Entertainment & Sports Law

Missing Millionaire’s Plane Found After Hiker Seeks Lawyer’s Help

After a California hiker found identification and $1,000 in cash in a remote area on Monday, he asked an attorney for help. The name “Fossett” on the ID meant nothing to his client, Preston Morrow, says attorney David Baumwohl. But it rang a bell with some of his friends and…

Oct 2, 2008 4:18 PM CDT

Struggling Ed McMahon Sued Again, Raps to Raise Moola

Another creditor has filed suit against Ed McMahon, claiming that the aging entertainer and his wife haven’t repaid a $100,000 loan. The lawsuit was filed by the Griffin Group, a management company associated with the late entertainer Merv Griffin, in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this month, reports E! Online.…

Sep 30, 2008 8:10 PM CDT

Add Ticket Spats to Sign Dispute Sparked By Chicago Cubs’ Success

As fans of the Chicago Cubs eagerly await the playoffs and the team’s possible participation in baseball’s World Series, the situation is testing once-amicable sharing arrangements among groups of season-ticket holders. A lawsuit was filed yesterday in Illinois state court by two business partners who claim an 84-year-old fan reneged…

Sep 26, 2008 5:50 PM CDT

RIP: Gerald Margolis, Counsel to Rolling Stones, Robin Williams

Entertainment lawyer and avid surfer Gerald A. Margolis, whose high-profile clients included the Rolling Stones, R. Kelly and Robin Williams, died Sept. 15 at age 65. Margolis was diagnosed six years ago with progressive muscular atrophy and died of complications relating to pneumonia, the Los Angeles Times reports. Margolis was…

Sep 26, 2008 11:12 AM CDT

Judge Gives Green Light to Some of Dan Rather’s Claims Against CBS

Former CBS news anchor Dan Rather can proceed with a claim that his ex-employer breached its contract with him and damaged his reputation by firing him after a controversial 60 Minutes weeknight edition report in 2004 about President George W. Bush’s service in the Texas Air National Guard. But a…

Sep 23, 2008 8:50 PM CDT

‘Borat’ Filmmakers Win Legal Battle

The makers of Borat didn’t deceive a driving instructor and two etiquette teachers into appearing in the goofy comedy, a federal judge in New York has ruled. Because the three signed a release agreeing to appear in a “documentary-style” film and accepted compensation, they have no cause for complaint about…

Sep 10, 2008 6:01 PM CDT

Attorney and PI Convicted in Celebrity Wiretapping Case

A well-known California lawyer was convicted today in a federal wiretapping conspiracy case, due to his legal work for a billionaire client. Terry Christensen conspired with private investigator Anthony Pellicano to wiretap billionaire Kirk Kerkorian’s ex-wife during a bitter child custody dispute, a federal jury in downtown Los Angeles found.…

Aug 29, 2008 8:30 PM CDT

Court Battle Likely Over LPGA’s New English-Fluency Rule

In a decision that is already creating controversy, the LPGA announced this week that the tour would require players to speak English, starting in 2009. The new rule brings to the fore a developing body of case law concerning English-only workplace rules, reports Sports Illustrated. And, according to attorney Steven…

Aug 27, 2008 7:54 PM CDT

Jackson Browne Sues John McCain Over Song Use in Campaign Advertising

People may need a reason to believe in Republican John McCain as the country’s next president, but singer, songwriter and liberal activist Jackson Browne doesn’t want it to be his signature late 1970s song “Running on Empty.” Browne has sued the presumptive Republican nominee, along with the Ohio Republican Party,…

Aug 14, 2008 10:42 PM CDT

Tim Burton Wins Palimony Suit After Agreeing to Pay Ex $5.5M

On the eve of a scheduled trial next week, a California appeals court has thrown out a palimony suit against director Tim Burton by his former girlfriend, actress Lisa Marie. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge had ruled last month that the actress was entitled to a trial on her…

Aug 8, 2008 5:52 PM CDT

Legal Skills Put ‘Frozen River’ on Screen at Sundance

Earning degrees at Northeastern University School of Law might have been expected to put Donald Hartwood and Courtney Hunt on a fast track to successful legal careers. It did, at least for Hartwood, but it also led to a marriage between the two and now, some 25 years after their…

Aug 7, 2008 9:54 PM CDT

New NFL Conduct Code for Fans

Football fans who misbehave can expect to be ejected from National Football League games under a new code of conduct announced today that applies both at the stadiums of the NFL’s 32 clubs and in their parking lots. The new code prohibits, among other bad behavior, “unruly, disruptive, or illegal”…

Aug 5, 2008 9:31 PM CDT

August 2, 1921

Baseball’s ‘Black Sox’ Acquitted

Aug 1, 2008 8:48 PM CDT

Victims or Whiners? L.A. Celebrities Seek Protection Against Paparazzi

Complaining that they are being besieged by the tabloid photographers, celebrities met with Los Angeles officials yesterday to seek protection from further harassment. “But Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton criticized many of the ideas as unenforceable, and one head of a photo agency characterized some of the celebrities as…

Aug 1, 2008 4:05 PM CDT

U.S. Lawyers Go for the Gold!

See related story “Best Be Behavin’ in Beijing.” Kelly Crabb made his first Olympics at the 2002 Salt Lake City winter games. Now he’s a member of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics team. And though he has no shot at making Vancouver in 2010, he’s pushing to be a part…

Aug 1, 2008 1:00 PM CDT