Law Firms Add SEC Talent; Biz Profs Pan Clunker Program

Former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Chris Cox joining Bingham McCutchen in Costa Mesa is just one example of local law firms wooing lawyers with SEC experience as their client companies face a tougher regulatory environment. Another example is Mike Piazza, the SEC’s former regional trial counsel in L.A., who has switched Irvine offices, moving from Dorsey & Whitney to Greenberg Traurig. Piazza in 2006 won one of the largest SEC fines ever ordered by a judge after a full trial, $22 million against former Gemstar-TV Guide International CEO Henry Yuen for securities fraud. At that time Piazza criticized Justice Department lawyers for not aggressively pursuing criminal charges against Yuen. (Last year DOJ indicted Yuen for obstruction of justice.) And Piazza criticizes the SEC for “a lack of technical knowledge at some levels” about the workings of the capital markets. Oh, he doesn’t mind being reminded that he has the same name as the famous ex-Dodgers star: “It gets me good tables when I make restaurant reservations.” Meanwhile, Kathleen Marcus, former senior counsel with the SEC’s enforcement division in Washington, D.C., has joined the litigation department of Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth in Newport Beach. She also has taught classes in SEC enforcement at Notre Dame Law School. SYC & R; spokeswoman Jessica Lee says small and midize public companies are increasingly seeking legal advice to deal with securities rules Mark Mueller recently reported that the General Services Administration is planning to sell the Chet Holifield Federal Building property in Laguna Niguel and would expect a buyer to raze the outmoded structure. So Congressman John Campbell says he was surprised to get a list from Vice President Joe Biden that showed the building as a beneficiary of federal stimulus dollars: “So, the Obama administration is borrowing another $2.6 million to make this building ‘green’ and then tear it down. Wonderful. Just wonderful” Gaddi Vasquez has moved on quickly from the Rancho Mirage-based Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands to rejoin Southern California Edison as VP of its Sacramento public affairs office, which includes state lobbying. He’ll commute from OC to Sacramento and Rosemead. Vasquez, a former county supe and Peace Corps director, also has joined the KOCE-TV Foundation board Gubernatorial hopeful and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom visits Santa Ana Tuesday Dale Dykema, back from the British Open, EE RR, back from Greece, and Mickadeit, back from touring OC’s Elk lodges, tried out The Ritz restaurant under new managing partner Ray Jacobi. The verdict: three thumbs up It’s a hit with car buyers and dealers, but the “Cash for Clunkers” program gets low marks from OC’s academics: “A give-away for car manufacturers. Haven’t we done enough for them?” asks Cal State Fullerton’s Anil Puri. Chapman U’s Essie Adibi and UCI’s Andy Policano say the program is only a fleeting stimulus and federal funds would be better spent on infrastructure.