8C
. BUSINESSitEie Clatlottt Suit
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Johnson banking on
competing for market
Continued from page 7C
offer basic deposit and lend
ing services in Washir^ton
before opening several
branches over the nest two
years. Urban Trust will
immediately market college
loans nationally through
those institutions’ financial
aid departments.
Urban Ttust is Johnson’s
latest foray into the financial
services industry Last year,
he became a major share
holder in Charlotte-based
RolloverSysteans. He also is
teaming with Deutsche Bank
AG to build a hedge-fund
investment birsiness for
wealthy chents.
Three years ago, after sell-
ing Black Entertainment
Tfelevision to \fiacom Inc. for
$3 biUion and acquiring the
Bobcats, Johnson invested in
hotels, and has $3 billion in
properties arovmd the U.S.
Cochran firm faces changes
Continued from page 7C
including when and why they left.
They said Bowers, the receptionist with
whom we and other members of the media
have conversed many times over the yearn,
got pregnant, left on maternity leave and did
not return. A Wave investigation uncovered
that Bowers’ pregnancy resulted in the birth
of a daughter in 2003, after which she
returned to her duties at the firm in January
2004, where she remained imtil May 13,
2005 - the exact date of her 20th anniversary
with the company - when she was ‘let go,”
reportedly by a white attorney working out of
Dothan, Ala., in a “restructuring” of
Cochran’s Los Angeles office.
McMurray and Dunn said Ferrer relocated
his family to Maui “at least eight years ago,”
leaving us the impression that he had been
away fix)m the firm for that long. However,
the Cochran Firm-Los Angeles Web site
states that it has an office in Maui, which co
workers said Ferrer ran while also workup
with Cochran in Los Aisles. The truth of
the matter is that Ferrer left the Cochran law
firm in December 2005. Our telephone calls
to Maui in search of Cochran’s former right-
hand man were answered with, 'You have
reached the law office of Eric Ferrer.”
McMurray and Dunn declined to speak of
Chapman Holley and Davis because they
have retained lawyers to deal with their sep
aration fixim the firm. However, in an e-mail
response to an initial inquiry about the
changes, McMurray said Chapman Holley’s
“departure fix)m the firm several years ago
was while Mr. Codiran was at the helm....
And again, the partnership of this firm has
not changed in over six years.”
The firm’s Web site, which prominently
reads “Eememberir^ Johnnie 1937-2005”
across the top, lists Chapman Holley as a
managing partner and displays her picture
opposite Cochran’s in a photo array of the
firm’s seven Cafifomia licensed attomej/^?
She was obviously there after his death (as
was Ferrer) because the site commemorates
his passing. There may not have been any
chains in the partnership in the six years
that preceded Cochran’s death, but there cer
tainly have been plenty in the year since:
two-thirds of the managing partners are
gone, leavit^ only McMurray
McMurray said Stewart stiU works for the
Cochran firm. When we asked to see her, we
were shown her name on a closed office door.
Two other lawyers who are fiiends of Stewart
say she is on the way out. “She’s been told by
management to finish up the cases she
already has and then leave,” her fidend said.
“Cameron is a very private person who does
n’t readily discuss her problems, but she’s
also very astute and she’s read the writing on
the wall.”
As to tile white Ms. Wri^t, McMurray said
she is the firm’s only Caucasian employee
and was hired in the newly created position
of chief operating officer because her services
were badly needed and she was the best per
son immediately available.
McMurray explained that follo'wmg
Cochran’s death, the firm launched an adver
tising campaign, or “an awareness cam
paign,” in McMurray’s words, “to let the com
munity know that the firm did not die with
Johnnie and that our services are available
to anybody who has been hurt by anotiier,
not just by the police, and that we don’t just
handle high-profile cases.”
McMurray said the campaign was so suc
cessful that the office became inundated with
requests for services, making it necessary to
implement changes in the firm to handle the
increased volume of calls and to create a
workable intake system. Those changes,
McMurray said, included hiring an office
manager - which is basically what a COO is -
to keep the business running efficiently
Nonethdess, Wright’s employment ruffled
tile black feathers of some Cochran employ
ees who maintain that she was hired without
the position beir^ open to other, preferably
African-American, applicants. One employee
said that when they complained, they were
told no Afiican-American was qualified for
the position.
• So, Ali et al. apparently saw the newly
hired Wri^t busily managing the office and
concluded the firm was being run by whites.
But Wti^t is not the only Caucasian asso
ciated with the firm, she’s just one of the
newest.
In 1997, Cochran decided to deliver his
renowned legal skills to people all over the
country He entered into an arrangement
with two white lawyers in Dothan, Ala.,
Samuel Cherry and Keith Givens, and a
black lawyer in Memphis named Jock Smith.
They formed a national law firm called
Cochran, Cheory Givens & Smith, LLP.
Throu^ a series of mergers, office expan
sions and regional partnerships, that firm
becanae the behemoth Cochran Firm, the
largest personal injury plaintiflfe tort law
firm in the country with more than 150
lavy^ available for and devoted to dvil trial
litigation.
The white partners ascended into the firm’s
leadership when Cochran died. Less than
two months later, they led Cochran’s firm
into a merger with Imhoff and Associates,
one of the nation’s largest criminal defense
films, thus creating a criminal defense sec
tion within The Cochran Firm.
The defense of child molesters and rapists
around the coimtry are now being provided
in the Cochran name.
Despite the chaises in the firm, McMurray
said there are no non-black attorneys iti the
Los Angeles office, that he is looking to hire
three or four additional lawyers, and that
“we want to make sure that we uphold every
thing that Johnnie meant to the African-
American community”
Motown artists open Detroit
restaurant with touch of soul
TIIE ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT - A dozen
Motown recording artists,
including members of the
Four Tbps, the Supremes
and the hhrades, are part of
a group of investors opening
a restaurant in an ai'ea
where music is playing a key
role in redevelopment
efforts.
La Musique is scheduled to
open next month at the
Hotel St. Regis in the dty’s
New Center area, less than a
mile fixim Hitsville USA, the
home of the Motown
Historical Museum.
Abdul “Duke” Faku', a
member of the Four Tbps,
told The Detroit News for a
story published Monday that
he is exdted about investing
in the dty at a time when it
appears to be on an upswing.
“I never lost faith (in
Detroit),” said Fakir, whose
group recorded the hit single
“Reach Out (TU Be There)” at
IfftsviUe USA 40 years ago.
‘T know it’s been through
tou^ times, and Fm glad to
see so many others are start
ing to believe,”
La Musique arrives as the
' New Center area shows
signs of a music-fueled
revival. The nonprofit New
Center Coundl Inc. plans to
revamp a park for open air
music shows. A restored club
called Northern Lights
Lounge opened last year and
features local acts.
‘Music makes a dty great,”
said Bobby Rogers of the
Miracles, whose hits indude
‘Tm the One You Need.” “It’s
good to give back to our
home.”
La Musique will serve
French cuisine amid
Motown-themed decor.
Although patrons can expect
to hear legendary ai-tists
croon a classic hit occasional
ly the restaurant wiQ not
have a formd stage or a set
schediile of performances.
‘Tt will be more impiximp-
tu,” said developer Herbert
Strather, who masterminded
the deal. “Whenever the
ajrtists are in town, they can
just come on in and play or
The Post is
online @
www.thecharlottepost.com
-Say Yes To Success!
‘^Dr. Arrington shows home-based business owners how to
add 20-30 people per week, week in and week out without fail, to
their businesses.
Dr. Carl Arrington, Director of Market Expansion
The First Pillar of Success: Physical
In the previous column, I mentioned that
usually when we think of creating a life of
success, we focus on the area of financial
achievement. However, true success is built on
more than financial prosperity. If we want
complete success we must work on establishing
the four pillars that create a strong foundation
for complete success.
the well-exercised body will burn up calories
more quickly.
On the other hand, because of our hectic
lifestyles, especially when we are.trying to
develop a business and trying to balance other
responsibilities, it may not be as easy for us to
eat as balanced a meal as we should.
In this column we will focus on the first
Filial' of Success: Physical Wellness. It may
seem very obvious that we would already know
about this first pillar of success and would
easily keep it in the forefront of our minds.
However, it is one of the easiest for us to
overlook or perhaps take for granted. In order
for us to have success, -we must be willing to
take care of our bodies. It is very difficult to
enjoy the fruits of our labor if our bodies are not
healthy.
If that is the case, nutritionists strongly
recommend that we consider taking multiple
vitamins and minerals to insure our nutrition is
complete. You might also consider eating
healthy meal replacement products.
Caring for our bodies means that we must
watch the foods that we eat. We must be careful
not to eat too many fats or sweets. As most of
us know by now, too much of these foods can
lead to our being overweight, which can
increase our chances of developing heart
disease, stroke and diabetes.
We are often told that we should be sure to
exercise for at least twenty minutes three times
per week. The more we are able to exercise, the
more energy we actually feel and the easier it is
.for our bodies to burn calories. When we
exercise, we can actually eat some of those
foods we should not eat very much of because
However, in choosing a multivitamin, keep
in mind that they are not all created equal. It is
very important to know the absorbency rate of
the vitamin or mineral supplement. If the
vitamin and mineral supplements are not
formulated so that the body can absorb the great
majority of the supplement, it is actually a
waste of money. Before spending your money
on supplements that the body cannot absorb,
check to see if the vitamins and minerals you
are considering have an absorption rate of at
least 90-95%. Take the kind pf nutrition that
you will actually be able to feel the difference it
makes. Taking care of our bodies will help us to
live longer and healthier lives and enjoy our
success for years to come!
In our nexf column, we will take a look at
the Second Pillar of Success.
Your Source for Total Life Success!
Contact Dr. Arrington for details 704-591-1988 • cia@maximumsuocess-com
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