& #8226;

Former

Credit Lyonnais SA

Chairman Jean Peyrelevade pleaded guilty to settle charges he made false statements to the U.S. Federal Reserve related to the French bank’s purchase of failed insurer Executive Life Insurance Co. over a decade ago. The plea spares him prison time. Peyrelevade pleaded guilty in federal court in L.A., agreed to pay a $500,000 fine and is barred from visiting the United States for three years. The plea agreement is the rarely used “Alford plea,” under which a defendant can maintain innocence while pleading guilty to resolve the matter.

Executive Life collapsed in 1991, forcing the state to take over the company. In 1999, California Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi sued the French investors who had purchased the firm, seeking to recover $3.5 billion in losses stemming from the sale. In September, a federal judge approved a $600 million settlement between Garamendi and a French government entity acting on behalf of Credit Lyonnais. In December 2003, Credit Lyonnais pleaded guilty to federal charges and agreed to pay $772 million to settle separate criminal charges.

– Relativity Media LLC

led a group that will provide

Sony Pictures Entertainment

and

Universal Pictures

with more than $600 million to finance 18 of the companies’ films. Sony will receive more than $400 million for 11 movies as part of the production co-financing agreement and Universal will get more than $200 million for seven films. The financing package represents the first time two studios will receive funds from the same funding source, Beverly Hills-based Relativity said in a statement. Relativity will co-finance the films with a combination of debt from Deutsche Bank and private equity capital. In return for the investment, the financial partners will receive a share of profits generated by the slate.

Relativity recently helped arrange a $528 million multi-picture financing arrangement for Warner Bros. Pictures and a $525 million financing a deal for Marvel Enterprises Inc.

– City National Corp.

reported fourth-quarter net income of $61.8 million ($1.21 per share), compared with $49.7 million (97 cents) for the like period a year earlier.

The Beverly Hills-based holding company for City National Bank had no provision for loan losses and no provision in the prior year. Total assets rose to $14.6 billion from $14.2 billion in the year-prior period. Net interest income rose to $160 million from $145.3 million a year earlier.

The company expects 2006 earnings to grow at a rate of between 9 percent and 12 percent.

– Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc.

fired Brian D. Urban, its chief financial officer since July 2003, effective Wednesday, five months before his contract was scheduled to expire. L.A.-based Gemstar said it has been actively engaged in a search for a new CFO. Until that position is filled, Rich Battista, the company’s chief executive, will also serve as acting chief financial officer. Gemstar did not provide a reason for ending Urban’s employment.

– Tenet Healthcare Corp.

said it will restate financial results over a five-year period because of an independent investigation started last year into some of its managed-care contracts. The Dallas-based health-care services company, which once had headquarters in L.A., will restate its financial results for fiscal years 2000, 2001 and 2002, the seven months ended Dec. 31, 2002, and the full year ended Dec. 31, 2003. The company said the restatements will affect net income or losses by 3 percent to 9 percent. Tenet also said it will also restate its 2004 results to take an income tax charge of $47 million, or 10 cents per share.

The company said no change is required for its previously reported results for the first three quarters of 2005.

– Grill Concepts Inc.

announced that Philip Gay, currently the L.A. company’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, will succeed Robert Spivak as chief executive in June following the annual shareholders meeting. The move is part of a planned management transition. Gay, who joined Grill Concepts in July 2004, will also continue as CFO until a successor is named. Spivak, who has been CEO from the company’s inception in 1984 and is a founder, will stay with the company on a full-time basis through the end of 2006, after which time he will remain on the board of directors and continue to serve under a 10-year consulting agreement.

– Sunkist Growers

announced Jeff Gargiulo has decided not to renew his contract and will leave the Sherman Oaks-based citrus marketing cooperative in June after five years as president and chief executive. Gargiulo assumed the leadership post at Sunkist when he joined the company in June 2001. Sunkist will begin a search for a new CEO and will form a committee to oversee the search. Gargiulo is the owner of Gargiulo Vineyards in Napa.