LA Newsmakers 12-28/mike1st/mark2nd

Advertising

Emily Field has been promoted to account supervisor at DDB Needham Los Angeles. She joined the agency as a senior account executive in 1996. Previously, Field was an account executive at Campbell-Ewald.

Joel Maliniak has joined Goddard Claussen as senior vice president and creative director. Prior to joining Goddard Claussen, Maliniak spent five years developing issue advocacy campaigns.

Banking & Finance

Countrywide Home Loans Inc. has promoted three employees in its consumer markets division. Glen Cooper has been named senior vice president. He will oversee budget and forecasting areas as well as analyze business processes and practices. Robert Kellar has been promoted to senior vice president of the division’s technology department. Kimberly Kemball-Cook has been promoted to senior vice president and will head the national sales and customer services area of the division.

Bank of America has named Executive Vice President Ken Coopman as manager of commercial banking, and Executive Vice President Doug Sawyer as manager of business banking for Southern California. Coopman will be responsible for businesses with sales between $10 million and $500 million. Sawyer will support businesses with annual sales below $10 million.

Kim Hill has been promoted to client care director at AppleOne Payroll & Tax Filing Services. Hill joined the company in 1996 from ADP.

Marti Ortiz has joined First Federal Bank as executive vice president of retail banking. She will have responsibility for all of the bank’s 24 retail banking locations, retail operations, consumer lending, and retail call center. Most recently, Ortiz was vice president and regional sales manager at Home Savings of America.

Stephen Yost has been appointed executive vice president and chief credit officer for Imperial Bank. He will be responsible for managing credit quality and approving credit and requests for all offices and divisions of Imperial Bank. Most recently, Yost was chief financial officer at Outlook Associates Inc.

Engineering

Jeffrey Erle has been appointed president of Litton Enterprise Solutions Inc. He will be based in Woodland Hills. Erle will direct the day-to-day operations of the company’s three lines of business and oversee the relationship between LES and Litton Industries and represent LES to Litton’s management and shareholders.

Entertainment

Susanne Daniels has been named president of entertainment at The WB Television Network. She will assume oversight of Kids WB! as part of her responsibilities. Prior to joining the network, Daniels spent two years at the Fox Broadcasting Co. as director of comedy development. Jordan Levin has been named executive vice president of programming. He joined the network in 1994 as head of comedy development and current programming.

Kathryn Eisenstein has joined Turner Network Television as director of talent and casting. She will be involved with talent issues and casting of TNT original films and specials. Previously, Eisenstein was a casting associate at Francine Maisler Casting.

Julie Friedman has been appointed director of trade events at the American Film Market. She will be responsible for all day-to-day operations affecting AFM exhibitors, office management at the Loews Hotel and AFM screenings. Previously, Friedman was industry liaison with the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival for HBO.

Food Products

Greg Andrews has been appointed director of marketing for Nature Made at Pharmavite Corp. Prior to joining, Andrews worked at Suiza Foods Corp., most recently as vice president of marketing.

Health Care

Prudence Kuai has been appointed vice president of information systems for specialty businesses of WellPoint Health Networks Inc. Most recently, Kuai served as vice president of WellPoint’s information technology strategy and planning.

High Tech

Alan Friel has been appointed general counsel and executive vice president of operations at Digital Entertainment Network Inc. He will be responsible for overseeing the company’s business and legal affairs. Previously, Friel served in the entertainment department of Katten, Muchin & Zavis.

Law

Devan Beck has been named partner in the litigation department of the Los Angeles office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. He will continue to represent clients in litigation matters, dealing with issues concerning computer software and hardware development, protection of intellectual property and commercial disputes involving high-tech companies. Prior to joining, Beck worked for the L.A. office of Carlsmith, Wichman, Case, Mukai & Ichiki.

Robert Duran has joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP as a partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office. His practice focuses on planning for foreign direct investment and international joint ventures. Formerly, Duran was with Riordan & McKinzie. Also, Alan Yoshitake has joined the firm as partner in the estates and trusts department. Yoshitake was formerly with Sherman, Nathanson & Miller.

Paul Katz has joined the Los Angeles office of Perkins Coie LLP as partner. His practice emphasizes computer law, multimedia, Internet, outsourcing, electronic commerce and telecommunications. Previously, Katz was chair of the intellectual property and technology group at Troop Steuber Pasich Reddick & Tobey LLP.

Edward Labowitz has joined Coudert Brothers as partner in the Los Angeles office. He has more than 20 years experience as an entertainment lawyer.

Anna Segobia Masters has joined McKenna & Cuneo LLP. She will be working within the firm’s labor and employment practice in the Los Angeles office. Previously, Masters was head of the Los Angeles labor and employment practice at Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May.

Personnel

Phil Sawyer has been promoted to senior vice president at Commercial Programming Systems Inc. He will be responsible for hiring and training recruiters for the Los Angeles office and will supervise all internal technological upgrades. Sawyer has been with CPS for 15 years.

Lorraine Trotter has joined the Westlake Village office of Robert Half International as a recruiting manager. Most recently, Trotter served as director of national accounts payable for Kinko’s Inc.

Real Estate

E & Y; Kenneth Leventhal has promoted three of its employees to partner. David Cormack provides assurance and advisory business services to public and private companies. He has been with the company 12 years, most recently as senior manager. Marion Fong is a strategic and business transformation solutions team partner. She has been with the firm 11 years, most recently as senior manager. Peter Zofrea is an accounting and audit consultant. He has been with the firm 13 years, most recently as senior manager. In addition, Kenneth Townsend has been named the new area industry leader of the Pacific Southwest. He will also continue to serve as managing partner of the Century City office of Ernst & Young LLP.

Bob Gerace has been named director of acquisitions for Urban Development Organization Ltd. He will oversee acquisition and disposition of retail properties for the company.

Mavis Kerper has been promoted to vice president of the Fred Sands Encino office. She will continue in her role as Encino sales manager as well as become more involved in developing companywide procedures. Kerper has been serving as sales manager since joining the firm in 1996.

Telecommunications

Brian Robson has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer of Westlake Village-based Coyote Network Systems Inc. He joined the company in 1996 as vice president and controller. Previously, Robson held controller positions with Northern Telecom.