Las Vegas business briefs

TRADE SHOW CONSPIRACY SUIT FILED AGAINST GES, AN LV FIRM -- Champion Exposition Services of Avon, Mass., said it sued GES Exposition Services of Las Vegas and ZD Events Inc. of Needham, Mass. The suit alleges ZD wrongly terminated a contract for Champion to provide general contracting services for 20 trade shows including Networld + Interop shows in Las Vegas for 1999-2003. The suit claims ZD canceled the contract after receiving economic inducements from GES; and that GES conspired with Champion to diminish competition for general contracting services for conventions and trade shows. GES has not responded to the allegations.

HOSPITALS DROPPING SIERRA HEALTH SERVICES -- Universal Health Services of Nevada, parent company to three Las Vegas hospitals, has given notice that it is terminating its contract with Sierra Health Services, a Las Vegas-based health maintenance organization. Bruce Wiggins, a regional vice president for Universal, said the company sent a 90-day termination without cause and a breach of contract cancellation letter, effective immediately, to Sierra. Wiggins said payment timeliness issues are at the core of the dispute, but he also said Sierra has a long-term agreement with Columbia-HCA hospitals ensuring that 75 percent of its customers would go to Sunrise and Mountainview hospitals. Universal operates Valley, Summerlin and Desert Spring hospitals. He added that Universal would continue to serve Sierra customers. Sierra officials could not be reached for comment this morning.

PACIFICARE TERMINATING FPA CONTRACTS -- PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. of Santa Ana, Calif., said it's terminating all contracts with FPA Medical Management Inc. after the physician-practice manager, one of the largest in the nation, failed to pay some clients' doctors. FPA shares have fallen more than 90 percent in the last six months as a result of its financial problems, including its failure to make a $2.6 million bond payment last month. About 80 percent of the PacifiCare patients being treated by FPA physicians will be able to stay with their doctors, said PacifiCare spokeswoman Susan Simon. About half the affected customers -- roughly 100,000 members -- are in California and the rest are in Arizona, Nevada and Texas, she said.

SPRINT ADDING SPECIAL LONG DISTANCE CHARGE -- Sprint Corp. residential long-distance customers will begin seeing a new line-item charge on their July phone bills that'll be used to fund a U.S. subsidy program for Internet hook-ups and low-cost local phone service. The new charges will be 4.5 percent of the customer's monthly interstate and international long-distance phone bill. Previously, Sprint assessed only business customers to help pay the subsidies.

SIIS SEEKS WORKERS' COMP CLARIFICATION -- The State Industrial Insurance System wants a Nevada judge to review an administrative decision granting an investigator with the state Taxicab Authority an injury payment for a heart attack. The SIIS claims in a request filed last week only police officers can be paid for that type injury.

LV TRIBE SAYS COURT HAS NO JURISDICTION IN DEVELOPMENT SUIT --The Paiute Indian Tribe of Las Vegas says a federal suit filed against it by Landmark Golf Limited Partnership should be dismissed because federal courts have no jurisdiction over the tribe. Landmark sued the tribe for $8 million, alleging the tribe broke an oral contract in terminating a management agreement regarding development of a golf course resort on Indian lands. The Paiutes say any dispute should be settled in tribal court.

To contact Sun Business Editor Steve Green, call 259-4083 or e-mail [email protected]

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