Daily Business Report-May 22, 2013

Patricia Guerrero and Michael Popkins

Governor Elevates 2 Attorneys to the San Diego Superior Court Bench

Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday announced the appointment of Patricia Guerrero and Michael J. Popkins to judgeships in the San Diego County Superior Court.

Guerrero, 41, of San Diego, has served as a partner at Latham and Watkins LLP since 2007, where she was an associate from 1997 to 2001 and 2003 to 2006. She worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney at the Southern District of California, U.S. Attorney’s Office from 2002 to 2003. Guerrero earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Stanford Law School and a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. She fills the vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel to the Federal Court. Guerrero is a Democrat.

Popkins, 62, of San Diego, has served as a deputy public defender at the San Diego County Public Defender’s Office since 1985. He has been an adjunct professor at the California Western School of Law since 2009 and was a deputy public defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office from 1978 to 1985. Popkins earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University. He fills the vacancy created by the conversion of a court commissioner position on Nov. 13, 2012. Popkins is a Democrat.

The pay for each of these positions is $178,789.

Strike Under Way at UC Medical Centers

Thousands of health care workers at UC San Diego Medical Center and University of California hospitals across the state began a two-day strike on Tuesday, walking picket lines as they push for a new contract, KPBS reports. UC health officials prepared for the walkout by canceling non-essential surgical procedures at all of its centers and juggling staff to ensure patients are not endangered by the work stoppage, which began around 6 a.m. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 earlier this month announced that its roughly 13,000 patient care technical workers would participate in the strike. Thousands of health care workers represented by University Professional and Technical Employees, or UPTE, a unit of Communication Workers of America, said they would honor the strike and would not cross the picket lines. Other AFSCME-represented hospital workers also vowed to honor the picket line in a sympathy strike. (For more, visit www.kpbs.org/news.)

No Indictments Returned in Museum Raids

Voice of San Diego — A federal raid on four Southern California museums, including the Mingei Museum in Balboa Park, has’t led to any indictments of museum officials, and “none of the seized objects has been returned to the countries from which they were allegedly stolen,” a Los Angeles Times update reveals. Sources for the Times story suggest the slow-moving, expensive investigation has been a bad thing: “The case has wasted millions of dollars and inadvertently encouraged the very black market it targeted by suggesting the government is weak on enforcement.” The Mingei declined to comment for the Times story. As of a couple of years ago, the museum’s 67 objects connected to the raid were quarantined in the basement.

Graham Oberem Appointed Provost and VP at Cal State San Marcos

Graham Oberem has been appointed provost and vice president of academic affairs for California State University San Marcos, a position in which he had been serving on an interim basis. As the senior ranking academic officer, Oberem is responsible for leading the four academic colleges (Business Administration; Education, Health and Human Services; Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences; and Science and Mathematics), the Kellogg Library, Information and Instructional Technology, and Extended Learning. Oberem has served the university for 17 years. He succeeds Emily Cutrer, who after six years as provost, was named president of Texas A&M University-Texarkana. Oberem began at CSUSM in 1996 as the founding physics faculty member, program director and department chair.

Filner’s Revised Budget Restores Funds To City Attorney’s Office

Mayor Bob Filner Tuesday released his May revisions to his city of San Diego budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year, in which he anticipates having $13.6 million more to spend than initially expected, City News Service reports. He restored $925,000 of a $1.4 million proposed cut to the office of City Attorney Jan Goldsmith, a reduction critics contended was politically motivated. The increase is the result of continued growth in property tax revenue, tobacco settlement income and a budget surplus anticipated when the current fiscal year ends on June 30, according to the mayor. He issued his revisions in a memo to City Council members. Nearly $11 million of the increase will be available for the city’s general fund, which pays for basic services like fire and police protection, libraries and recreation centers, Filner said.

Robert Horsman Joins U.S. Bank

Robert B. Horsman, president and CEO of San Diego National Bank before it was acquired by U.S. Bank, has joined Torrey Pines Bank as market executive of the San Diego region. Horsman was regional chairman of U.S. Bank in San Diego, which acquired San Diego National Bank in 2009. He was one of the principal founders of that bank in 1981. During his 28-year tenure, he served as a director of the board as well as president and CEO. Horsman has been recognized for business and philanthropic contributions. In 2002, he was named “Nice Guy of the Year” by Nice Guys of San Diego, he was honored by the Japan Society of San Diego and Tijuana with the Phillips Community Award and he received a Business Hall of Fame Award from Junior Achievement of San Diego and Imperial Counties.

Gomez Iagmin Trial Attorneys Firm Names Of Counsel

Martin Buchanan has joined the Gomez Iagmin Trial Attorneys firm as of counsel. He will provide litigation and appellate services to clients. Buchanan’s experience handling 300 appeals and writs in state and federal appellate courts include briefing, arguing and winning a unanimous decision in the U.S. Supreme Court in Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America Inc. It was a product liability case against Mazda for failure to install a lap/shoulder seatbelt in the aisle seat of a minivan. He is a recipient of the Paul Bell Memorial Award for appellate advocacy and two-time recipient of the California State Bar’s Manuel W. Wiley Award for Pro Bono Legal Services.

 Buchanan graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1986,  where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He served as a law clerk for the late Chief Judge Robert F. Peckham of the Northern District of California.

Ray Hartman Joins Cooley LLP’s San Diego Office

Ray Hartman has joined the San Diego office of Cooley LLP. Hartman, who last was with DLA Piper, has experience in the areas of environmental, product liability and real estate litigation. Hartman received his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 2000; a master’s degree from USC and a bachelor’s degree from University of San Diego.

Biotechnology Industry Organization Solicits Proposals

The Biotechnology Industry Organization is inviting leaders from the biotechnology, chemical and agricultural industries to submit proposals and abstracts for panels, individual papers and posters for the 2013 Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy that will be held Dec. 8-11 in San Diego. Participants may submit proposals for panels in any of five program tracks. Individuals may also submit a single proposal for a 15-minute presentation in any of the program tracks. For more, visit www.bio.org/pacrim.