The West Coast Office of the Intl. Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees has hired longtime union labor attorney Leo Geffner as West Coast counsel.

Geffner has represented IATSE for nearly 30 years as a member of the law firm of Geffner & Bush. He also repped other industry unions such as the Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild of America and Actors' Equity Assn. He will continue to represent unions and trust funds on an "of counsel" basis through an association with Geffner & Bush.

Geffner has been involved in advocating and drafting collective bargaining legislation and successfully argued a California Supreme Court case that established California public employees have a right to strike.

He was lead counsel in the 1998 case of Marquez vs. SAG, in which the court reaffirmed on a 9-0 ruling the rights of unions to collect fees from non-union members covered by collective bargaining agreements.

IATSE also has hired Geffner's assistant Christine Glover and publicist Lindajo Loftus. Glover will continue as Geffner's assistant and serve as West Coast office manager while Loftus will join the staff as an international representative.

Loftus has worked with the IATSE as its publicist since 1999. She will continue to handle PR duties as well as event coordination and legislative affairs for the West Coast.