Sun sets on brits' attempt to launch California Empire.

THE world's largest law firm, Clifford Chance LLP, has rethought its two-year California experiment and begun closing three of its four offices in the state.

Based in London, Clifford Chance set up its West Coast operations with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palo Alto and San Diego in large pan by picking up the pieces of failing Bay Area firm Brobeck Phleger & Harrison LLP. Clifford partner Tower Snow is the former chairman of Brobeck.

Allan Whitescarver, director of communications for Clifford Chance, said the decision to close all but the Palo Alto office was the result of a "mutual agreement" between firm management and the attorneys at the offices.

"We hadn't made a significant investment in the West Coast before," he said. "At the time, the analysis supported that kind of an operation. But, given a wide range of factors, including a global and regional recession that lasted longer than we anticipated, it didn't pan out."

On June 21, Clifford Chance's Gerard Walsh, a real estate partner, and securities litigation partner Daniel Tyukody joined AMANDA Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP's L.A. office. Orrick also lured six partners from the San Francisco office. Partners in San Diego have joined Latham & Watkins LLP and Baker & McKenzie.

The new attorneys boost Orrick's securities litigation practice, said Michael McAndrews, partner in charge of the L.A. and Orange county offices.

School Blues

A new Pacific Palisades charter school has sued the L.A. Unified School District, claiming it failed to provide facilities as required under California's education laws.

Renaissance Academy Charter School, which will open this fall with 200 high school students, claims the district violated terms of the state Education Code requiring local school districts to provide leased facilities "reasonably equivalent" to those the students would have if they attended the public schools.

The school also claims LAUSD enacted a policy this year limiting its obligation so that it could offer only those facilities that are "underutilized," the suit says.

"They are supposed to offer space that's comparable to what they'd be offering if students were attending a district instead of a charter school," said Greg Moser, a partner at Foley & Lardner LLP representing Renaissance. "The policy says we'll only offer space if we can do that without making any changes in a district-managed school. They're treating it as if the law has not changed."

LAUSD's general counsel, Kevin Reed, said the district can't fulfill every request.

"We cannot make room for every charter school that asks for space without being unfair to the non-charter school students."

Renaissance is seeking repeal of the LAUSD policy, a new offer for space and an amount equal to the difference in cost between a district facility and the commercial space they leased.

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