Dave Lory's Worldwide Entertainment Group (WEG) made a series of executive appointments this week, representing the senior management team.
David Leach has been named president/COO and will have overall responsibility for the day-to-day company operations. With more than 25 years of industry experience, Leach has held executive positions at Mercury Records Group, Island Def Jam Music Group and Edel North America.
Maria Aronis joins WEG as vice president of artist development. Previously, she was national director of promotion for Edel Entertainment. Before joining Edel, Aronis was at Mercury and Island Def Jam.
Patrick Panzarella, based in Los Angeles has been named co-president of corporate development and strategic planning. He brings with him a diverse portfolio of successes in business development, acquisitions and capital financing. Panzarella was previously a partner and co-chairman of the board of Sheridan Square Entertainment, where he secured the capital to finance Danny Goldberg's new label, Artemis Records.
The Firm Inks Rage/Cornell Project
The Rage 
Against the Machine/Chris Cornell project signed with The Firm's Jeff Kwatinetz for management. The new group's name is still undecided. Rage was previously signed to Q Prime; Cornell was managed by Rebel Waltz.
Destiny's Child Settles Lawsuits
HOUSTON (AP) — Two former members of the R&B group Destiny's Child have settled their lawsuits against the group's current members, its manager and Sony Music.
Terms of the settlement, announced Wednesday, were not disclosed.
LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson were original members who quit the group in 2000. They later sued lead singer Beyonce Knowles, her father and group manager Mathew Knowles, original member Kelly Rowland and Sony Music for breach of contract, defamation, libel and fraud.
Luckett and Roberson left over unhappiness with Mathew Knowles' control after their original manager died in 1997. Farrah Franklin and Michelle Williams replaced the pair; Franklin dropped out months later and the group has since performed as a trio.
But hard 
feelings arose this year over the 2001 single "Survivor." It includes the lines: "You thought that I'd be stressed without you/ But I'm chillin'/ You thought I wouldn't sell without you/ Sold 9 million."
Luckett and Roberson contended the song was a violation of a previous settlement with Beyonce Knowles and Rowland which precluded either party from making any disparaging public comments.
Beyonce Knowles, who co-wrote "Survivor" said the song was about everybody who ever discouraged the group.
"I've had people from school who said we weren't going to make it. We had a label that dropped us," she said about the group formed in Houston when she was eight. "For me, I have no problems with anybody. … I was 17 when (they left). It was a long time ago … It's silly."
Luckett and Roberson had sought unspecified damages. Their attorney, Warren M. Fitzgerald Jr., said that the lawsuits were resolved amicably. and his clients were pleased with the negotiated outcome.
"They are happy at this point to put it all behind them," Fitzgerald said. "They do feel vindicated by the course of action they took."
Thomas Fulkerson, who represented Beyonce Knowles, declined to comment and Sony Music could not immediately be reached for comment.
