitting with a friend at a sushi bar and in walks Oliver Stone. It sounds like the set up to a joke but it is in reality a true story. Stone told Carlin to follow the story. And that advice brought us American Federale.

Twelve years ago this story began on a street corner in El Paso, Texas. A Suburban arrives and equipment is stowed in the back. A blindfold is placed over Carlin’s eyes and the adventure is afoot. The interview proved worth the risk as former Federale, Lobo, told his story that included torture, extortion, bribes, and over 22 gun battles during his time in the Chihuahua State Police as well as the Mexican Federal Police.

Lobo gives us insights into his many exploits and shows us a glimpse into the culture of corruption that exists in Mexico today. He tells us about working to protect Drug Lords and take them down when they fall out of favor. He was complicit only because going against the grain would have cost him his life. What began as a youth’s quest for excitement and a life of rubbing elbows with the rich and powerful transitioned into Lobo being tortured to within a breath of losing his life. How he escaped death is still unexplained and qualifies as a miracle. His life was often spared during his ten years by mere chance. He tells us that all of his friends from that era are now dead and they all died very violent deaths. Many of them with their entire families… “Capone Style.”

Carlin also takes us into Border Mexico as he risks his life to capture images that bring this story to life. His many trips into Juarez and Ojinaga bring us behind the scenes where we see Military, Federal Police, State Police and Municipal Police that are known to be on both sides of the law. The blurry lines we see in this documentary teach us that Anarchy truly isn’t the answer. We learn from the film that the blurring of lines that is happening in America today may lead us to bad places and we have the ability to make choices today to lead us to more defined lines and a more orderly and peaceful society.

What I learned from my interview with Carlin is that corruption touched his family during America’s own lawless period in the 20’s when his great grandfather worked for Al Capone. “My grandfather used to pick me up and put me on the counter when he would make me pancakes and tell me stories about his childhood. When he was young his father received a telephone call and went off to work for Capone and was never heard from again.” Carlin’s grandfather drowned his sorrows in alcohol and that dysfunction touched every generation of his family down to and including him.

The ramification of the violence in Mexico has led to a hundred thousand widows and orphans and the impact will never be fully comprehended. Fixing corruption may take many generations at a cost of billions of dollars. Is the quick money from the drug trade really worth the immediate gratification? The audience can draw their own conclusions.

This film is not for the weak willed or squeamish. It is a hard-edged film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Anyone wondering about Border Mexico, Immigration, Drug Policy, or lawlessness must add this film to his or her watch list. The film is set to be released in early 2013 and will be entered into the Cannes Film Festival.

The film is available on Amazon, iTunes, and GooglePlay.

Investing Your Wealth With Transparency & Simplicity

(This article originally appeared in the January 8th, 2013 edition of the Century City News)

By Michael Douglas Carlin
When it comes to wealth planning strategies in and around Century City you don’t have to look too far to find many competing voices. But what do you do with a pile of money today? It seems very complicated. Preservation of capital has become a risky business in today’s climate. Do you invest in real estate? Spanish bonds? The stock market? Europe? China? Or stuff your money in your mattress? What was once so easy has become confusing. Developing a strategy to mitigate risk and earn a return on a portfolio of investments seems to be the common desire among the wealthy. How to achieve this?

Beverly Hills Wealth Management, Founded in early 2010, has answers to the tough questions today’s investors ask. Looking at BHWM as a startup can be misleading. The company was formed by Mag Black-Scott former Vice-Chairman of Morgan Stanley. I recently got a chance to sit with her for a few moments. Mag and the BHWM Investment Management team get it! They understand what is happening on the global landscape and the need for investors to employ a global strategy in their financial plan. Mag and her company facilitates and enhances this on every level. The three years for Mag has been a whirlwind of activity as she has navigated the complexity of investing to boil it down for her clients to make it simple and understandable. BHWM now has five locations including their flagship office on Beverly Drive just south of Wilshire. Now there are San Diego, Roseville, CA, Phoenix, and Jacksonville-Florida offices. Soon there may be New York, Chicago, and San Francisco offices.

None of these offices handles any cash. They partner with global, trusted custodians who transparently look after their client’s wealth with their global reach. The relationship between wealth management advisors and clients is a sacred trust. This trust is the cornerstone upon which BHWM is built. Simplicity comes from transparency and honoring this sacred trust. Though their approach is sophisticated nothing ever needs to be too complicated to understand. But all of that comes from the wealth of experience learned over decades in the financial services industry by each of their hand-picked investment advisors and the management of the company that includes Mag. Currently they are handling the investments of private investors, institutional investors, small and medium sized businesses, and public agency funds and all of their services are geared toward facilitating the largest of clients as well as the smaller investor with a growing portfolio of a few million dollars and everything in between. “Behind the construction of client portfolios is a clear and concise approach which speaks to the underlying philosophy and process…In line with client objectives, we create diversified, less volatile portfolios that offer the potential for higher returns with lower risk over time. Thoughtful Portfolio design, risk management and planning are of the utmost importance in optimizing the best outcomes for our clients.” ….says Mary Kusnic, BHWM Wealth Advisor

The company is about to unveil a new proprietary software application called Maestro. This will provide an entire array of products to investment managers that will level the playing field by providing them with all of the advantages of larger institutions. One of the features is that they can provide instant access to an entire range of products and services under a password single set of credentails. This application should be unveiled in the first quarter of 2013. Says Chief Information Officer, John Stuart, “Educating clients on the importance of business process, security, and governance at their wealth management relationship is not something that has been important in the past. Professionals with the ‘Maestro Federated Advisor’ designation will be offering an enterprise level of infrastructure , security and access to clients that demand an independent advisory relationship.”

Mag was previously officed in the Sun America Center from 2004 – 2008. Mary Kusnic is a longtime Century City resident and stakeholder that gives back to our community. I have included both of these amazing women’s bios here.

Mary Kusnic
Wealth Management Advisor
Mary Kusnic has over twenty years experience working with mid-market, emerging and growth-oriented companies, including private and public financing. She provided administrative and portfolio management services for Registered Investment Advisors, Business Managers, Non-profit Organizations, High Net Worth Individuals and Families, Family Offices and Corporate Clients.

As a consultant to Institutional and High Net Worth Clients and Families, her work includes retirement and estate planning, wealth and liquidity management, philanthropic and tax-advantaged strategies; and asset management for tax exempt asset pools including Foundations, Corporate and Private entities, Public Pension and Taft Hartley organizations.

Mary holds the 7, 22, 63 and 65 licenses and is a CFP candidate. Prior to joining Beverly Hills Wealth Management, LLC, Mary was a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Beverly Hills, CA. and Merrill Lynch’s Private Client Group in Century City, CA.

Margaret (Mag) Black-Scott is the founder of Beverly Hills Wealth Management LLC, a Registered Investment Advisory firm. Formerly she was a Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Morgan Stanley & Co. Mag has over 35 years of financial services industry experience.

Mag was born and educated in England receiving a diploma in Business Administration from Rotherham Technical College, England. She earned her MBA at Jacksonville University, FL. and completed post-graduate work at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard Business School.

She was adjunct Professor at Jacksonville University, teaching both credit and non-credit courses. She has given financial and estate planning seminars all over the country, and is a past recipient of the coveted “EVE” Award as Jacksonville’s Business Woman of the Year.

She presented a daily television program on financial affairs in Los Angeles, California for 2 years. In Jacksonville, she was Business Editor of Channel 7 (PBS) and made regular guest appearances with WJXT TV Channel 4, a CBS affiliate at that time.

BHWM History
Beverly Hills Wealth Management (BHWM) was formed by Mag Black-Scott, former Fortune 50 Vice Chairman, to meet the needs of High Net Worth clients, Trusts, and Institutions across an open environment with experienced advisors, offering advice that is appropriate, understandable, transparent and beneficial to clients. Each of our employees has an extensive history in the financial services business, and an impeccable professional and personal record.

Our Culture
“Ours is a culture of shared values, attitudes, and practices with the goal of helping clients achieve their stated objectives. We have a culture of mutual respect, of our colleagues, our clients and the source of their wealth plus the trust they place in us to manage that wealth to their own benefit. We strive to serve client needs well and promptly and to exceed their expectations – in short to conduct first class business in a first class way.”….Mag Black-Scott...

BHWM Private Trust
Beverly Hills Wealth Management (BHWM) Private Trust (CA domiciled) provides trust solutions for clients whose financial, family, or business needs require the services of a professional fiduciary through its association with National Advisors Trust Company, the largest federally chartered trust company created by registered investment advisors for the benefit of their clients. Beverly Hills Wealth Management, LLC is a shareholder of National Advisors Trust and intimately involved with their operations and Trust expertise, a true Trust partnership between Client, Trust Administration, investment management. BHWM Private Trust works with estate planning professionals on a local level to provide the consistent Trust services required by our multi-generational clients.
By working together, BHWM Private Trust, National Advisors Trust and the estate planning professional are able to build a strong foundation for the client by providing a solid trustee and investment management solution while helping clients protect their wealth and remain confident about the future of their estates. BHWM and BHWM Private Trust affords the opportunity for bi-furcation of the duties and responsibilities – trust administration & investment advisory.

Beverly Hills Wealth Management “Trust | Simplicity | Experience”

Powerful Countermeasures

(This article appeared in the Jan 8th, 2013 edition of the Century City News)

By Michael Douglas Carlin

We are living in a climate of extreme manipulation. There are additives placed in our food to make it more addictive. Chemicals are put in our water. And marketing is flying at us to manipulate us at an unprecedented rate. Add to that the normal manipulation on the job or inside our family. When emotions take over logic and reason disappear. Take the emotion out of any situation and better decisions get made. Kenny Lindner gives us real tools to make better decisions from that little piece of candy to big career moves and decisions that will affect our families for many generations.

What would happen in our world if everyone took responsibility for every aspect of his or her lives? We all know how profound the world could instantly be impacted. This is a groundbreaking book based upon decades of empirical experience of managing some of the most talented performers and steering their careers. Back Mr. Lindner’s experience with behavioral science and you get a potent prescription we all need to change our lives and perhaps the world. It is just that simple! We are affected by all the consequences of the decisions we make big or small. Why not take responsibility for those decisions too? Reframing our decisions to understand those consequences is a great step toward taking responsibility.

Century City is filled with consultants and we all know the first rule of consulting is to sow seeds of doubt and then make yourself indispensible. Consultants are all taught to constantly sell their “expert” status and then reinforce how important they are. But the truth is that those who really are experts don’t need to sell that hard. They make careers. They map out strategies and are worth their pound of flesh. One of those who has achieved “guru” status is now sharing with us his secrets for success. He has guided the careers of some of the most notable celebrities and he now gives us insight into how he has achieved superstar status in the most competitive of businesses… that of agenting.

In the world of broadcast television he has eclipsed many of the larger agencies that have so much more going for them on paper. In spite of all of their structural synergies they bring into the realm of broadcast television, Lindner seems to land many of the big fish as an independent and relatively small agency. Why? Because the advice he gives truly is sage advice. In his book, “Your Killer Emotions” he maps out much of the advice he has given for all of us pedestrians, that are not represented by him. In the companion book, “Crunch Time,” he taught us the eight foolproof steps to achieve our goals. This book, “Your Killer Emotions,” is the only voice I have found that frames the conversation in a way that we can all improve our lives by boiling down our choices to really comprehend the ramifications of even the smallest of decisions upon our life.

What may seem like no big deal can turn into quite a big deal after years of having made even the simplest of choices. Consider the choice of eating fast food for every meal. “Supersize Me” was just about such a choice. You all remember the documentary film that opened our eyes to having three meals a day of fast food. The results were not pretty. So that tiny piece of candy we get from the bowl at the bank may not seem that harmful but when we make visits a number of times a day and numerous days throughout the week we are silently killing ourselves with something that seems so innocent. How about exposure to Radio Frequency? Or lawn chemicals? Or food additives? Or hormones? Or genetically modified foods? Or how about a toxic boss? A career choice? A marriage?

Ken Lindner teaches us how to use our negative emotions to reframe our decisions into positive choices as we attempt to understand the true consequences of what we are deciding to do every day of our lives. Ken teaches us what he has been teaching his clients for years… not to be manipulated into doing something harmful. A client may have a contract dispute and that may turn ugly in order to manipulate behavior. By the studio making a continuation difficult they can avoid paying money they are contractually bound to pay. Ken frames the true choice by taking all of the emotion out of the decision and framing it with logic and reason. When we look at the true facts and consequences the decision often becomes clear.

I recently watched a very good friend and literary agent go through brain cancer. Seeing his struggles for the past three years and having recently said my “goodbyes” just prior to him passing away I have come to understand that brain cancer is something I never want to experience personally. By using Ken Lindner’s model I am able to reframe my choices of not wanting to suffer and to have those around me suffer and fix some of what is wrong with my life today… for a brighter tomorrow. From this “negative experience” of not wanting to die a slow and miserable death I have commenced an exercise program and I have chosen much healthier salads over my normal fare of junk food.

I have become an advocate of Ken Lindner’s self help books because of the profound changes they have made to my own life. My son met Ken briefly during the release of “Crunch Time.” A conversation between Ken and my son led to an action plan and goals as he agreed to read the book. He applied the 8 steps to achieve his Degree and ROTC training leading to lasting changes in his life. My son achieved “Cadet of the Year” in 2011 for the State of California and is currently in Jet Fighter Pilot School for the United States Air Force and he credits much of his success to getting on the right track from having read “Crunch Time” as well as his guidance from Kenny.

“Your Killer Emotions” is in a category all by itself and I highly recommend the book to anyone who wants to get more out of his or her time on the planet.

You can join Ken Lindner at Barnes and Noble for his book signing on January 17th at 7:00pm. Barnes and Noble, The Grove at Farmers Market, 189 The Grove Drive, Suite K30, Los Angeles, CA 90036

MATTHEWS ACQUIRES KEYLITE PRODUCTION SERVICES AND ITS AFFILIATES

BURBANK, Calif., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Burbank-based Matthews Studio Equipment Group (NASDAQ: MATT) ("Matthews") and its rental subsidiary, Hollywood Rental Co. Inc. ("HRC"), announced the acquisition of Keylite Holdings Inc. and its affiliates, Keylite Production Services Inc., Reel Wheels Inc. and Keylite PSI Phoenix Inc. (collectively "Keylite"), through the exchange of all of the outstanding stock of Keylite Holdings Inc., for 1,400,000 restricted shares of Matthews common stock. Management believes that Keylite and HRC were two of the largest non-studio rental companies in North America. Keylite was one of HRC's most significant competitors in the Los Angeles and Southwest rental markets. HRC's combined rental inventory now consists of approximately 150,000 pieces of equipment plus vehicular equipment and production vans. HRC together with Keylite is able to provide the U.S. production industry with cable and distribution equipment that meets the requirements of the National Electric Code. Matthews management believes that this transaction has made HRC a more prominent rental company with an increased ability to provide quality services to the entertainment production industry. This acquisition will provide HRC with economies of scale and sufficient equipment to enable it to increase its rental customer base. Matthews Studio Equipment Group designs, manufactures, sells and rents grip, camera and lighting support equipment and proprietary electromechanical Cam-Remote(R) Systems for the film, television, commercial photography and theatrical production industries worldwide. -0- 5/26/93 /CONTACT: Gregory Moiseeff or Neil Kaplan of Matthews Studio Equipment Group, 818-843-6715/

Worldwide Board President of Legal Administrators Keynoted Leadership Luncheon

(This article was published in the Century City News on April 17, 2012)

Legal Volunteer of the Year Awards - April 10

The International Board President of the Association of Legal Administrators presented the Volunteer of the Year award to Luci Hamilton, Director of Administration and Finance at Karlin & Peebles in Beverly Hills, at the Leadership Luncheon hosted by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (GLA ALA) on April 10, 2012 from 11:30-1:30 at the Omni Hotel located at 251 South Olive Street in downtown Los Angeles.

Keynoting the luncheon was Karen Griggs, CLM, the National President of the Association of Legal Administrators, an organization with over 10,000 members worldwide. Griggs is the Executive Director of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, L.L.C., in Kansas City, Missouri, named as a 2012 “Go-To Law Firm.”

As Volunteer of the Year award recipient, Hamilton is recognized for her work with GLA including her life-changing “Members-In-Transition” program chaired by Hamilton. Hamilton held educational and inspiring gatherings for administrators looking for work and for anyone who believes that we all are in transition as we grow as professionals and leaders. Dedicated to the pursuit of continuing education, Hamilton tirelessly shares her knowledge and expertise for those seeking the ALA service mark of a Certified Legal Manager or CLM. Hamilton attended almost all of the CLM classes, teaching several herself. Hamilton was GLA ALA’s 2004-2005 Board President and additionally volunteers in local and national organizations including Pasadena City College, the Veterans’ Affairs Department, the “Women at Work” high school outreach programs and UN Women – The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
Shaun Morrison, of Glendora, Office Administrator for Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in Century City, was installed as the 2012 GLA ALA President. Says Morrison of her new role, “GLA has inspired excellence in our profession and I am proud to be President of this compelling organization.”

Cost of the luncheon was $30 for members, $35 for non-members. Event question contact Terri Oppelt, toppelt@strook.com.

For more information, contact:
Shaun Morrison - smorrison@allenmatkins.com - 310-788-2400
Luci Hamilton - lhamilton@karlinpeebles.com - 323-648-4645

ABOUT GLA ALA: The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (GLA ALA) is a 350-person nonprofit membership organization that provides opportunities for educational enrichment, professional and personal development, community service, and the exchange of information to improve the quality and professionalism of management in legal services organizations. www.glaala.org

ABOUT KAREN GRIGGS, CLM: Karen Griggs, CLM, is the Executive Director of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, L.L.C. in Kansas City, Missouri and the 2012-2013 Association of Legal Administrators National President. Griggs has been a member of ALA since 1984.

ABOUT SHAUN MORRISON: Shaun Morrison is the incoming Board President of GLA ALA. Morrison serves as the Office Administrator for Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in Century City.

GLA ALA 2012 President Shaun Morrison, Office Administrator for Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP in Century City, with keynote speaker and the National President of the Association of Legal Administrators, Karen Griggs, CLM, and GLA ALA 2011 Past President Jean Jewell, CLM, Administrator of Kelley Drye/White O’Connor, at the Leadership Luncheon hosted by the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (GLA ALA) on April 10, 2012 at the Omni Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. During the event, Luci Hamilton was presented with the Volunteer of the Year award and Shaun Morrison was installed as the 2012 GLA ALA President. Photo by Jess Block

Cultivating Love Is Like Growing Flowers

(This article was published in the Century City News on April 17, 2012)

No matter who tries to tell you different, love at first sight is a myth. Love is not something that just happens, and building relationships that last a lifetime takes work. They don’t just spring into being, but they do grow like flowers if you give them what they need.

Just as love lies in everyone’s heart, every seed contains the flower it may become when given the right conditions. For a flower, those conditions include water, oxygen, sunlight and nutrients. Give a seed the right proportion of sunlight and dark, the right amount of water and a nutrient-rich growing medium and you’ll be rewarded with a strong, healthy plant that flowers and sets more seed. A plant can grow without the optimal mix of those conditions, but a lack of any one of them will result in a stunted plant, or one that is all stem and no leaves or one that wilts without ever flowering.

Love is no different. It requires specific conditions to blossom and set seed. Those conditions include trust, faith, honesty and respect. If you don’t provide each of those conditions for your relationship, you’ll still have a relationship and you may have something resembling love. But just like a plant deprived of sunlight or water will grow stunted and crooked, so a relationship without faith and respect and trust will never fulfill its potential.

Of the four qualities that help nurture love, the most important is respect. Love cannot exist without respect. It’s a prerequisite. Relationships without respect are unhealthy and harmful to the persons involved in them. When you respect another, you listen to them and consider their needs and desires and work to earn their respect. All of those things are vital to growing health relationships.

Many people exist under the misconception that respect is something that must be earned. In fact, respect is something that should be given freely. Unless you are open to respect, you’ll be shutting out any possibility of allowing love to grow to its fullest potential. If you only respect those who have earned your respect, you could be closing out many possibilities for loving others.

Like love, trust, honesty and faith also depend upon respect to grow strong and health. These four pillars of love lean upon each other and together, they create an arbor on which love can climb and grow and flower.

If you want love to flower in your life, if you want to build relationships that last for a lifetime, practice respect. Learn to respect everyone around you for the simple fact that they are, like you, a person.

About Dr. Jackson:

A veteran of 25 years of business ownership experience. A member of the United States Naval Submarine Service from 1979 to 1985. Founder and Chairman of G.E. Jackson & Associates, Inc., as well as River Eagle Media Group, LLC www.rivereaglemedia.com and The Examples of Excellence Foundation, Inc. www.examplesofexcellence.org And a member of Rotary International. A lover of life, nature, people, and the positive light in each and every one of God’s greatest creation - Humanity!

Century City Real Estate Report

(This article was published in the Century City News on April 17, 2012)

By Bess Hochman

Positive Signs Of Real Estate Recovery On Luxury L.A. Westside

Recently sales from the beach to Bel-Air and Beverly Hills have been seeing a resurgence of activity not seen on the Westside since the height of the real estate bubble five years ago. Some attribute that to the stock market rebound and lower prices attracting the high end buyer. We are even seeing multiple offers!

Case in point, a 5 bedroom post and beam residence in Beverly Hills designed by A. Quincy Jones asking about 6.5 Million Dollars stimulated several offers last month. It was reported to be under contract at over the asking price going out at 6.625 Million Dollars. Real Estate agents from Brentwood, Bel Air, Beverly Hills and the Pacific Palisades are all reporting movement on the high end in their neighborhoods.

Another optimistic sign is houses are on the market for a shorter period of time before selling according to Realtor.com. It reported the median number of days a Westside home sat on the market about a year ago was 115 days compared with only 88 days now. The numbers reflect a 23% decline year over year in the number of days on the market before a home goes under contract.

More signs of a real estate recovery are reflected in reports and comments made by respected real estate tracking services in the last couple of weeks. These reports include studies concerning rent increases, housing affordability and foreclosure rates.

USC’s Lust Center for Real Estate expects rents in Los Angeles will rise by about 8% in 2012 with total growth of 9.6% by the end of 2013. This is more evidence that we are in a real estate upswing. While this is not good news for renters, it is a good incentive to buyers of investment properties. The rise in rents in Los Angeles, Orange County and other areas of Southern Californian reflect a national trend in the apartment sector.

The fact that housing affordability is at its highest level ever is another positive for the market says mortgage tracker CoreLogic. In spite of concern about another wave of foreclosures, Realty Trac which tracks foreclosures, reports foreclosure activity during the first 3 months of the year hit its lowest quarterly total since the last quarter of 2007. While foreclosure activity remains high by historical levels, it is lower than the peak levels over the last few years.

According to Realtor.com data showing the Westside median list price down about 5% from a year ago, reduced prices are attracting more interest. With high end sales on the rise, buyers are no longer assured that the house they saw on the market last week will still be available a few weeks later. Keep in mind the high end market is not reflective of all price spectrums so be sure to consult a real estate expert in your area to provide you with current information about sale trends in your neighborhood.

To find Luxury homes and condos, including short pays and foreclosures in your area or for a free consultation, contact Bess at 310.291.4111. Bess Hochman is a Real Estate Broker & top producer for more than 15 years. Bess is also distinguished by holding a law degree. Her high-end clientele include celebrities, attorneys, and other professionals that understand the value of a real estate broker with legal expertise and experience. A native of Beverly Hills, Bess credits her success to repeat referrals by her satisfied clients.

Contact Bess:310.291.4111.E-mail: Bess.CenturyCityNews@yahoo.com
* The sources of information may or may not have been based on information from the combined /Westside Multiple Listing Service as of 4-13-12. Some listings may not be available as of publication.
c. 2012 Bess Hochman
---------------------------
“Bess is a master negotiator!” says Michael Donaldson, attorney & author of Negotiating For Dummies

Supreme Court decision in Brinker v. Superior Court provides clarity to employees and employers, will reduce costly litigation

(This article was published in the Century City News on April 17, 2012)

In a unanimous ruling, the California Supreme Court determined in Brinker Restaurant v. Superior Court that employers are “not obligated to police meal breaks and ensure no work thereafter is performed.” Among other issues, the court finally answered the question of what it means to “provide” a meal break. The court’s opinion stated that an employer satisfies this obligation if it relieves its employees of all duties, relinquishes control over their activities and permits them a reasonable opportunity to take an uninterrupted 30-minute break and does not impede or discourage them from doing so.

“We commend Brinker for seeing this case through the judicial process to an end that will benefit employers from countless industries,” California Restaurant Association President + CEO Jot Condie said. “Employers have spent millions fighting and settling frivolous lawsuits on these issues and now have some clarity on how to move forward in compliance with the law.”

The court ruled that employers aren’t required to ensure that no work is done during a meal or rest period. The ruling provides much-needed clarity and relief to operators on an issue that has plagued the California courts with countless lawsuits that have been a significant source of costly class-action litigation for numerous industries.

Employers wishing to capitalize on the flexibility that Brinker provides should immediately ensure that they have written policies in place advising employees of their right to take meal and rest breaks, and emphasize the timing of those breaks. The court also made clear that employers may not in any way pressure employees to work through their meal breaks by way of “ridicule or reprimand.”

“It’s more important than ever to train management staff on the proper way to handle these breaks,” said Condie. “The bottom-line from Brinker is that those 30 minutes belong to the employee and they can choose for themselves how to spend that time.

“We’re hopeful that as the second-largest private employer in the state, the restaurant industry can get back to dedicating more time and resources to employing Californians, reducing the state’s nearly 11-percent unemployment rate, and helping the economy recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression,” Condie said.