IN BRIEF

Boyd Gaming seeks OK to retain law firm

Boyd Gaming Corp. is seeking permission to retain a high-profile law firm to represent the company's interests in Station Casinos' bankruptcy case.

An attorney for Boyd filed a series of petitions this week asking for permission to hire out-of-state lawyers from Morrison & Foerster, an international law firm with 17 offices in seven countries.

Station Casinos filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy July 28 after reaching an impasse in negotiations with creditors on a plan to restructure the company's $5.7 billion debt.

The lawyers Boyd is seeking to hire are: San Francisco-based G. Larry Engel, a partner in the firm who focuses on bankruptcy and restructuring; New York-based partner Larren Nashelsky who specializes in finance and bankruptcy; New York-based partner Brett Miller who specializes in representation of secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy cases; and San Francisco-based firm associate Vincent Novak.

Locally, Boyd is being represented by bankruptcy lawyer Robert Kinas from Snell & Wilmer.

Insurance company will hold job fair

Liberty National Life Insurance Co., a subsidiary of McKinney, Texas-based Torchmark Corp., will hold a job fair on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

In a statement, the company said it will hold interviews at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Hampton Inn Southwest Event Center, 4975 Dean Martin Drive. Liberty National said it seeks to appoint more than 50 sales agents and sales managers initially, and may add more in the future.

Visit www.lnlcareers.com or call 733-0922 for information.

Exhibitors sought for county business event

Clark County seeks exhibitors for its annual Business Opportunity Day, coming Sept. 17.

In a statement, the county said the event, which will run 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Dr. William U. Pearson Community Center, 1625 W. Carey Ave., will bring together goods-and-services selling businesses and government and private-sector purchasing agents.

Past exhibitors have included general contractors, architects, engineers, janitorial services/supply companies, playground equipment suppliers, couriers, printers, auto detailers, sign makers and alarm-system companies, among others. Attendees have included buyers from local government agencies and private companies such as hotel-casinos.

Registering soon will ensure inclusion in an exhibitor directory.

Call Nita Lopez at (702) 455-3138 for information.

Seminar will discuss working with county

Clark County will hold a free seminar for business professionals interested in doing business with the county from 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday in the Organizational Development Center, Training Room 3, on the first floor of the Clark County Government Center at 500 Grand Central Parkway.

In a statement, the county said presentations will be aimed at professional service providers such as architects, engineers and people in the advertising, medical or financial services fields.

Preregistration is encouraged. Call Nita Lopez at 455-3138 for information.

Brandywine will book bets on new league

At least one sports book operator said he will post lines on the fledgling United Football League when play begins Oct. 8.

Joe Asher, president of Brandywine Bookmaking, which operates 11 sports books under the Lucky's brand in Nevada, said a betting line will be available when the Las Vegas Locomotives host the California Redwoods at Sam Boyd Stadium in the upstart league's inaugural game.

Asher said he was happy to read the comments of UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue, who said the new league, unlike the National Football League, would welcome gambling on its games.

Since the four-team league's rosters are still being set, it's unclear, Asher said, when the first UFL line will be posted.

Lucky's operates the sports books at the Plaza, Terrible's and the three Primm casinos in Clark County. Asher expects to add a 12th location, the Pioneer in Laughlin, in time for football season.

NEW YORK

Carmakers move slowly to increase production

The nation's automakers are taking small, tentative steps to raise production to meet the revived demand for new cars and trucks sparked by Cash for Clunkers.

Carmakers are offering overtime or Saturday shifts at slack plants, but aren't willing to go as far as opening shuttered factories, concerned that demand may ebb when the program ends.

It typically takes a month for factories to ramp up for a full-fledged sales revival, and automakers worry current levels of demand won't last that long.

Sales are usually dry in the early fall anyway, when the next model-year's vehicles hit dealer lots and summer clearance sales end.

"It's like dating versus getting married," said Jeremy Anwyl, CEO of the auto Web site Edmunds.com. "Overtime you can do for a while and then stop, but opening a plant is a much more serious commitment."

PORTLAND, Ore.

Impairment charges hurt Sara Lee results

Sara Lee Corp. narrowed its loss in the fiscal fourth quarter.

Sara Lee reported a loss of $14 million, or a loss of 2 cents per share for the quarter, compared with a loss of $672 million, or 95 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding impairment charges of $207 million at its Spanish bakery business and $61 million in other charges, earnings per share were 29 cents.

Analysts, who usually exclude one-time items, expected the Downers Grove, Ill.-based company to earn 24 cents per share and revenue of $3.27 billion.

JetBlue offers $599 unlimited-travel pass

JetBlue Airways Corp., working to keep planes full after the peak U.S. summer travel season ends, is offering a $599 travel pass that lets passengers take unlimited flights for a month.

The program covers all 56 JetBlue cities and runs from Sept. 8 to Oct. 8 with no blackout dates, the New York-based carrier said Wednesday in a statement.

JetBlue's network includes the U.S. and leisure destinations in Mexico, Costa Rica and the Caribbean.

JetBlue's promotion is a seasonal variation of the AAirpass sold by AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, the world's second- biggest carrier. The AAirpass provides 25,000 miles of travel to be flown within a year for $11,250, said Tim Smith, a spokesman for the Fort Worth, Texas-based airline.