News

Shareholder and SACTO chair Gary Bradus was quoted in the following article in the Sacramento Bee on Friday, July 26

German chemical giant to open agricultural research and development center to West Sacramento

By Mark Glover, Sacramento Bee
West Sacramento scored a major gain at the expense of nearby neighbor Davis on Thursday.

Germany-based agrochemical company Bayer CropScience announced that it will move its U.S.-based research and development operations for vegetable seed and crop-protection products into an existing 164,000-square-foot facility in West Sacramento.

The move into the shuttered Affymetrix Inc. plant on nearly 10 acres of land is scheduled to happen in next year’s first quarter.

Bayer did not say how many workers the facility would have initially, but noted that it has the capacity to employ 300.

The building at 890 Embarcadero Drive was abandoned in 2009 as part of a consolidation move by Affymetrix, a biotech firm based in Santa Clara.

Bayer, a subsidiary of German chemical and pharmaceutical giant Bayer AG with annual sales of more than $1.5 billion, also said it plans to acquire additional, as-yet-unidentified, land nearby in West Sacramento to build a greenhouse and test plot facility.

The move will relocate Bayer’s vegetable seeds research and business management operations, which are currently housed in multiple facilities in Davis – the primary one comprising about 30,000 square feet in south Davis.

Bayer CropScience said it has big plans for the West Sacramento site.

“Integrated crop solutions, with biologics and vegetable seeds as key components, will give growers worldwide new tools to manage the diverse demands of the food chain while maximizing the yield and quality of their crops,” said Mike Miille, a business management executive with Bayer.

“It is exciting that the new jobs that will be created in greater Sacramento through this investment and expansion will have such a wide-reaching impact.”

The Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization said the move will have an annual economic impact of more than $127 million in the region.

SACTO was one of multiple entities working to land Bayer in the region.

“The commitment to the Sacramento region that this investment represents by a company with the global stature of Bayer AG validates the region’s strength in agriculture, biotech and related sciences and paves the way for more companies to follow,” said Gary Bradus, SACTO’s board chairman.

Read the entire Sacramento Bee article here.

Weintraub Tobin client Diane Lane has a number of upcoming projects worth noting.

Diane will star as Hillary Clinton in a four event series/miniseries called “Hillary.” Oscar nominee Courtney Hunt will script the project that would “recount Clinton’s life as a wife, mother, politician and cabinet member from 1998 to the present.” NBC hopes to broadcast the series before any possible formal declaration that she was running.

Diane will also reprise her role as Superman’s surrogate mother in the sequel to “Man of Steel” which was announced at last month’s Comic-Con. The sequel will combine Superman and Batman. Returning stars also include Henry Cavill, Laurence Fishbourne and Amy Adams.

Diane was nominated for an Academy Award for her leading role in the film “Unfaithful.”

For more information on “Hillary,” read the New York Times article: “NBC Announces Mini-Series on Hillary Clinton.”

For more information on the sequel to “Man of Steel,” visit Coming Soon.net

Weintraub Tobin is proud to announce that our client David Mamet, who wrote and directed HBO’s “Phil Spector,” recently received two Emmy nominations, including Best Writing and Best Direction. This is the first Emmy nomination for the playwright. Phil Spector, which starred Al Pacino, received a total of 11 Emmy nominations.

Read the full story in the Los Angeles Times.

Sacramento, Calif., July 24, 2013 – The Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization (SACTO) is pleased to announce the location of Bayer CropScience, a division of Bayer AG, in West Sacramento, California. The new facility will serve as the North American headquarters and research and development center for the vegetable seed and crop protection divisions of the company, which have joined to form Bayer CropScience. The approximately 164,000 square foot facility on ten acres will employ 300 at full capacity. The company will also acquire an additional non-contiguous site on which to construct a greenhouse facility. The project will have an economic impact of about $127 million in output (the value of goods and services in the Sacramento Region economy on an annual basis generated through direct, indirect, and induced activities of the company.)

Bayer CropScience will use the new site to expand and accelerate the development of innovative products which will be marketed worldwide as part of integrated crop solutions through the company’s global network of field sales and technical resources. “Integrated crop solutions, with Biologics and Vegetable Seeds as key components, will give growers worldwide new tools to manage the diverse demands of the food chain while maximizing the yield and quality of their crops” added Mike Miille, Head of Business Management, Biologics at Bayer CropScience. “It is exciting that the new jobs that will be created in Greater Sacramento area through this investment and expansion will have such a wide-reaching impact.”

With annual sales of over $1.5 billion, Bayer CropScience is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies and has a well-established inventory of environmentally green products, fruit and vegetable seed products, and biological control agents available in 30 countries. It is expected that green products will increase significantly with tremendous growth opportunity in all agricultural crops as well as in the environmental science business. The West Sacramento facility will further strengthen the company’s bonds with the University of California at Davis, one of the world’s top plant science institutes. The new location will be a world class center of expertise and excellence and demonstrates the company’s continued commitment and investment in agriculture-related R&D.

“The commitment to the Sacramento Region that this investment represents by a company with the global stature of Bayer AG validates the region’s strength in agriculture, biotech, and related sciences and paves the way for more companies to follow,” said Gary L. Bradus, SACTO Board Chair.

“We’re thrilled with Bayer’s decision to locate in West Sacramento. The decision will bring new jobs, revenue, and opportunities for other businesses and industry sectors to the area,” said West Sacramento Mayor, Christopher Cabaldon. “Our staff worked closely with SACTO to put together a deal that allows Bayer AG to grow its footprint in the region.”

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care,agriculture and high-tech materials. This year the company looks back on 150 years of working to fulfill its mission “Bayer: Science For A Better Life.” Bayer CropScience, the subgroup of Bayer AG responsible for the agricultural business, is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. Bayer CropScience has a broad portfolio of products and services to control pests from home and garden to forestry applications. The company has a global workforce of 21,000 and is represented in more than 120 countries.

Bayer was represented by Ron Thomas and Bruce Hohenhaus of Cushman & Wakefield. The project enlisted the assistance of many partners at both the state and local levels. SACTO would like to especially thank Mather Kearney of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), the California Employment Training Panel, and the City of West Sacramento for their support in the effort.

Weintraub Tobin is proud to support Women In Film, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping women achieve their highest potential with the global entertainment, communications and media industries and to preserving the legacy of women in those industries.

Attorney Jessica Marlow is an executive member of the organization where she is encouraged to become an integral part of the Women In Film community by participating in events and programs and as a volunteer, a teacher, and/or a mentor.

Women In Film recently held its Women In Film Crystal + Lucy Awards in Beverly Hills. This year’s theme, Close Up, celebrated Women In Film, Los Angeles’ 40th Anniversary and took a close look at the organization’s history and accomplishments, focusing on where women are in the media industries today.

Founded in 1973, Women In Film and Women In Film Foundation provide for members an exclusive network of contacts, educational programs, scholarships, film finishing funds and grants, access to employment opportunities, mentorships, and numerous practical services in support of this mission.

Visit the Women In Film Website for more information.

SACRAMENTO / SAN FRANCISCO / LOS ANGELES –Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corporation, a business law and litigation firm, is pleased to announce that Gary L. Bradus has been elected as Chair of the Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization (SACTO) for 2013-2014.

As Chair of SACTO, Gary will head their board of directors, which is made up of a group of business and community stakeholders and decision makers from the Sacramento region. Together, the board of directors will work to fulfill SACTO’s mission to recruit and grow high-value jobs and investment for the Sacramento region and to foster regional economic prosperity.

“I am thrilled to be part of Sacramento’s growing business community over the next year,” Gary says of his new role. “Sacramento is on the cusp of becoming a world-class city as we promote sustainability and clean/green technology companies. I am grateful to be part of this global movement toward change in our region.”

Gary joined the firm in 1990 and has been a shareholder in the firm’s Corporate practice group since 1996, and was the firm’s managing partner from 2007 to 2010. His practice focuses on corporate, partnerships, LLCs, mergers and acquisitions and banking law with substantial experience in all aspects of entities from formation through operations and dissolutions. He also advises clients on intellectual property matters.

Gary was named one of the Top 25 Sacramento Super Lawyers in 2013 and one of the Top 100 Northern California Super Lawyers of 2012. He was also selected for inclusion in Northern California Super Lawyers for 2011, 2012 and 2013.

About Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin Law Corporation

Weintraub Tobin Chediak Coleman Grodin specializes in corporate transactional work, real estate transactional work and business litigation. Recognized nationally for our expertise, the firm has a strong regional presence and experience representing clients throughout California. Our clients range from national institutional entities to regional businesses and individuals with personal legal needs.

We dedicate ourselves to understanding our clients and helping them with their changing business challenges. We are equally committed to supporting the community where we work and live.

Weintraub Tobin is a proud sponsor of the Sacramento Employer Advisory Council (SEAC), a nonprofit organization that helps educate employers about relevant employment issues and related legal concerns.

SEAC partners with the Employee Development Department (EDD) to increase cooperation and communication between EDD and the private sector. SEAC also assists employers in their efforts to give back to their communities by advocating local workforce development efforts and supporting veterans’ and other employment and educationally-focused not-for-profit groups.

Weintraub Tobin shareholder Lizbeth (Beth) West has been the Chair of the SEAC Board of Directors since 2011. In this role, Beth speaks at numerous seminars and breakfast meetings on the “nuts and bolts” of labor and employment.

For more information on SEAC, visit the SEAC website.