business

It never looks good when your lawyer departs in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings.

Tim Thornton of Briggs & Morgan, bankruptcy attorney for shrinking car dealer Denny Hecker, said last week that he withdrew from the Chrysler case. Thornton, who added that he remains Hecker's friend and lawyer on some matters, also is withdrawing from a number of other lawsuits in which Briggs & Morgan represents Hecker.

Chrysler's credit arm won a $476.9 million judgment against embattled and apparently over-leveraged Hecker, who got caught in the economic slowdown when Chrysler, one of his biggest creditors, quit backing him and called the loans. Legal observers speculated that Hecker will be unable to pay Briggs & Morgan's tab.

Meanwhile, bankruptcy Judge Dennis O'Brien last week awarded fees of $115,480 to Kaplan, Strangis and Kaplan, Hecker's business law firm. However, O'Brien denied payment to the firm for related expenses.

Ultralingua Inc., a Minneapolis company that specializes in dictionary software, has joined with Simon & Schuster to develop an electronic version of the publisher's popular Klingon Dictionary, the Conversational Klingon tutorial and a Travelers Phrase Book for earthlings planning to visit the fictional world of Kronos, home of the Klingons. This could be marketing genius with the scheduled release this Friday of the latest Star Trek movie.

Ultralingua is a 12-year-old developer of multilingual dictionary and phrase books formed by two professors from Carleton College in Northfield: computer science professor Jeff Ondich and French professor Scott Carpenter.

Patricia Comeford, a once-unhappy lawyer who quit and built a lucrative attorney-placement business, has long advised out-of-work friends and others. Comeford started a career-consulting business after selling her Esquire Group in 2007 for an unspecified bundle.

In honor of President Obama's first 100 days in office and his call for those of means to reach out to the ranks of the unemployed and disadvantaged, Comeford has started spending an hour a day on Twitter answering specific resume and job search questions.

She also is giving away 100 copies of her book, "Lessons from a Headhunter ... with a heart," to the first people who contact her at www.yourneverstuck.com.

"I've been blessed beyond my wildest dreams," Comeford said last week. "The president's call to service was the timely nudge for me to do more by sharing 'the tricks of the recruiting industry trade' and help people get back to work.

"In a good economy, looking for work is a very lonely place. In today's economy it's causing outright despair."

The Minnesota Keystone Program recognizes and honors companies that donate at least 2 percent of pre-tax earnings to the community.

More than 30 years ago, 23 Minnesota companies created "The 5 Percent Club" to recognize and encourage charitable giving among companies and business people.

In December, more than 500 people are expected to attend the Minnesota Keystone Program event, which will recognize dozens of Twin Cities firms.

On Wednesday at 7:30 a.m., Lynn Casey, CEO of Padilla Speer Beardsley, will host a networking coffee at the firm's West River Parkway offices to explain the program, the benefits and related opportunities.

More information on the Wednesday networking event and the program are at: www. minneapolischamber.org.

NEAL ST. ANTHONY, DAVID PHELPS