The Benefiting Organization:
The Long Beach Grand Cru is an international wine competition and culinary experience created and hosted by the Long Beach office of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) to raise funds in support of programs and services for low-income citizens who meet Federal poverty guidelines. Legal Aid is committed to promoting access to justice, strengthening communities and effecting systemic change through representation, advocacy and community education. LAFLA helps its clients escape domestic violence, avoid homelessness, obtain food and health care for themselves and their children, and move from welfare to work. LAFLA changes entire communities by helping to develop desperately needed jobs, affordable housing units, child care, youth services and other support systems in disadvantaged neighborhoods. In CY 2006, LAFLA advocates helped more than 14,000 clients and aided nearly 55,000 more through outreach programs -- men, women and children whose disadvantaged circumstances made them vulnerable to fraud, abuse, neglect and bureaucratic error. In January, 2001, the Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach merged with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.


The Long Beach Grand Cru:
The Legal Aid Foundation of Long Beach created a modest wine tasting benefit in 1988. In 1994, the Foundation's Board of Directors recommended a major shift in the development of the event and, in 1995, the Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition and Awards & Tasting fundraising benefit had its debut. The Competition continues to grow in size and prestige attracting wineries from around the world. It has gone from a one-day competition to two days. Medals are awarded in the following categories: Sweepstakes, Best of Class, Gold, Silver and Bronze. (Please visit our entries page) to view the medal winners list.) The wine tasting and culinary event attracted 1,400 guests. These companion events were conceived to increase awareness and raise funds to support the Foundation's legal services and education programs. The Long Beach Grand Cru Competition has made its mark as one of the fastest growing professionally judged wine competitions on the West Coast.

The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles wishes to extend its sincere appreciation for the dedication, guidance and hard work provided by members of the Long Beach Grand Cru Board of Directors, as follows:

Roni Gould - Ensemble Real Estate Services, LLC - Chair
Robert Jystad, Esq. -Channel Law Group, LLC– Co-Vice Chair
Kjell Karlsen – Sea Launch Company, LLC – Co-Vice Chair
Susan Laputz - Windes & McClaughry - Secretary
Ludmila Montoya - Founder & Executive Producer
Dan Berger - Chief Judge, Competition

John L. Babala, Esq. – Dreier Stein Kahan Browne Woods
Jane Benson - Moss Adams, LLP
Tania Dao – Counsel, T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Elliott J. Dixon, Esq. - Law Office of Elliott J. Dixon
Jeffrey DuChateau - Bantry Holdings
Marilyn S. Green, Esq. - Cantrell, Green, Pekich, Cruz & McCort
Juliana Guerriero, Esq. - Cantrell Green Pekich Cruz & McCort
Wallace Hammons, Esq. - Hammons Baldino, LLP
Jim Hogan - Carrara Marble Company of America
George Jones, Esq. - Weiss and Jones
Scott Lazarus - Office Furniture Group
Jeff Leonard - ABM Janitorial Services
Janice Maize, Tuebner Maize Group, Smith Barney
James M. McAdams, Esq. - Pierry & McAdams, LLP
Michael J. Peters - UBS
Julian K. Quattlebaum III, Esq. - Channel Law Group, LLC
James Roberts, Esq. – Polymer Global Holdings
Dave Sakamoto - Union Bank of California
Thomas G. Stolpman, Esq. - Stolpman, Krissman, Elber & Silver
Susan Oliver Werner - Addington Confections
Silvia Zada - First Bank

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
Mario Salgado. - Executive Director
Toby Rothschild – General Counsel

Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles Board of Directors

Officers:

President
Glen D. Pomerantz, Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP

Vice President
Harriet S. Posner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Secretary
Neil B. Martin, City National Bank

Treasurer
Paul B. Salvaty, O’Melveny & Myers LLP

Members:

Karen J. Adelseck, Long Beach Senior Latino Club
Chris M. Amantea, Esq., McDermott Will & Emery LLP
John W. Amberg, Esq. (Public Member), Bryan Cave LLP
Alexander Auerbach, Public Member
Terry B. Bates, Esq., Reed Smith LLP
Gary Blasi, Esq., UCLA School of Law
Elliott Brown, Esq., Irell & Manella LLP
Abdel Budri , Client Member
Carl J. Busch, Esq., Northrop Grumman Corporation Integrated Systems
Claudia Calderon , Project Return Peer Support Network
Robert S. Chapman, Esq., Greenberg Glusker LLP
Alan B. Clark, Esq., Latham & Watkins LLP
Guillermo Cruz, Mental Health Advocacy Services
Peggy M. Cummings, Los Angeles Community Action Network
Kevin Dorse, Esq., Theodora Oringher Miller & Richman PC
D. Barclay Edmundson, Esq., Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Stephen R. English Esq., English Munger & Rice LLP
Debra L. Fischer, Esq., Bingham McCutchen LLP
James P. Fogelman, Esq., Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Richard Hackenberger, U.S. VETS – Long Beach Villages at Cabrillo
Mamie C. Henry, LA Voice -PICO
Helen Hinkson, Protection & Advocacy, Inc.
James E. Hornstein, Esq., Moldex Metric Inc.
Martha Ofelia Jimenez, ELA Advisory Council
Robert L. Kahan, Esq., Dreier Stein & Kahan LLP
James M. Lichtman, NBC Universal Television Group
Victoria M. Lopez, Central American Resource Center/CARECEN
Lisa L. Maki, Esq., Law Offices of Lisa L. Maki
James M. McAdams, Esq., Pierry & McAfdams LLP
David R. McDowell, Esq., Morrison & Foerster LLP
Lillian Mobley, South Central Advisory Council
Mary H. Neal, Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
Amelia Nieto, Centro Shalom
R. Alexander Pilmer, Esq., Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Kent R. Raygor, Esq., Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
Eduardo Ruiz, MALDEF
L. Michael Russell, Esq., Attorney at Law
Robert A. Sacks, Esq., Sullivan & Cromwell
Marc M. Seltzer, Esq., Susman Godfrey LLP
Susan Soltero, Children’s Bureau
Martin T. Tachiki, Esq., Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office
Geoffrey L. Thomas, Esq., Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP
Maria Torres, Inquilinos Unidos
Cornell Trotter, Centro Shalom
Ronald B. Turovsky, Esq., Manatt Phelps & Philips,LLP
Rita L. Tuzon, Esq., Fox Cable Networks
John C. Ulin, Esq., Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe LLP
Angela Watson, FAME
Susan E. Anderson Wise, Esq., Long Beach Bar Association
Ronald E. Wood, Esq., Proskauer Rose LLP

Volunteer Steering Committee
Jeani Adams
Cynthia Callaghan
Pat Ellington
Valentina Ernest
Arlene Fillius
Ken Hastings
Rosie Jo
Peter Holman
Scott Jordan
Steve McAllister
Rita Michener
Gayle Montgomery
Greg Montgomery
Ludmila Montoya
Tom Noad
Rebecca Nunez
Joyce Perkal
Dodie Reddington
Daniella Ruiz
Erik Siering
Charlene Warner
Sharon Weissman

Additional thanks go to this year's Volunteers: [click here].