It is presumed our obsession with celebrities translates into an advantage for them in the courtroom. Not necessarily. We have seen cases where their public persona has served as unwanted baggage. And we have also seen jurors vote against a celebrity even after admitting to being a big fan of theirs during voir dire.
As in every case, it is important to develop a persuasive narrative, work with witnesses – both high-profile and those less public – and identify and eliminate the most problematic jurors. We are well-equipped to assist with these tasks. Our work has involved musicians, athletes, producers, estates, agencies, broadcast and media groups, in disputes ranging from copyright to contract, royalties, idea submissions, employment, and defamation.
Below are highlights of our experience:
- A dispute involving a rock band and a video game publisher over allegations of improper use of their image
- A video game publisher’s trade secret lawsuit against a competitor and two developers, including a countersuit over royalties
- A sports radio personality’s lawsuit against a media company for age discrimination and wrongful termination
- A copyright suit brought by the estate of an R&B musician against and two musicians over a hit song
- A performer’s idea submissions lawsuit against a production company involving a popular reality/competition show
- A dispute over the unauthorized use of a celebrity chef in advertisements for an oven manufacturer
- An employment/contract dispute over the development of a popular podcast
- A lawsuit brought by a model/actor against a retail chain for the use of their image beyond the contract terms
- A lawsuit over rights to produce a remake of a popular detective show on television