Prosecutor Splits Former Fleishman-Hillard Staff

A former Fleishman-Hillard executive, Steven Sugerman, will plead guilty to participating in a plan to overbill the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Sugerman, who now runs the Sugerman Communications Group, has also agreed to testify against his former F-H boss, Douglas R. Dowie, who has entered a not guilty plea. Dowie is also suing F-H for wrongful dismissal. In April 2005 F-H acknowledged overbilling the city of Los Angeles and agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle its lawsuit.