Category Archives: Bet-the-Company Litigation

The Gripping Saga of Pre-Judgment Interest in Business Litigation

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This article, like most others covering a topic as dull as pre-judgment interest, doesn’t make for the most exciting reading. That excitement usually occurs after a business trial, during the conversation between a client and his lawyer who failed to properly consider how to handle a potential award of pre-judgment interest – the interest that accrues on an alleged obligation from a time prior to trial to the date of entry of judgment.

In a business case, it is not unusual for the disputed events to occur at least a year, if not several years, before trial. Pre-judgment interest may therefore constitute a significant portion of the award sought at trial. read more

Jay Spillane Delivers Update on Business Arbitration to ProVisors’ Valley LLP Group

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“What Business Lawyers Need to Know About Arbitration” was the topic of a December 16, 2014, lunch seminar Jay Spillane delivered to the San Fernando Valley LLP ProVisors affinity group. In the presentation, Jay suggested business lawyers take another look at the “old-school” arbitration clause lawyers have included in contracts for years: “Any disputes arising under or related to this agreement will be resolved by binding arbitration before the American Arbitration Association.” Instead, Jay urged, business lawyers should consider a host of other matters that have been litigated since that now outdated language first came into use. Those issues include the following:

• Scope of matters submitted to arbitration
• Arbitral society to adjudicate claims
• Forum and choice of law
• Single neutral or panel
• Discovery rights
• Timing and conduct of hearing
• Available remedies
• Basis for decision
• Appellate rights

For more information about best practices for business arbitration clauses,  see below:   read more

Will Juries Uncover ‘The Truth’?

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I recently read that the greatest obstacle to clear persuasive writing is for the author to forget what s/he knows, and write for the eyes of the reader, who likely has no prior knowledge about the subject.

A similar process must be undertaken when evaluating with a client how a jury is likely to see the conduct of the parties at trial.

I often have clients ask me whether, at trial, the jury or judge will see the “truth” as they know it. The clients have lived the underlying controversy. They have packed into their memories many more conversations, thoughts and writings than could ever be admitted into evidence at trial. read more

Jay Spillane Named One of 2015 ‘Best Lawyers in America’

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By Staff

Spillane Trial Group PLC announced today that Jay Spillane is listed in the 2015 edition of Best Lawyers in America. Jay was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 21st edition of the publication because of his successful commercial litigation practice, which centers on high-stakes lawsuits.

To select the nation’s best lawyers, the publication conducts peer-review surveys through which thousands of lawyers are evaluated annually. Only lawyers who meet the publication’s stringent requirements make the list. For 2015, 52,488 lawyers representing 137 different practice areas are included.

Best Lawyers is the legal profession’s oldest and most respected peer-review publication. read more

Jay Spillane Delivers Update on Anti-SLAPP Litigation to ProVisors LLP Group

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By Staff

Anti-SLAPP litigation, an overview and recent developments, was the topic of a recent lunch seminar Jay Spillane, along with Akin Gump partner Michael Small, delivered to the Los Angeles LLP ProVisors affinity group in early August. Anti-SLAPP suits are authorized by California Code of Civil Procedure Section 425.16 as a defense to a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP). The anti-SLAPP statute was enacted to counter lawsuits that “chill” the “valid exercise of the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and petition for the redress of grievances.”

SLAPP and anti-SLAPP motions are maneuvers parties employ in many bet-the-company lawsuits, and the procedures differ from typical civil cases. read more

U.S. Supreme Court’s Petrella Presages Significant Increase in Copyright Lawsuits

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Frank Petrella wrote three works, including a 1963 screenplay, about the life of boxer Jake LaMotta. Both Petrella and LaMotta assigned rights to make a motion picture based upon these works. United Artists, a division of MGM, used the rights to make the hit 1980 film “Raging Bull.” Petrella died in 1981.

A twist in the copyright law provides that under certain circumstances a deceased author’s heirs may renew copyright in the author’s work free of any assignments the author made during his lifetime.

Paula Petrella, Frank Patella’s daughter and heir, renewed the copyright in the 1963 screenplay in 1991. Beginning in 1998, Paula Petrella’s counsel wrote MGM to assert that she now owned the rights to the 1963 screenplay, which MGM needed to license from her for any continued exploitation of “Raging Bull.” read more