Isaac Larian is feeling generous this year, and who could be surprised? After all, he scored $309 million against rival Mattel Inc. in April after a lengthy legal dispute over Bratz dolls.
The founder and chief executive of MGA Entertainment Inc., which a jury found in April owned the rights to the dolls, recently displayed some early Christmas spirit with the donation of 1,000 dolls to the American Red Cross.
But it wasn’t the sexy Bratz dolls that were given away. Rather, he donated Rosy Bumps ‘N’ Bruises Lalaloopsy rag dolls dressed as nurses. The Red Cross will give the $29 dolls to children’s hospitals around the country, where they will be given to sick kids – as well as to blood donors.
“The Red Cross is very dear to my heart,” said Larian, 57, who said several relatives have benefited from blood donations. “The holidays are a tough time to get people to donate blood, so we wanted to help.”
Coast to Coast
As an attorney specializing in complex commercial litigation at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, Scott M. Pearson usually has his hands full with his day job. But one week last month was particularly busy for other reasons.
On Nov. 8, Pearson was back stage at the Beverly Hilton hotel for the annual Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Gala, an event he co-chairs. There, he rubbed shoulders with the likes of actor Seth Rogen and actress Barbra Streisand, and helped oversee an event that raised $1.5 million for the hospital. Then, three days later, it was off to New York, for the unveiling of a statue at Ground Zero dedicated to Special Forces soldiers in Afghanistan. As pro bono general counsel for the Green Beret Foundation, Pearson worked on raising money for the statue.
Pearson, 43, didn’t get much sleep that week. But, he said, laughing: “In my real life as a lawyer I’m used to long hours, so it wasn’t a big deal.”
Arresting Development
Eric Rose, a partner in the public affairs communication firm Englander Knabe & Allen in downtown Los Angeles, has a second identity: He’s a reserve cop with the Los Angeles Police Department.
While the LAPD has nearly 700 reserve officers, Rose is one of the few Certified Level 1 officers, meaning he is authorized to patrol and make arrests by himself. To maintain that certification, he will spend part of this holiday season receiving 24 hours of required training.
“There’s a sizable commitment in terms of training, significantly more than volunteering for most community programs,” Rose said.
He said the sacrifices are worth it because of the satisfaction he feels when making an arrest that puts a burglar behind bars or keeps a drunk driver off the street.
Rose still recalls his first experience with police work. As a 16-year-old student leader at Canoga Park High School, he participated in a ride-along with a police officer named Dennis Zine, who now represents part of the San Fernando Valley on the Los Angeles City Council.
“Dennis will take full credit for recruiting me,” Rose said. “He reminds me of that all the time.”
Staff reporters Deborah Crowe, Alfred Lee and Joel Russell contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by Editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].
