Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa 85.49 Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona
The Phoenician 85.62 Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona
Four Seasons Resort at Troon North 83.32 Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona
Royal Palms Resort & Spa 82.64 Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona
Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa 83.03 Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona
Enchantment Resort 83.33 Sedona Arizona
L'Auberge de Sedona 83.07 Sedona Arizona
Lodge at Ventana Canyon 81.94 Tucson Arizona
Post Ranch Inn 89.67 Big Sur California
Ventana Inn & Spa 85.28 Big Sur California
Bernardus Lodge 85.85 Carmel California
Highlands Inn, Park Hyatt Carmel 82.83 Carmel California
L'Auberge Carmel 87.62 Carmel California
Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay 84.97 Half Moon Bay California
Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows 83.99 Los Angeles Area California
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills 81.62 Los Angeles Area California
Hotel Bel-Air 88.81 Los Angeles Area California
Peninsula Beverly Hills 88.75 Los Angeles Area California
Beverly Wilshire 85.91 Los Angeles Area California
Shutters on the Beach 81.98 Los Angeles Area California
Raffles L'Ermitage, Beverly Hills 84.44 Los Angeles Area California
Madrona Manor 85.13 Napa/Sonoma California
Vintners Inn 81.46 Napa/Sonoma California
Calistoga Ranch 81.17 Napa/Sonoma California
Carneros Inn 81.55 Napa/Sonoma California
Hotel Healdsburg 85.00 Napa/Sonoma California
Auberge du Soleil 87.04 Napa/Sonoma California
Meadowood Napa Valley 81.62 Napa/Sonoma California
St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach 83.32 Orange County California
Montage Resort & Spa 86.31 Orange County California
Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel 85.93 Orange County California
Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa 84.38 Pasadena California
Inn at Spanish Bay 84.80 Pebble Beach California
Lodge at Pebble Beach 86.62 Pebble Beach California
Hotel Solamar 81.10 San Diego California
Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa 85.68 San Diego Area California
The Lodge at Torrey Pines 81.38 San Diego Area California
Four Seasons Resort Aviara 82.31 San Diego Area California
Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco 83.79 San Francisco California
Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco 85.83 San Francisco California
Four Seasons, San Francisco 85.50 San Francisco California
Campton Place 86.31 San Francisco California
Hotel Vitale 82.31 San Francisco California
Four Seasons,The Biltmore 84.79 Santa Barbara California
San Ysidro Ranch 85.04 Santa Barbara California
Château du Sureau 87.33 Yosemite Area California
St. Regis Resort, Aspen 85.79 Aspen Colorado
Little Nell 87.78 Aspen Colorado
Hotel Jerome 83.56 Aspen Colorado
Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch 88.26 Beaver Creek Colorado
Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort & Spa 82.20 Beaver Creek Colorado
Beaver Creek Lodge 81.12 Beaver Creek Colorado
Cliff House at Pikes Peak 87.71 Colorado Springs Colorado
The Broadmoor 86.49 Colorado Springs Colorado
Hotel Telluride 85.32 Telluride Colorado
Sonnenalp Resort of Vail 82.48 Vail Colorado
Mayflower Inn & Spa 82.91 Washington Connecticut
Inn at Montchanin Village 90.00 Montchanin Delaware
Hotel du Pont 81.69 Wilmington Delaware
Sofitel Lafayette Square 83.64 Washington, D.C. District Of Columbia
Four Seasons Hotel, D.C. 82.55 Washington, D.C. District Of Columbia
Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. 83.67 Washington, D.C. District Of Columbia
Willard InterContinental 82.61 Washington, D.C. District Of Columbia
The Hay-Adams 82.00 Washington, D.C. District Of Columbia
Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown 81.49 Washington, D.C. District Of Columbia
Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island 84.01 Amelia Island Florida
Little Palm Island Resort & Spa 85.94 Florida Keys Florida
Marquesa Hotel 84.24 Florida Keys Florida
Sunset Key Cottages 82.61 Florida Keys Florida
Mandarin Oriental Miami 85.61 Miami Area Florida
Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne 83.65 Miami Area Florida
Tides South Beach 81.72 Miami Area Florida
Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort 83.12 Naples Florida
Ritz-Carlton, Naples 87.67 Naples Florida
Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes 87.34 Orlando Florida
The Breakers 82.82 Palm Beach Florida
Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach 82.65 Palm Beach Florida
Four Seasons Resort, Palm Beach 86.74 Palm Beach Florida
Ponte Vedra Inn & Club 83.01 Ponte Vedra Florida
Lodge & Club at Ponte Vedra Beach 83.77 Ponte Vedra Florida
WaterColor Inn 89.82 Santa Rosa Beach Florida
Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota 82.65 Sarasota Florida
Barnsley Gardens 81.58 Adairsville Georgia
Four Seasons, Atlanta 82.40 Atlanta Georgia
Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead 83.39 Atlanta Georgia
Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation 86.99 Greensboro Georgia
The Cloister at Sea Island 84.28 Sea Island Georgia
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai 91.71 Big Island Hawaii
Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel 82.14 Big Island Hawaii
Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows 84.06 Big Island Hawaii
Princeville Resort 82.92 Kauai Hawaii
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa 83.44 Kauai Hawaii
Four Seasons Resort Lanai at Manele Bay 86.34 Lanai Hawaii
Four Seasons Resort Lana'i, Lodge at Koele 89.31 Lanai Hawaii
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea 87.24 Maui Hawaii
Fairmont Kea Lani 84.96 Maui Hawaii
Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua 82.98 Maui Hawaii
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa 81.20 Maui Hawaii
Hotel Hana-Maui & Honua Spa 82.24 Maui Hawaii
JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa 81.77 Oahu Hawaii
Kahala Hotel & Resort 83.96 Oahu Hawaii
Halekulani 91.21 Oahu Hawaii
Royal Hawaiian 81.23 Oahu Hawaii
Coeur d'Alene Golf & Spa Resort 82.02 Coeur D'Alene Idaho
Ritz-Carlton Chicago 86.16 Chicago Illinois
Peninsula Chicago 88.66 Chicago Illinois
Sofitel Chicago Water Tower 83.01 Chicago Illinois
Four Seasons Hotel, Chicago 88.48 Chicago Illinois
Hotel Burnham 83.14 Chicago Illinois
Windsor Court Hotel 85.93 New Orleans Louisiana
White Barn Inn & Spa 83.72 Kennebunkport Maine
Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common 83.51 Boston Massachusetts
Four Seasons, Boston 83.69 Boston Massachusetts
Ritz-Carlton, Boston 82.12 Boston Massachusetts
XV Beacon 84.72 Boston Massachusetts
Nine Zero Hotel 81.54 Boston Massachusetts
Wequassett Inn Resort & Golf Club 81.09 Cape Cod Massachusetts
Blantyre 86.67 Lenox Massachusetts
Wheatleigh 86.36 Lenox Massachusetts
Charlotte Inn 91.25 Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts
The Wauwinet 84.11 Nantucket Massachusetts
White Elephant 83.45 Nantucket Massachusetts
Townsend Hotel 86.26 Birmingham Michigan
Grand Hotel 82.03 Mackinac Island Michigan
Monmouth Plantation 87.84 Natchez Mississippi
Four Seasons, Las Vegas 85.62 Las Vegas Nevada
Bellagio 85.89 Las Vegas Nevada
The Venetian 82.47 Las Vegas Nevada
Wynn Las Vegas 83.59 Las Vegas Nevada
Inn at Thorn Hill & Spa 87.00 Jackson Village New Hampshire
Inn of the Anasazi 84.53 Sante Fe New Mexico
The Point 89.09 Adirondacks New York
Lake Placid Lodge 84.00 Adirondacks New York
Peninsula New York 81.76 New York City New York
The Lowell 85.06 New York City New York
Trump International Hotel & Tower 85.45 New York City New York
Four Seasons Hotel, New York City 84.72 New York City New York
Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park 82.21 New York City New York
St. Regis Hotel, New York 85.35 New York City New York
Mandarin Oriental, New York 84.72 New York City New York
Hôtel Plaza Athénée 82.67 New York City New York
Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park 86.47 New York City New York
Inn on Biltmore Estate 84.72 Asheville North Carolina
Richmond Hill Inn 83.29 Asheville North Carolina
Greystone Inn 82.11 Lake Toxaway North Carolina
Fearrington House Country Inn 85.45 Pittsboro North Carolina
Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland 81.55 Cleveland Ohio
Tu Tu' Tun Lodge 88.03 Gold Beach Oregon
Heathman Hotel 81.79 Portland Oregon
5th Avenue Suites Hotel 81.48 Portland Oregon
The Rittenhouse 84.26 Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia 85.11 Philadelphia Pennsylvania
The Sofitel, Philadelphia 81.39 Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Castle Hill Inn & Resort 81.67 Newport Rhode Island
Charleston Place 85.25 Charleston South Carolina
Planters Inn 83.96 Charleston South Carolina
Wentworth Mansion 85.75 Charleston South Carolina
Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort 86.70 Kiawah Island South Carolina
Woodlands Resort & Inn 83.06 Summerville South Carolina
Blackberry Farm 87.66 Walland Tennessee
Four Seasons Hotel, Austin 83.24 Austin Texas
The Driskill 81.77 Austin Texas
Mansion on Turtle Creek 87.13 Dallas Texas
Hotel ZaZa 82.74 Dallas Texas
The Adolphus 82.59 Dallas Texas
Hotel Crescent Court 83.50 Dallas Texas
Four Seasons Hotel, Houston 81.87 Houston Texas
The Lancaster 86.66 Houston Texas
Watermark Hotel & Spa 85.83 San Antonio Texas
Hotel Valencia Riverwalk 81.28 San Antonio Texas
Stein Eriksen Lodge 85.64 Park City Utah
Sundance Resort 81.14 Sundance Utah
The Inn at Shelburne Farms 85.19 Shelburne Vermont
Morrison House Hotel 83.55 Alexandria Virginia
Ritz-Carlton, Tyson's Corner 81.71 Tysons Corner Virginia
The Inn at Little Washington 90.87 Washington Virginia
Bellevue Club Hotel 85.20 Bellevue Washington
Fairmont Olympic Hotel 82.19 Seattle Washington
Alexis Hotel 81.38 Seattle Washington
Inn at the Market 85.77 Seattle Washington
Salish Lodge & Spa 82.41 Snoqualmie Washington
The Greenbrier 85.38 White Sulphur Springs West Virginia
The American Club at Destination Kohler 83.97 Kohler Wisconsin
Hotel Metro 83.47 Milwaukee Wisconsin
Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa 83.46 Jackson Hole Wyoming
Four Seasons, Jackson Hole 89.82 Jackson Hole Wyoming
Spring Creek Ranch 84.62 Jackson Hole Wyoming
Jenny Lake Lodge 82.79 Jackson Hole Wyoming
4 Ocak 2008 Cuma
Lincoln Limousine New York City Limousine and Car Services
Lincoln Limousine Inc. provides professional business class limousine transportation between all New York airports such as John F. Kennedy International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Newark International (EWR), MacArthur (ISP) and all New York City hotels or other locations in New York tri state area. All services are presented by our professional drivers. lincolnlimousine.com is an expert on providing quality service for Limousines, Luxury and Corporate Sedans and Vans.
Committed to delivering only the utmost in class and distinction, be it for a simple transfer from the airport to the hotel, for a "Roadshow" with different meetings or a Sightseeing tour around New York Ciy - our slogan reads:
„ A quality time transportations“. Our exclusive, espcially tailored packages cover :
* Proms * Birthdays * Sweet 16 * Weddings * Graduations * Anniversaries
* Airport Service * Sporting Events * Bachelor Parties
* Night on the Town * Bachelorette Parties
Committed to delivering only the utmost in class and distinction, be it for a simple transfer from the airport to the hotel, for a "Roadshow" with different meetings or a Sightseeing tour around New York Ciy - our slogan reads:
„ A quality time transportations“. Our exclusive, espcially tailored packages cover :
* Proms * Birthdays * Sweet 16 * Weddings * Graduations * Anniversaries
* Airport Service * Sporting Events * Bachelor Parties
* Night on the Town * Bachelorette Parties
Luxury Hotels of the World at the Leading Hotels of the World
Located in one of the most spectacular natural settings on Earth, Enchantment Resort is the premier destination resort in Northern Arizona. Consistently ranked as one of the top 100 resorts in North America by Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, and Zagat’s Survey, this resort combines the tranquility of a pristine environment with all of the amenities of sophisticated living. Located on 70 private acres in secluded Boynton Canyon, Enchantment Resort is only two and one-half hours from the Grand Canyon. The resort is the ultimate destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
Dining
For a unique dining experience, the Yavapai Restaurant, Tii Gavo Lounge, and Mii amo Café combine spectacular views with award-winning contemporary cuisine.
Recreation and Health
From hiking to ancient Native American cliff dwellings, mountain biking, tennis on seven championship courts, swimming in six pools, unique and relaxing treatments in Mii amo, the resort’s new destination spa, to a peaceful viewing of red rock country from a private patio, the resort is truly enchanting.
Features
5100 square foot ballroom with additional indoor and outdoor meeting space for corporate and incentive programs. Professional staff of Group Sales Managers with Catering and Conference Services. Mii amo, a destination spa at Enchantment offers mind and body wellness services inspired by the spiritual and cultural nature of Sedona.
Dining
For a unique dining experience, the Yavapai Restaurant, Tii Gavo Lounge, and Mii amo Café combine spectacular views with award-winning contemporary cuisine.
Recreation and Health
From hiking to ancient Native American cliff dwellings, mountain biking, tennis on seven championship courts, swimming in six pools, unique and relaxing treatments in Mii amo, the resort’s new destination spa, to a peaceful viewing of red rock country from a private patio, the resort is truly enchanting.
Features
5100 square foot ballroom with additional indoor and outdoor meeting space for corporate and incentive programs. Professional staff of Group Sales Managers with Catering and Conference Services. Mii amo, a destination spa at Enchantment offers mind and body wellness services inspired by the spiritual and cultural nature of Sedona.
3 Ocak 2008 Perşembe
Hartford Moves to Curb Gambling and Stop a Casino
On Monday, the Connecticut State Legislature voted to repeal a once-obscure law, known by its catchy title, Las Vegas Nights, the first step in what will most likely become a legal fight that scholars say could end up being decided by the United States Supreme Court.
Originally, the Las Vegas Nights law was meant only to provide legal protection for limited gambling: bingo in church halls, for instance, or charity raffles. But it eventually became the foundation for a court decision that forced Connecticut to allow blackjack, roulette, poker and slot machines.
By repealing the Las Vegas Nights law, lawmakers are hoping to block plans to build a third Indian casino in the state. The efforts to kill the law now highlight two competing and often incompatible segments of Connecticut society: state lawmakers and their relatively affluent suburban constituents who oppose any expansion of casino gambling, and the state's three federally recognized Indian tribes, for whom casino gambling has meant tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue and an abrupt end to generations of poverty.
After the House voted tonight to repeal the Las Vegas Nights law, the State Senate immediately took up the bill and passed the measure. Gov. John G. Rowland has said he will eagerly sign the repeal into law, which will almost certainly result in a federal lawsuit by at least one Connecticut Indian tribe intent on opening the state's third casino within five years.
After years of watching the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Indian tribes turn their casinos into billion-dollar operations -- a part of the revenue goes to the state -- lawmakers and Governor Rowland now say Connecticut has no room for a third casino. Which is why, after the Eastern Pequots of North Stonington won federal recognition last June, the decades-old Las Vegas Nights law has suddenly become a political priority for Mr. Rowland and lawmakers from both parties.
Federal law allows Indian tribes recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to open casinos in states that permit card games, slot machines and similar types of gambling. By eliminating the state gambling law, lawmakers hope to take away the Eastern Pequots' ability to open a third casino, which they have said is their intention.
''We've been compelled by federal law to allow these federally recognized tribes to open casinos because we allowed Las Vegas Nights to exist,'' Richard Blumenthal, the state attorney general, said in an interview Friday. ''A change in state law would mean that federal law would no longer require that rights for gambling be accorded to any newly recognized tribe.''
But Eastern Pequot officials, as well as some experts on the complex blend of federal and state laws that regulate Indian gaming, believe that Connecticut, after allowing two tribal casinos already, cannot unilaterally force a third tribe to stay out of the business by repealing Las Vegas Nights, which allows what is known as Class 3 gaming.
''If the state allows any form of Class 3 gaming,'' said Joseph M. Kelly, a professor of business law and a gambling law expert at Buffalo State College, ''that opens the door to any tribe saying, 'We want to open our own Class 3 gaming.' ''
Mr. Blumenthal and Eastern Pequot officials have each said they expect the limits of the state's gambling law, an area of law that no other state has tested as Connecticut is now poised to, will be decided by a federal court, potentially the Supreme Court, given the precedent such a case would represent.
The tribe's most persuasive legal argument, legal experts said, is that Connecticut, by exclusively denying them a gambling license but allowing other tribes to continue casino operations, is contravening the United States Constitution's guarantee of equal protection.
The tribe may also argue that state officials are arbitrarily preventing them from opening a casino while allowing the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans to continue making hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
Originally, the Las Vegas Nights law was meant only to provide legal protection for limited gambling: bingo in church halls, for instance, or charity raffles. But it eventually became the foundation for a court decision that forced Connecticut to allow blackjack, roulette, poker and slot machines.
By repealing the Las Vegas Nights law, lawmakers are hoping to block plans to build a third Indian casino in the state. The efforts to kill the law now highlight two competing and often incompatible segments of Connecticut society: state lawmakers and their relatively affluent suburban constituents who oppose any expansion of casino gambling, and the state's three federally recognized Indian tribes, for whom casino gambling has meant tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue and an abrupt end to generations of poverty.
After the House voted tonight to repeal the Las Vegas Nights law, the State Senate immediately took up the bill and passed the measure. Gov. John G. Rowland has said he will eagerly sign the repeal into law, which will almost certainly result in a federal lawsuit by at least one Connecticut Indian tribe intent on opening the state's third casino within five years.
After years of watching the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Indian tribes turn their casinos into billion-dollar operations -- a part of the revenue goes to the state -- lawmakers and Governor Rowland now say Connecticut has no room for a third casino. Which is why, after the Eastern Pequots of North Stonington won federal recognition last June, the decades-old Las Vegas Nights law has suddenly become a political priority for Mr. Rowland and lawmakers from both parties.
Federal law allows Indian tribes recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to open casinos in states that permit card games, slot machines and similar types of gambling. By eliminating the state gambling law, lawmakers hope to take away the Eastern Pequots' ability to open a third casino, which they have said is their intention.
''We've been compelled by federal law to allow these federally recognized tribes to open casinos because we allowed Las Vegas Nights to exist,'' Richard Blumenthal, the state attorney general, said in an interview Friday. ''A change in state law would mean that federal law would no longer require that rights for gambling be accorded to any newly recognized tribe.''
But Eastern Pequot officials, as well as some experts on the complex blend of federal and state laws that regulate Indian gaming, believe that Connecticut, after allowing two tribal casinos already, cannot unilaterally force a third tribe to stay out of the business by repealing Las Vegas Nights, which allows what is known as Class 3 gaming.
''If the state allows any form of Class 3 gaming,'' said Joseph M. Kelly, a professor of business law and a gambling law expert at Buffalo State College, ''that opens the door to any tribe saying, 'We want to open our own Class 3 gaming.' ''
Mr. Blumenthal and Eastern Pequot officials have each said they expect the limits of the state's gambling law, an area of law that no other state has tested as Connecticut is now poised to, will be decided by a federal court, potentially the Supreme Court, given the precedent such a case would represent.
The tribe's most persuasive legal argument, legal experts said, is that Connecticut, by exclusively denying them a gambling license but allowing other tribes to continue casino operations, is contravening the United States Constitution's guarantee of equal protection.
The tribe may also argue that state officials are arbitrarily preventing them from opening a casino while allowing the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegans to continue making hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
California Supreme Court to Hear High-Stakes Hollywood Dispute
Hollywood will have its eyes on Sacramento Tuesday as the California Supreme Court hears arguments in a case that could shake up the way personal managers and their fame-hungry clients conduct business.
The case has the entertainment world all atwitter because the outcome will have a major impact on the complex interplay between personal managers, talent agents and entertainers. Millions of dollars in commissions are at stake not only in California but also in entertainment centers such as New York and Nashville, which have business connections with Hollywood.
"It's the fabric of how the industry works," said Los Angeles solo practitioner Donald Smiley Jr., who's arguing the personal managers' position. "There's a power struggle about who can do what between personal managers and talent agents."
Tension springs from the two professions' symbiotic relationship.
Personal managers aren't regulated by the state but have broad leeway to guide clients' careers by advising them on a wide range of activities, including job opportunities and personal life choices, for a 15 percent commission. Talent agents, meanwhile, are regulated by the state Labor Commission and focus primarily on procuring jobs and appearances for a 10 percent commission.
The case now before the Supreme Court centers on actress Rosa Blasi, who in 1998 hired Marathon Entertainment Inc. and its owner, Rick Siegel, as her personal managers. She was introduced to them by John Kelly, her talent agent at the Bresler-Kelly talent agency.
Two years after hiring Siegel and Marathon, Blasi landed a starring role on "Strong Medicine," a popular television series on the Lifetime network, which eventually ran for six seasons.
For the first two seasons, Blasi stuck to her deal with Siegel and Marathon. But in late 2001 she stopped paying commissions, claiming Siegel wasn't acting in her best interests.
An angry Siegel responded by suing for breach of contract.
In 2004, the state Labor Commission sided with the actress after finding that Siegel and Marathon had violated California's Talent Agencies Act. That 29-year-old law, codified as Labor Code §1700.5, provides civil penalties for anyone who procures jobs for entertainers without first being licensed as a talent agent.
The Labor Commission found that Siegel and Marathon had overstepped their authority by helping Blasi procure roles -- not only for "Strong Medicine," but also for appearances on shows such as "Politically Incorrect" and "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn." As punishment, the commission invalidated Blasi's contract with Siegel and Marathon, depriving them of possibly a huge commission.
Last year, Los Angeles' 2nd District Court of Appeal gave Siegel and Marathon some relief (.pdf) by finding that they hadn't procured the "Strong Medicine" job for Blasi, and by ruling that personal management contracts are severable. If upheld, that means Siegel and Marathon could keep commissions earned for aboveboard work conducted on Blasi's behalf, while losing any money they may have made while violating the law as unregulated talent agents.
The California Supreme Court, meeting in Sacramento, will be asked to decide whether severability is an option under the TAA. Opponents say that most case law holds that even a single act of procurement voids a personal manager's contract and that the state Legislature intended harsh punishment for individuals not licensed as talent agents.
Allowing contracts to be severed, they say, would violate the TAA's intent by letting scofflaws keep some of their commission, rather than losing it all.
"The [TAA's] message to personal managers and other would-be procurers of employment was clear," Michael Plonsker, a partner at Santa Monica, Calif.'s Dreier, Stein & Kahan who represents Blasi on appeal, wrote in court papers. "If you engage in any act of unlicensed procurement, you will lose all commissions, period."
Without that deterrent, he added, "the personal manager has little disincentive not to violate the TAA."
Personal managers aren't interested in registering as talent agents, court papers indicate, because that would restrict them to procurement only and a lesser commission rate. But documents filed in Marathon Entertainment Inc. v. Blasi, S145428, make it clear that personal managers often blur the line when advising their clients, by making innocuous phone calls on their behalf, engaging in cocktail chitchat about their availability for work or driving them to auditions.
Gerald Margolis, a partner in Los Angeles' Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, argued in court papers that the intricate system works well until an entertainer, for whatever reason, tires of paying commissions.
"Labor Commission decisions," he wrote in an amicus curiae brief for the National Association of Artists' Managers, "are littered with similar stories where a personal manager struggles to achieve success for an artist, and once the artist lands a big role, the artist turns on the manager, refusing to pay commissions and terminating their relationship, citing any trivial violation."
Margolis and others argued that the 2nd District's decision to allow severability works for both sides because it lets personal managers recover commissions for lawfully performed services while freeing entertainers from paying for illegal procurement.
The case provides a glimpse into an aspect of the entertainment industry that's alien to most outsiders. In support of Blasi, the Screen Actors Guild Inc., the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Directors Guild of America Inc. and the Writers Guild of America, West Inc. filed an amicus brief revealing that actors, musicians and other entertainers "rely on a small army of people" to further their careers.
Agents find jobs, personal managers nurture careers, business managers handle finances, attorneys provide legal services, publicists publicize and unions help set minimum standards for wages and working conditions.
The TAA itself, the guilds' brief notes, was passed to ensure there was a balance of power between wide-eyed new artists and the talent agents finding them work.
"Although it is the agent who is technically retained by the artist, most artists are not in a position of power vis-a-vis their agents," the brief states. "To the contrary, it is the agent who hold the keys to the artist's career and who is in the unique position to come between an artist and his work. For this reason, agents are strictly regulated."
Smiley, who represents Siegel and Marathon, doesn't deny protections are warranted. But he said personal managers are an important part of an artist's career and shouldn't be hung out to dry for no reason.
"If the manager helps the artist get work and the artist is happy," Smiley added, "life goes on, and everybody gets what they're looking for.
The case has the entertainment world all atwitter because the outcome will have a major impact on the complex interplay between personal managers, talent agents and entertainers. Millions of dollars in commissions are at stake not only in California but also in entertainment centers such as New York and Nashville, which have business connections with Hollywood.
"It's the fabric of how the industry works," said Los Angeles solo practitioner Donald Smiley Jr., who's arguing the personal managers' position. "There's a power struggle about who can do what between personal managers and talent agents."
Tension springs from the two professions' symbiotic relationship.
Personal managers aren't regulated by the state but have broad leeway to guide clients' careers by advising them on a wide range of activities, including job opportunities and personal life choices, for a 15 percent commission. Talent agents, meanwhile, are regulated by the state Labor Commission and focus primarily on procuring jobs and appearances for a 10 percent commission.
The case now before the Supreme Court centers on actress Rosa Blasi, who in 1998 hired Marathon Entertainment Inc. and its owner, Rick Siegel, as her personal managers. She was introduced to them by John Kelly, her talent agent at the Bresler-Kelly talent agency.
Two years after hiring Siegel and Marathon, Blasi landed a starring role on "Strong Medicine," a popular television series on the Lifetime network, which eventually ran for six seasons.
For the first two seasons, Blasi stuck to her deal with Siegel and Marathon. But in late 2001 she stopped paying commissions, claiming Siegel wasn't acting in her best interests.
An angry Siegel responded by suing for breach of contract.
In 2004, the state Labor Commission sided with the actress after finding that Siegel and Marathon had violated California's Talent Agencies Act. That 29-year-old law, codified as Labor Code §1700.5, provides civil penalties for anyone who procures jobs for entertainers without first being licensed as a talent agent.
The Labor Commission found that Siegel and Marathon had overstepped their authority by helping Blasi procure roles -- not only for "Strong Medicine," but also for appearances on shows such as "Politically Incorrect" and "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn." As punishment, the commission invalidated Blasi's contract with Siegel and Marathon, depriving them of possibly a huge commission.
Last year, Los Angeles' 2nd District Court of Appeal gave Siegel and Marathon some relief (.pdf) by finding that they hadn't procured the "Strong Medicine" job for Blasi, and by ruling that personal management contracts are severable. If upheld, that means Siegel and Marathon could keep commissions earned for aboveboard work conducted on Blasi's behalf, while losing any money they may have made while violating the law as unregulated talent agents.
The California Supreme Court, meeting in Sacramento, will be asked to decide whether severability is an option under the TAA. Opponents say that most case law holds that even a single act of procurement voids a personal manager's contract and that the state Legislature intended harsh punishment for individuals not licensed as talent agents.
Allowing contracts to be severed, they say, would violate the TAA's intent by letting scofflaws keep some of their commission, rather than losing it all.
"The [TAA's] message to personal managers and other would-be procurers of employment was clear," Michael Plonsker, a partner at Santa Monica, Calif.'s Dreier, Stein & Kahan who represents Blasi on appeal, wrote in court papers. "If you engage in any act of unlicensed procurement, you will lose all commissions, period."
Without that deterrent, he added, "the personal manager has little disincentive not to violate the TAA."
Personal managers aren't interested in registering as talent agents, court papers indicate, because that would restrict them to procurement only and a lesser commission rate. But documents filed in Marathon Entertainment Inc. v. Blasi, S145428, make it clear that personal managers often blur the line when advising their clients, by making innocuous phone calls on their behalf, engaging in cocktail chitchat about their availability for work or driving them to auditions.
Gerald Margolis, a partner in Los Angeles' Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, argued in court papers that the intricate system works well until an entertainer, for whatever reason, tires of paying commissions.
"Labor Commission decisions," he wrote in an amicus curiae brief for the National Association of Artists' Managers, "are littered with similar stories where a personal manager struggles to achieve success for an artist, and once the artist lands a big role, the artist turns on the manager, refusing to pay commissions and terminating their relationship, citing any trivial violation."
Margolis and others argued that the 2nd District's decision to allow severability works for both sides because it lets personal managers recover commissions for lawfully performed services while freeing entertainers from paying for illegal procurement.
The case provides a glimpse into an aspect of the entertainment industry that's alien to most outsiders. In support of Blasi, the Screen Actors Guild Inc., the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Directors Guild of America Inc. and the Writers Guild of America, West Inc. filed an amicus brief revealing that actors, musicians and other entertainers "rely on a small army of people" to further their careers.
Agents find jobs, personal managers nurture careers, business managers handle finances, attorneys provide legal services, publicists publicize and unions help set minimum standards for wages and working conditions.
The TAA itself, the guilds' brief notes, was passed to ensure there was a balance of power between wide-eyed new artists and the talent agents finding them work.
"Although it is the agent who is technically retained by the artist, most artists are not in a position of power vis-a-vis their agents," the brief states. "To the contrary, it is the agent who hold the keys to the artist's career and who is in the unique position to come between an artist and his work. For this reason, agents are strictly regulated."
Smiley, who represents Siegel and Marathon, doesn't deny protections are warranted. But he said personal managers are an important part of an artist's career and shouldn't be hung out to dry for no reason.
"If the manager helps the artist get work and the artist is happy," Smiley added, "life goes on, and everybody gets what they're looking for.
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Juleferie på hotel i Danmark
Grib chancen for at forkæle dig selv og familien og oplev julestemningen i din favoritby i Danmark. Danmark byder på mange smukke områder og spændende begivenheder i løbet af vinteren og i december måned kan du finde rigtig gode hoteltilbud i hele Danmark på Hotel.dk.
Hotel.dk tilbyder Danmarks største samlede udvalg af danske kroer og hoteller. Her kan du booke mere end 300 hoteller fordelt over hele Danmark – ikke kun i og omkring de større byer, men i alle områder af Danmark. Her kan du finde det bedste hotelophold til netop dine ønsker og formål.
For at foretage en online booking af et hotel i Danmark kan du bruge søgefelterne ovenfor eller bruge følgende links til hurtigt at finde hoteller i København, i og omkring Ålborg, Århus Vejle, Randers, Esbjerg, Odense og Roskilde eller hoteller i Nordjylland, på Fyn, på Vestsjælland og på Bornholm.
Hoteller i udlandet
Udover de mere end 300 hoteller i Danmark, kan du på Hotel.dk booke over 35.000 hoteller i udlandet. Det er nemt og billigt at booke et hotelophold i udlandet gennem hotel.dk. En hotelbooking på Hotel.dk sker altid via en sikker forbindelse og uden ekstra gebyrer både ved reservation af et hotel i Danmark og hoteller i resten af verden.
Tag til udlandet i vinter
Sæt kulør på vinteren ved at tage vennerne med på storbyferie i Berlin eller invitere kæresten på romantisk weekend i Paris. Hvad enten du søger shopping, kunst, musik eller gastronomiske oplevelser, kan du finde den rette destination og de bedste hoteller på Hotel.dk.
Vælg 'Hoteller udland' i menuen øverst på siden eller benyt linket her for at finde hotel i London, hotel i Rom, hotel i Barcelona, hotel i Madrid, hotel i New York eller hoteller i resten af verden.
På Hotel.dk finder du også dagens gode hoteltilbud, romantisk miniferie i Danmark eller billige weekendophold på hyggelige familiehoteller, traditionelle danske kroer eller luksushoteller.
- Velkommen til Hotel.dk
Leder du efter sommerhusudlejning?
Hvis du leder efter et alternativ til hotelophold, så besøg SommerhuseDanmark.dk. Her finder du Danmarks største samlede online udvalg af danske sommerhuse og feriehuse til udlejning. Blandt flere end 26.000 ferieboliger kan du nemt finde det bedste danske sommerhus til netop dit behov. Hvis der mangler lidt inspiration til ferien, giver SommerhuseDanmark.dk også forslag til spændende og sjove oplevelser i Danmark.
- God Danmarksferie
Hotel.dk tilbyder Danmarks største samlede udvalg af danske kroer og hoteller. Her kan du booke mere end 300 hoteller fordelt over hele Danmark – ikke kun i og omkring de større byer, men i alle områder af Danmark. Her kan du finde det bedste hotelophold til netop dine ønsker og formål.
For at foretage en online booking af et hotel i Danmark kan du bruge søgefelterne ovenfor eller bruge følgende links til hurtigt at finde hoteller i København, i og omkring Ålborg, Århus Vejle, Randers, Esbjerg, Odense og Roskilde eller hoteller i Nordjylland, på Fyn, på Vestsjælland og på Bornholm.
Hoteller i udlandet
Udover de mere end 300 hoteller i Danmark, kan du på Hotel.dk booke over 35.000 hoteller i udlandet. Det er nemt og billigt at booke et hotelophold i udlandet gennem hotel.dk. En hotelbooking på Hotel.dk sker altid via en sikker forbindelse og uden ekstra gebyrer både ved reservation af et hotel i Danmark og hoteller i resten af verden.
Tag til udlandet i vinter
Sæt kulør på vinteren ved at tage vennerne med på storbyferie i Berlin eller invitere kæresten på romantisk weekend i Paris. Hvad enten du søger shopping, kunst, musik eller gastronomiske oplevelser, kan du finde den rette destination og de bedste hoteller på Hotel.dk.
Vælg 'Hoteller udland' i menuen øverst på siden eller benyt linket her for at finde hotel i London, hotel i Rom, hotel i Barcelona, hotel i Madrid, hotel i New York eller hoteller i resten af verden.
På Hotel.dk finder du også dagens gode hoteltilbud, romantisk miniferie i Danmark eller billige weekendophold på hyggelige familiehoteller, traditionelle danske kroer eller luksushoteller.
- Velkommen til Hotel.dk
Leder du efter sommerhusudlejning?
Hvis du leder efter et alternativ til hotelophold, så besøg SommerhuseDanmark.dk. Her finder du Danmarks største samlede online udvalg af danske sommerhuse og feriehuse til udlejning. Blandt flere end 26.000 ferieboliger kan du nemt finde det bedste danske sommerhus til netop dit behov. Hvis der mangler lidt inspiration til ferien, giver SommerhuseDanmark.dk også forslag til spændende og sjove oplevelser i Danmark.
- God Danmarksferie
Etiketler:
Bornholm,
familiehoteller,
hotel,
Hoteller,
hoteltilbud,
København,
law,
lawyer,
lincolnlimousine.com,
Nordjylland,
sommerhusudlejning,
Vestsjælland
Hotel Eyfel
Hotel EYFEL is have 85 rooms including 50 standart two bed rooms, 10 Triple rooms, 21 single rooms and 4 comfortable suits. All rooms are equipped by air-condition, direct dial telephone, television, minibar, private bathroom with bath-tub, hair dryer.Restaurant (110 person)Buffet breakfastLobby BarMeeting Room (40 Person)Terrace PoolTerrace Restaurant & BarFitness &Sauna & MassageLaundrySafe Box
Special offers for internet guestsFree transfer from airport to hotel Open buffet breakfast is included.Included VAT and Taxes.Ask reasonable rates for groups.
Special offers for internet guestsFree transfer from airport to hotel Open buffet breakfast is included.Included VAT and Taxes.Ask reasonable rates for groups.
Etiketler:
eyfel,
free,
hotel,
lincolnlimousine.com,
otel. travel,
world
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