Legal News

Weiss-supportive firms must build bridges to Nuch, say experts

By Richard Binder

Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich ? an environmental litigator at Trutanich-Michel, a boutique firm in Long Beach, Calif. ? defeated Jack Weiss, a prominent Los Angeles city councilman, and became city attorney with more than 55% of the vote on May 19.

The most recent campaign disclosure reports show that as of May 13, Weiss had raised more than $2.7 million in contributions, with a significant share coming from attorneys at large firms such as Bingham McCutchen; Latham & Watkins; Sidley Austin; San Diego-based Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins; Los Angeles-based Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges; and New York-based Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and Proskauer Rose, according to the Los Angeles ethics commission. No one from those firms gave to Trutanich, a relatively unknown candidate who raised a little more than half of Weiss's total through private donations. Most of the attorneys who gave to his campaign work in smaller local firms, including his own.

Political experts said that those who failed to support Trutanich might now try to build bridges to the new city attorney. The office, which employs 500 lawyers, is among the largest municipal law offices in the country.

Trutanich takes office as city attorney on July 1.

Full story at NLJ.com.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on June 03, 2009 (boomark / email).