Christensen Glaser just bagged a new client in one
of the most high-profile cases in town: its own managing partner, Terry
Christensen.
Christensen goes to trial in a couple of months on claims
that he allegedly paid celebrity sleuth Anthony Pellicano more than
$100,000 to wiretap the phones of Lisa Bonder Kerkorian, the ex-wife of
billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, during a paternity dispute in 2002. Last
month, he replaced his lead counsel with Patricia Glaser, a name
partner at his 100-lawyer Los Angeles-based firm.
The trial could be the final test in how the firm has
weathered Christensen's indictment, returned two years ago. In the past
year, Christensen Glaser, while losing some of its lawyers, has
remained busy in litigation and real estate work. One of its largest
and most loyal clients, Kerkorian, majority owner of casino operator
MGM Mirage, is embarking on one of the largest real estate projects in
Las Vegas.
Last month, Christensen Glaser set up shop there to launch its second office.
"We have a core group of people who've been practicing together
for many years," Glaser said. As a result, she said, "our law firm is
doing fabulously. That doesn't mean we aren't very cognizant of the
pain that Terry is going through."
Christensen's case presents a new challenge for Glaser, the head of the firm's litigation department, who has no criminal experience. As a result, she
anticipates relying on Christensen's other lawyers, Terree Bowers and
Mary Carter Andrues, both white-collar criminal defense partners in the
Los Angeles office of Washington's Howrey. Also joining her on the case
will be Christensen partners Kevin J. Leichter and Sean Riley.
So far, Christensen's case has had little impact on the
firm's clients. "It's irrelevant," said Stephen J. Cloobeck, chairman
and chief executive of Diamond Resorts International, which retained
the firm two years ago to handle a myriad of legal work. "It has
nothing to do with the work they're doing for us."
- Amanda Bronstad
