My favorite part of any actual or fictional trial is the cross-examination. Who can forget the climax of the cross-examination in the “Caine Mutiny” of Captain Queeg, played by Humphrey Bogart, where the question was whether he had lost control of his ship? Under the heat of the examination, Bogart/Queeg reaches into his pocket, acting palpably shaken, begins to roll marbles in his hand and demonstrates his instability in a long-winded answer. (See “Caine Mutiny Queeg on the Stand.”) Some of my favorite cinematic cross-examinations occur in “My Cousin Vinny,” in which Joe Pesci’s inexperienced Brooklyn lawyer conducts hilarious but effective examinations while defending a family member concerning a murder in a convenience store. read more
Business Litigation in Bankruptcy Court
It is hard to read the legal news these days, especially concerning entertainment, without reading about the spectacle of Relativity Media. Relativity was dubbed the “next-generation global media company” by founder Ryan Kavanaugh, a “helicopter-flying, high-living mogul.” Kavanaugh claimed to have reinvented the movie business with algorithms that minimized the risk of film slates, yet Relativity filed for bankruptcy protection on July 30, 2015, disclosing assets of $560 million but liabilities of more than $1.18 billion. (See “Relativity’s Ryan Kavanaugh Breaks Silence, Points Fingers in Emotional Post-Bankruptcy Interview (Exclusive).”) Relativity is pushing to quickly auction most of its assets. (See “Relativity Media Files Bankruptcy; Film and TV Units for Sale.”) read more
Anti-SLAPP Motions: a Powerful Tool for Media Defendants
Actor Frank Sivero sued Fox over his claim that “The Simpsons” character “Louie” was based upon Sivero’s character Frankie Carbone in “Goodfellas.” Sivero’s case was thrown out of court by a California state judge. (See “Fox Gets $250M ‘Simpsons’ Lawsuit From ‘Goodfellas’ Actor Tossed.”) No jury heard his claim. Nor was he defeated by a motion for summary judgment, a traditional pretrial motion to dismiss a claim that should be rejected if there is any triable dispute of fact for a jury to resolve. Instead, Sivero’s claim was dismissed pursuant to an “anti-SLAPP” motion, a powerful procedural device that was originally intended to benefit public interest groups, but has become the courtroom weapon of choice for media companies. read more
Case Evaluation: Critical Factors One Cannot Find in Law Books
My clients are usually entrepreneurs who founded a successful company and then find themselves dealing with their first lawsuit. In the initial intake meeting, clients are focused on explaining the facts of the case, asking what law would apply and evaluating likely results. These are fine and necessary subjects. However, I find it necessary to steer the conversation toward factors that cannot be found in law books, but which I have learned in nearly thirty years trying cases.
Clients conditioned to an “L.A. Law” view of the trial process – the popular 1980’s lawyer show in which new cases were discussed in one episode and tried in the next – want to drive right down to the courthouse be found right or wrong. read more
Clinton Emailgate: Full Disclosure Beats Suppression of Information
The controversy over the emails Hillary Clinton maintained on a personal server while Secretary of State recently obtained new legs with disclosure that fifteen emails produced by Sidney Blumenthal, a former Clinton aide, emails which included Clinton, were not produced by her. (See “State Department Says Hillary Clinton’s Email Disclosure Was Incomplete.”)
The controversy started when documents produced in connection with ongoing investigations concerning the attacks on the American embassy in Benghazi, Libya, reflected an absence of emails from any state department account for Hillary Clinton, but instead emails to and from her personal email account. After discussions between the State Department and Mrs. read more