BRIEFLY IN BUSINESS

Game developer buys entertainment company

A Newport Beach-based videogame developer announced Tuesday its acquisition of Amaze Entertainment and its studios.

Foundation 9 Entertainment’s acquisition was funded by its private equity firm Francisco Partners, based in Menlo Park.

The company thinks the deal will make it the world’s largest developer and brings its employee count to over 725 people in 11 studios throughout the country, Europe and Japan.

Details of the acquisition were not released.

Foundation 9 makes games for all ages and for various game consoles. For more information, visit www.f9e.com.

Lawyers raise money for Down Syndrome

The Orange County Trial Lawyers Assn. Held its annual awards dinner and silent auction Nov. 10, with all proceeds going to the Costa Mesa-based Down Syndrome Assn. of Orange County.

More than $25,000 was raised for the 28-year-old nonprofit at the Turnip Rose while honoring seven Top Gun Trial Lawyers of the Year. Newport Beach attorneys Jeffrey A. Milman, Mark P. Robinson Jr., Steven A. Silverstein and Daniel M. Hodes were among those honored.

Newport law firm adds to litigation team

Newport Beach-based Newmeyer & Dillon LLP announced Friday the addition of three attorneys to its litigation group.

John E. Bowerbank, Daniel R. Ryan and Laura Francine Shpiro join more than 50 others at the 22-year-old law firm.

A resident of Huntington Beach, Bowerbank litigates business, insurance, real estate and construction law. He has also specialized in trademarks and trade secrets. Most recently, Bowerbank worked as an Orange County deputy district attorney as part of the county’s Trial Attorney Partnership program.

Ryan practices construction litigation and insurance law. He received his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.

Shpiro, of Santa Monica, also litigates business and construction law, with added focuses on labor and employment law. Before joining Newmeyer & Dillon, she worked in Los Angeles helping low-income seniors.

Newport financial planner among top 1%

The president of Pence Wealth Management in Newport Beach was recognized recently as in the nation’s top 1% of financial advisors from major firms.

Laila Pence was named as one of the top 500 advisors by Barron’s magazine at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

Pence is a certified financial planner. She’s worked in the business for over 26 years and oversees about $200 million in assets.

OC Fair ready for New Year’s bash

The Orange County Fair & Exposition Center recently announced its New Year’s Eve party entertainment lineup, which includes Blondie, the Violent Femmes and The English Beat. Any fan of music of the 1980s and 90s will be excited with the musicians scheduled to play at the Orange County New Year’s Eve party Dec. 31 into Jan 1, 2007.

Scheduled to play include: Berlin, The Romantics, Tommy Tutone, Bret Michaels (of Poison), J.R. Richards (of Dishwalla), Everclear, Soul Asylum, Buckcherry, The Knack and The Tubes.

The fairgrounds will also feature local entertainers grooving on indoor stages.

The event starts at 6 p.m. Dec. 31 at the fairgrounds. Early bird ticket deals are available. For more information, visit www.ocnye.com.

New Directions names new executive

Costa Mesa-based nonprofit New Directions for Women announced Wednesday its new chief operating officer.

Audrey Carter will oversee the organization, which is a 30-bed residential drug and alcohol recovery home for single women and those with children. Most recently, she worked as program director for a similar organization in New Jersey.

New Directions focuses on helping women while not separating them from their families.

Come sing at The CampFire

The Camp shopping center in Costa Mesa will host its CampFire Music from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday. People can gather around the fire pit next to Adventure 16 and drink free espresso, cappuccinos, mochas, lattes and chai tea.

The night will feature the musical stylings of Lex Land and Danny Montoya.