Tarzana Firm Adds New Partner to Well-Known Nameplate

Signs of progress are evident at Wasserman, Comden, Casselman & Esensten. The Tarzana law firm made moves to bring its legal expertise to international clients in Asia and Israel. By adding a new name partner in Robert Esensten the firm will literally make a sign change to the building it occupies on Reseda Boulevard and easily visible from the Ventura (101) Freeway. Only twice before in its 32-year history has the firm added a name so it is a big deal to the other partners. Having his name go up on the side of the building sends a signal that he is valued to the firm that he hopes to finish his career with, Esensten said. “It is important for business development and the ability to market the firm,” Esensten added. Esensten had his own practice for more than 25 years when he made the switch to Wasserman, Comden in 2006. There had previously been a fourth name partner who had left so there was a void to fill, partner Leonard Comden said. Becoming a name partner was important to Esensten and he was able to convince Comden, Steve Wasserman and David Casselman that it was in the best interest of the firm. If you are dealing with a senior partner who has equity in the firm it only makes sense to add their name to the firm, Esensten said. The four partners have the responsibility of managing the firm and major decisions have often been unanimous. “It’s rare we don’t agree on things,” Esensten said. “If we have a difference of opinion we find a way to solve it.” Going to a larger firm – 87 total employees, of which 34 are attorneys – meant compounding the administrative issues Esensten had dealt with on a smaller scale when on his own. Plus there were new practice areas for the Southwestern University law school alumnus to become familiar with. For one, there is the class action practice for which Wasserman, Comden is becoming quite well known. The firm has filed a number of cases, some of which have settled and other that are pending, alleging fraud against companies and their products. Esensten has also worked with attorneys in Wasserman, Comden’s office in Alhambra on matters for Chinese companies doing business in the U.S. About 15 years ago the firm saw there was opportunity in having Chinese clients. Last year, the partners took a major step by making a Beijing-based law firm as its affiliate in that country with the benefit that a single office replaces the multiple firms Wasserman, Comden had been using to handle joint ventures, intellectual property work and other legal matters. “That is our home over there,” said Wasserman, who made a trip to China in March. With a large Chinese population, Southern California is the right market to gain entry not only into China but the larger Asian market. Mainland China and Hong Kong combine to rank ninth in foreign-owned and –affiliated companies in the county with 127 business establishments, according to the May 2009 study from the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. and World Trade Center Association. Most of the Chinese companies are part of the wholesale trade industry, followed by transportation and warehousing. The county has 2,700 workers earning $158 million in wages at these companies, the study said. Wasserman tells of talking with an executive with a real estate firm specializing in industrial properties who had spent time recently taking a delegation of Chinese businesspeople around to look at buildings. “You are going to see more and more of that,” Wasserman said Asia isn’t the only overseas market the law firm has expanded into. A former Wasserman, Comden attorney who moved to Israel now brings in business in that country. There had not been an effort to work with Israeli clients until the attorney suggested it, Wasserman said, who added that with Israelis having business interests all over the world there is a broad base to represent. One client recently sold a condominium in Israel and while the transaction was recorded in that county all the paperwork was done in the Valley office, Wasserman said. The Tarzana office has of late taken on an international flair, with callers speaking in Hebrew and Chinese. “For a firm that doesn’t do immigration work we’re certainly hearing a lot of different languages,” Wasserman said.