Skadden Arps Slate Meagher Flom

Harold M. Williams, who recently retired as president of the J. Paul Getty Trust after overseeing the creation of the Getty Center museum in Brentwood, plans next month to join the Los Angeles office of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, the firm is expected to announce today. Williams, 70, remains president emeritus of the Getty Trust after running the foundation for 17 years.

Harold M. Williams, who recently retired as president of the J. Paul Getty Trust after overseeing the creation of the Getty Center museum in Brentwood, plans next month to join the Los Angeles office of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, the firm is expected to announce today. Williams, 70, remains president emeritus of the Getty Trust after running the foundation for 17 years.

A major international law firm said Tuesday that it will pay the salaries of 125 young lawyers each year who are willing to work for the poor for two years after law school. For five years beginning next June, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom will funnel $10 million to qualified public service organizations to pay the salaries of Skadden Fellows.

American Express Co. said Thursday that it had fired or obtained the resignations of "about half a dozen" mid-level executives who it believes deliberately hid $24 million in losses on Optima Card accounts. The financial services giant also named Frank Skillern, 55, head of its London subsidiary Acuma Ltd., as head of the troubled Optima Card operation, succeeding Anne Busquet, 41. It said Busquet will take another job with American Express but didn't give specifics.

American Express Co. said Thursday that it had fired or obtained the resignations of "about half a dozen" mid-level executives who it believes deliberately hid $24 million in losses on Optima Card accounts. The financial services giant also named Frank Skillern, 55, head of its London subsidiary Acuma Ltd., as head of the troubled Optima Card operation, succeeding Anne Busquet, 41. It said Busquet will take another job with American Express but didn't give specifics.

Steven B. Wagner and Brad J. Shapiro were named managing directors of the newly formed Century City subsidiary of the securities firm Cantor Fitzgerald Financial. Wagner, 37, had been a partner in Spicer & Oppenheim, an accounting firm. Shapiro, 34, was a securities lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Rod A. Guerra Jr., Martha W. Hammer, Darrel J. Hieber, Thomas C. Janson, John D. Rayis and James L. Spencer have been named partners in the Los Angeles office of the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged a former librarian at a Wall Street law firm and eight of his relatives with having made more than $414,000 in trading based on inside information, mostly concerning takeover bids. Named was Samuel Aksler, formerly of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. He and the eight relatives were accused of violating anti-fraud and other provisions of securities laws. All contest the charges.

Former Walt Disney Co. lawyer Nathaniel Lipman was named senior vice president and general counsel of HOB Entertainment, parent of the House of Blues. Lipman was senior counsel at Disney, working on such deals as the company's investment in the California Angels baseball team. Disney recently bought a 12% stake in House of Blues. Before joining Disney, he worked for the law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

A major international law firm said Tuesday that it will pay the salaries of 125 young lawyers each year who are willing to work for the poor for two years after law school. For five years beginning next June, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom will funnel $10 million to qualified public service organizations to pay the salaries of Skadden Fellows.

Beverly Hills-based Cardis said a deal was off for Autospa Corp. to buy a controlling interest in Cardis, the parent corporation of Tuneup Masters. But Autospa, a Woodside, N.Y.-based franchiser of AutoSpa Service Centers, said the the deal is still on. AutoSpa said it has engaged the law firm of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom to advise it on enforcing the agreement. Cardis, meanwhile, said it has retained Bear Stearns & Co. Inc.

The network revealed in documents filed with the SEC that it has retained several takeover specialists, reportedly to prepare for a possible proxy fight with Fairness in Media, a conservative advocacy group that is threatening to buy the network because of CBS' alleged "liberal bias" in news coverage. Among those hired are Morrow & Co., a proxy solicitor; Burson-Marsteller, a public relations firm, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, a New York law firm specializing in takeover defenses.