The Pacesetter

Wasserman Comden & Casselman LLP The San Fernando Valley’s largest law firm, Wasserman Comden & Casselman LLP, has seen its government business increase thanks in large part to the L.A. subway. The firm’s two largest government clients, Los Angeles County and the Metropolitan Transit Authority, have both seen an increase in litigation, said senior partner Clifford Pearson. The MTA division has about 10 attorneys defending the agency in subway-related litigation. The MTA itself has also sued a number of subcontractors for subway work and cost overruns. The firm, which handles a full range of litigation from real estate to general lawsuits, increased its ranks to 37 attorneys in 1999, up from 34 in 1998. One of Wasserman’s bigger class-action suits this year is on behalf of Pasadena residents against the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The neighbors have charged the agency with releasing toxic substances into the ground. The firm is also involved in an increasing number of cases against employers charged with skirting overtime laws. The suits charge companies like Denny’s and others with unfairly working managers overtime without extra compensation because they are salaried.