Celebrities

BigLaw Firms Say Anna Nicole Smith Ruling Nixes Bankruptcy Jurisdiction in Heller Clawback Case

Unlikely though it might seem, a deceased celebrity and former stripper known for her marriage to a very elderly, and very wealthy, Texas oil tycoon is at the center of an ongoing dispute concerning the dissolution of Heller Ehrman. Lawyers for the major law firms at which Heller Ehrman’s former…

Oct 3, 2011 11:55 PM CDT

LA Judge Lectures Lawyers in Somewhat ‘Shambolic’ Manslaughter Trial of Michael Jackson’s Doc

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge took lawyers for both sides to task yesterday in the high-profile involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson’s former personal physician. Judge Michael Pastor was unhappy that the attorneys had been late in the morning and at their snippy remarks to each other, reports Sky…

Sep 30, 2011 10:11 AM CDT

Free CLE Course on Elvis Presley Law Is ‘Bait and Switch’ to Get Lawyers to Listen to Pro Bono Pitch

A legal aid group in Tennessee is trying a clever and unusual tactic to drum up an audience of attorneys to listen to a pro bono pitch: Elvis Presley. Legal Aid of East Tennessee will be offering a free continuing legal education course on Tuesday on Elvis Law. The state…

Sep 29, 2011 3:35 PM CDT

Did $150K-a-Month Doc Administer Drug that Caused Michael Jackson’s Death?

As Michael Jackson’s personal physician went on trial in Los Angeles this week for involuntary manslaughter in the pop icon’s death from a drug overdose, observers around the globe suddenly knew a lot more about him. A photo, apparently of Jackson lying dead on a hospital gurney, and a recording…

Sep 28, 2011 8:59 PM CDT

Is NU Law Grad Jerry Springer at a Career Crossroads?

A Northwestern University law graduate with a nontraditional career and a private jet has reached a point in life at which many might opt to slow down. But Jerry Springer is still going strong at 67, in his 20th year of hosting a lowbrow talk show that he himself describes…

Sep 27, 2011 8:30 PM CDT

Charlie Sheen Settles Suit over His Firing from ‘Two and a Half Men’

Charlie Sheen has settled his $100 million suit against Warner Bros. Television and producer Chuck Lorre for his firing from the hit TV show Two and a Half Men. The amount of the settlement was confidential, report Bloomberg News and the Associated Press. Sheen had claimed breach of contract and…

Sep 27, 2011 2:53 PM CDT

Drug Court Group Blasts New ‘Last Shot with Judge Gunn’ Reality TV Program

A trade group is blasting a new reality television program set to premiere in national syndication Monday on Fox. The program Last Shot With Judge Gunn, which is distributed by Trifecta Entertainment, is misleading and potentially detrimental to real drug courts, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals contends in…

Sep 23, 2011 9:37 PM CDT

John Grisham on Grappling with Race, the Death Penalty; and Lawyers ‘Polluting Their Own Profession’

John Grisham isn’t certain what’s happened to the image of lawyers in the five decades since To Kill A Mockingbird was published. But he’s fairly sure that his readers might not want to read about a lawyer who closely resembles the book’s iconic hero, Atticus Finch. “Here’s the truth,” says…

Sep 23, 2011 12:04 AM CDT

Poker Site Ponzi Scheme Paid $440M to Board, Celebrity Players, Other Owners, Feds Say in Suit

In a stunning follow-up to an earlier civil forfeiture and money-laundering complaint unsealed in April, federal prosecutors today accused owners and operators of the Full Tilt Poker website of running a massive Ponzi scheme. As board members and owners, including star celebrity players Christopher Ferguson and Howard Lederer, allegedly pocketed…

Sep 20, 2011 7:30 PM CDT

Will Warner Bros. Pay Charlie Sheen $25M to Settle Suit Over Firing Him from Hit Show?

A Warner Bros. spokesman denies it. But the Company Town blog of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that the studio is close to agreeing to pay $25 million to actor Charlie Sheen to settle his lawsuit over being fired from his leading role in the hit show Two and…

Sep 20, 2011 12:31 AM CDT

Jury Awards Zip in $3M Case Brought By Ex-NBA Star and Attorney Asked to Give Up Seats at Bar

A former basketball star and an attorney, both black, sought $3 million in damages over allegedly discriminatory practices at a popular Atlanta tavern, contending that they were forced to give up their seats for white women for an improper purpose. But a federal jury in Atlanta wasn’t convinced, deliberating only…

Sep 16, 2011 10:50 PM CDT

Judge Tosses Suit by DC Lawyer Claiming to Be LeBron James’ Father

A federal judge has dismissed a $4 million lawsuit by a Washington, D.C., lawyer claiming to be LeBron James’ father. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly cited several problems with the suit by Leicester Bryce Stovell, including a failure to show any actual damages, according to The BLT: The Blog of…

Sep 15, 2011 12:09 PM CDT

Court Tosses ‘Bruno’ Suit by Woman Who Fainted and Suffered Brain Bleed After Bingo Scolding

A California appeals court has ruled for NBC Universal and actor Sacha Baron Cohen in a suit by a woman who fainted and suffered a brain bleed after a confrontation with the actor during the filming of Bruno. The appeals court affirmed a trial court order tossing the suit and…

Sep 14, 2011 1:22 PM CDT

Retirement Offers US Supreme Court Justice Souter a Chance to Read and Meet Meryl Streep

Retirement has allowed former U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter a long-awaited chance to catch up on his reading in between stints on the Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals bench. But he had to move to another home in New Hampshire instead of returning to his longtime abode,…

Sep 12, 2011 9:25 PM CDT

Donald Trump Can’t Sue over Claims He’s Not a Billionaire, NJ Appeals Court Rules

Donald Trump has lost a defamation lawsuit he filed over claims that he’s not a billionaire. A New Jersey appeals court ruled (PDF) on Wednesday that Trump can’t sue because he is a public figure and he had not shown actual malice by author Timothy O’Brien, the New Jersey Law…

Sep 8, 2011 1:03 PM CDT