Ladies night case can't even cover drinks for lawyer.

For Consumer Cause Inc., it may have en a case of winning a battle but losing the war.

The business, run by L.A. attorney Morse Mehrban, succeeded in forcing a downtown nightclub to stop offering discounted "ladies night" promotions it claimed violated the civil fights of men and the state's unfair business practices law. But a recent ruling by a 2nd District appellate panel kept it from recovering legal fees.

Grand Avenue, a salsa and electronica club at 1024 S. Grand Ave., is one of dozens of California nightclubs sued under the statutes. Many of the clubs have been in Northern California and San Diego, where in August seven Gaslamp Quarter nightspots collectively paid $125,000 to settle such claims.

Grand Avenue, sued in April 2002, agreed to end the promotions but balked at paying $5,000 in settlement fees to Consumer Cause, said Stewart Richlin, a Los Angeles sole practitioner representing Grand Avenue.

In November 2002, Consumer Cause filed a motion upping its request to $25,000, Richlin said. Grand Avenue counter-claimed, seeking sanctions of $7,000, the amount it paid Richlin to represent it.

In its Jan. 7 ruling, the 2nd Appellate District panel dismissed both attorneys' fees requests.

"In a way, my client lost," Richlin said. "It would have been cheaper for him to pay a small settlement than to hire me to win the case. But he stuck to his guns and wound up spending $2,000 to prove he wasn't liable on any of those claims."

Mehrban did not return calls.

Richman Mann-Handled

Boutique business firm Richman Mann Chizever Phillips & Duboff PC was gutted when eight of its 13 attorneys--including its five name partners--announced they would join Loeb & Loeb LLP on Feb. 1.

Fredrick Richman, Gerald Chizever, Jerry Phillips and Allan Duboff will join as partners, Richard Mann will join of counsel, and Kenneth Ingber, Christopher Kelly and Arash Khalili will join as associates. They will handle corporate, securities, labor and litigation matters.

As a result of the defections, the 33-year-old boutique firm will dissolve Feb. 1, said Richman. The attorneys not moving to Loeb & Loeb have found work elsewhere, he said.

Once home to 33 lawyers, Richman said the economic slowdown had forced the firm to slash its overhead, eventually leading to the decision to dissolve. He said he had been approached by a number of firms, including Loeb & Loeb.

Management Move

K&R Law Group LLP, an L.A.-based firm focused on the health care industry, hired its first executive director Jan. 1 to manage the firm's strategic plan and operations.

Caroline Kuperstock was director of marketing and business development at Bingham MeCutchen LLP after the firm merged with Riordan & McKinzie, where she was director of administration and business development.

Staff reporter Amanda Bronstad can be reached at [phone] ext. 225, or at [e-mail].