Former L.A. City Councilman Mike Feuer’s decision to join Morrison & Foerster LLP may at first appear as though he’s going back to where he started.
For one, Feuer will work with many of the same attorneys he was with at Hufstedler Miller Carlson & Beardsley, where he started his career. But as an attorney of counsel at Morrison Foerster’s L.A. office, Feuer will pursue public issues like fiscal responsibility, real estate, environment and public safety. And he will build a legislative and regulatory practice.
“I have been doing commentaries on the radio, I work on TV and am asked by my former colleagues to assist on issues,” said Feuer, who lost to Deputy Mayor Rocky Delgadillo in the race for L.A. City Attorney this year. “I’ll want to continue those pursuits on a wide array of issues. While at the same time Morrison & Foerster enables me to return to my roots.”
Right now, the firm’s legislative and regulatory practices are principally in Sacramento and Washington, said Maren Nelson, chairperson of litigation at Morrison & Foerster in Los Angeles, where the focus is mostly on litigation and high tech clients.
Much of the new practice’s development will be based on Feuer himself. “It will be a question of what Mike’s clients are interested in,” she said. “It’ll be a new venture for Mike and an expansion of the Washington and Sacramento practice.”
Longer Lines
As if those metal detectors weren’t making lines at the federal court long enough, the U.S. District Court, Central District of California, discontinued its drop-off box service last week in Los Angeles, Santa Ana and Riverside.
The service, which began in 1998, allowed attorneys and the public to drop off filings and documents that were not time-sensitive before or after the 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. court hours. It was mainly a convenience for a number of the 40,000 attorneys who come in and out of federal court in the region, said Theresa Doty, chief deputy of operations at the U.S. District Court.
Attorneys and members of the public can still mail in documents, however or stand in line to deliver them in person.
No Fear
A 7-year-old production house in Los Angeles sued NBC and two other entertainment companies alleging the network ripped off their show to create “Fear Factor,” the reality television show that dares six people to do bizarre stunts in front of one another.
Zoo Productions Inc., most known for its MTV shows, claims it created 20 episodes of a show called “Dare For Dollars” that was broadcast over the Web from April 2000 to February 2001. The show was on Z.com, owned by “Fear Factor” producers Brillstein-Gray, but the rights were acquired by Zoo Productions.
The company, which employs nine, also claims it talked about the show’s concept with NBC executives Curt Sharp and Stuart Krasnow, who both seemed interested, according to the complaint. No contract was signed, however.
NBC executives had no comment.
Staff Reporter Amanda Bronstad can be reached at 323-549-5225 ext. 225 or at [email protected].
