New Vocabulary on Allergan Bid; D-Day Doings

The Insider notes changes in Michael Pearson’s vocabulary as Valeant’s hostile bid for Allergan wears on—and perhaps a new tone altogether in his pronouncement last week that he won’t “overpay” to get the deal done. Could be a standard negotiating stance—or maybe a setup for a face saver in case Allergan boss David Pyott maintains momentum in his fight against the takeover (see related story, page 1) … Another bit of scuttlebutt making the rounds: Might another buyer with tax benefits similar to the breaks Valeant gets from its address in Canada and operations in Bermuda be waiting in the wings for a deal with Allergan? That adds weight to the notion that Pyott has established a beachhead and is working the clock against Valeant and Bill Ackman, whose joint takeover plan was largely viewed as inevitable a month ago. The notion of another buyer also is a reminder that Pyott has strong ties and deep roots on both sides of the Atlantic … Happy 50th to the OC office of Gibson Dunn, which started with a couple of lawyers working from a trailer on the Irvine Ranch in the days before Donald Bren’s arrival. The firm now has 80 lawyers in its office at Park Place in Irvine … Irvine Company had just turned 100 when Gibson Dunn showed up. The developer also has done all right over the past 50 years, although its 150th anniversary has been marked in a decidedly understated manner so far this year … Irvine Co. got some promotional bang for its Orchard Hills development last week when New Home Co. hosted a grand opening to kick off sales of a batch of homes likely to top $2 million apiece. An early observation from the party: Expect lots of doctors in the neighborhood … Expect even more doctors in the neighborhood’s future now that Orchard Hills School and Beckman High School will have master teachers to serve as “Digital Learning Coaches.” The positions will be funded by a $600,000 gift from Irvine Co. to the Tustin Unified School District … The 70th anniversary of World War II’s D-Day is this week, and it will get more recognition with a June 14 event slated for the Lyon Air Museum in Costa Mesa, where veteran flyboy Bob Meyer will give an account of his role in the historic invasion and the “Willa Dean”—named for the wife of General William Lyon, founder of the museum—will make a demonstration flight … Larry Thomas went to the source for a recent jaunt through Normandy that took in “beaches with the flags, monuments, memorials, and gravestones to remind us of the honor, bravery and sacrifice” of the Allied invaders. LT managed to poke fun at himself and give a tribute to the Greatest Generation in one succinct email from Over There: “Normandy vets are known for keeping the worst of their invasion experiences to themselves, so I feel compelled to fall in line. I’ll just say in passing, and not complaining, that one should never fully trust Yahoo weather forecasts, or the infallibility of GPS, or the hopeful thought that a 37-mile ride is just a little longer than yesterday’s 25-mile ride” … More far-flung correspondents: Couples Sally Anderson and Tom Rogers, and Mary Ann Brown and Rick Reiff, aboard a Mediterranean cruise, ran into former Gov. Gray Davis and wife, Sharon.