Orange County Business & Commercial Law Blog

The City of Costa Mesa is being sued by the Costa Mesa City Employees Association. The group of employees wants a temporary restraining order to keep the city from outsourcing city jobs. According to reports, the employee lawsuit began when the city proposed a contract with G4S Secure Solutions to outsource jobs at the city's jail facility. This is an attempt by the city to save more than $3.2 million over the course of five years, according to a news release issued by the city.

The city has already stated they are not projecting any layoffs, but plan on transferring those assigned to the jail to other positions within the city. The chief executive officer for Costa Mesa said it was "unfortunate" this litigation was pursued against the city, as it is a way for Costa Mesa to keep the jailers employed and still save the residents of the city millions of dollars.

Lindsay Lohan sued DNAM Apparel Industries in January, claiming the clothing company owed her more than $1 million in sales and royalties. DNAM has filed a countersuit, however, alleging Lohan did not hold up her end of the 2008 contract due to her repeated legal issues. The contract dispute lawsuit was filed in federal court in Los Angeles.

The lawsuit claims the first collection from Lohan's clothing line, 6126, was received well by buyers, but that reception didn't last long. Lohan's time spent in jail for violating her probation and subsequent rehab made it difficult to find interested buyers for her clothing line.

Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center has been named among the "100 Top Hospitals" in the nation by Truven Health Analytics (formerly Thomson Reuters), based on quality of care and patient satisfaction. Truven Health Analytics is a leading provider of information and solutions to improve the cost and quality of healthcare.

This is the second year in a row that Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center has been recognized as a Top 100 Hospital.

"This recognition reflects the outstanding hard work, dedication and excellent patient care that our hospital provides," said Hassan Alkhouli, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center. "We are proud to be acknowledged as a leader in health care with this prestigious award."

In a deal worth $430 million, a New York commercial real estate company has agreed to purchase four of the most well-known buildings on the Los Angeles, California, skyline. Brookfield Office Properties, Inc. already owns one of the tallest skyscrapers in the city and the deal will bring that number to five, including the Wells Fargo Tower and the Gas Company Tower.

The deal has been labeled a "game changer" by many in the Los Angeles real estate market, with many comparing it to combining the three largest U.S. auto makers into one company. The properties included in the deal will end the rule of MPG Office Trust, Inc., which once was at the top of the list of office building developers. For several years, though, the company has been mired in debt and has sold off its properties or simply let them go into foreclosure. Last month, MPG sold the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles to investors from other countries. That building was one of MPG's jewels as it is the tallest building in the West.