Super Bowl Seating Battle Not Over Yet: Ticket Holders Appeal

Despite their win that awarded $75,000 in March, Super Bowl XLV ticket holders are appealing the trial court decision. In a court document filed on August 21 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the ticket holders are asking the appeals court to overturn the district judge’s pretrial rulings.

The ticket-holder appellants claim that the district court judge erred in denying class certification to those who were completely deprived of their seats and others who were relocated to seats with obstructed views.…

August 25, 2015 Litigation

Jordan Awarded $8.9 Million in Advertising Dispute

On Friday, August 21, the six year legal battle between Michael Jordan and now-defunct Chicago-area supermarket, Dominick’s, has finally ended with Jordan securing yet another victory.

A federal court jury in Chicago returned a verdict in Jordan’s favor, awarding him $8.9 million for the unauthorized use of his brand. The litigation, lasting six years, stemmed from an ad run in the 2009 commemorative Sports Illustrated magazine, celebrating Jordan’s induction into the hall of fame. The advertisement included a congratulatory statement to Jordan in addition to …

August 21, 2015 Celebrities / Litigation

Doherty Sues Management Team Over Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Former “Beverly Hills 90210” star, Shannen Doherty, revealed Wednesday that she has breast cancer and filed a lawsuit against her old business management team for allowing her health insurance to lapse.

The lawsuit alleges that her former business managers, Tanner Mainstain Glynn & Johnson LLP, failed to perform critical tasks under their agreement including paying her health insurance premium for 2014. It was not until after the firm terminated their relationship in February of 2014 that Doherty learned her insurance policy with the Screen Actors …

August 12, 2015 Litigation / NBA

The First Domino: Donald Sterling Files Suit Over 2014 Release of Audio Recordings

The saga of former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling took another turn on Friday when he filed a lawsuit against TMZ Productions Inc. and V. Stiviano, his former mistress.

The lawsuit arises out of recordings taken by Stiviano of conversations between she and Sterling in which Sterling made a number of racist comments. One such comment involved him rebuking Stiviano for posing in a photograph with former NBA star Magic Johnson. The conversations occurred in September 2013, and were released in April 2014. Sterling …

August 8, 2015 Litigation

It Ain’t Easy Being Yellow: ‘Goodfellas’ Actor Loses Likeness Suit Over ‘Simpsons’ Mafioso Character Louie

On Thursday, August 7, the Los Angeles Superior Court ruled in favor of Fox Television Studios, Inc. with regards to a likeness suit brought by “Goodfellas” actor Frank Sivero. Sivero brought the suit back in October 2014, alleging that the TV show “The Simpsons” infringed his right of publicity with its character Louie.

Sivero had claimed that he created his “Goodfellas” character in 1989, during which time he shared an apartment complex with the writers of “The Simpsons.” He argued that after he told them …

July 30, 2015 Litigation / NCAA

An Uphill Battle: NCAA Embroiled In Federal Litigation On Multiple Fronts

The NCAA is under fire, defending cases in both the Northern District of California and the Ninth Circuit.

The California proceedings are now focused on attorneys’ fees – specifically, whether or not the NCAA has to pay them. Earlier this month, U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins, in an opinion that referenced the popular television series “Game of Thrones,” awarded Plaintiff Ed O’Bannon $46 million in attorneys’ fees. The NCAA opposed the award, claiming that O’Bannon’s legal team – which is comprised of over 30 …

July 30, 2015 Litigation / NFL

Home Field Advantage: Minnesota Judge Sends Brady’s Suit to New York Court

On Thursday, July 30, a Minnesota federal judge ordered the NFL Players Association’s lawsuit on behalf of Tom Brady back to New York. The NFLPA brought this suit against the NFL in an attempt to vacate the four-game suspension that was upheld upon appeal on Tuesday.

Immediately after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld the suspension, the league asked a federal judge in Manhattan to affirm the decision. Because the NFL took advantage of this “first-to-file” rule, the Minnesota judge ordered the transfer back to …

July 30, 2015 Celebrities / Litigation

Grocer Calls Foul, Argues for Sanctions Against Michael Jordan

On Monday, July 27, Jewel Food Stores Inc. told an Illinois federal judge that Michael Jordan and his attorneys should be sanctioned in his right of publicity suit. The lawsuit arose when Jordan accused the grocery chain of using his likeness without his permission in an ad featured in Sports Illustrated, and according to Jewel, Jordan has violated the court’s order to stop repeatedly asking for judgment.

In its response brief, Jewel argued that Jordan’s opposition to proposed jury instructions violates a court order that …

Gaining Momentum: Opposition in Redskins Lawsuit Enter Into Similar ‘Slants’ Case

On Friday, July 24, Amanda Blackhorse and the other Native Americans challenging the Washington Redskins over the team’s trademark registrations jumped into a parallel case in the Federal Circuit. The other case involves The Slants, a band that was refused a trademark in 2013 due to the name being offensive to Asian-Americans, and the en banc Federal Circuit’s decision could weigh heavily in the challengers’ case against the football team.

The Slants are currently arguing that the government’s ban on disparaging trademarks violates the First …

July 24, 2015 Litigation / NFL

Interference: NFL Sued After Cancellation of Fantasy Football Event

Another day another lawsuit. Fan Expo LLC, a company with ties to Cowboys Quarterback Tony Romo, filed a suit in Dallas on Monday against the NFL after it allegedly interfered with a National Fantasy Football Convention that was supposed to take place earlier this month.

Initially scheduled for July 10-12, the convention was planned to take place in The Venetian and feature NFL players including Tony Romo, Dez Bryant, Rob Gronkowski, Odell Beckham Jr., as well as a number of others. The lawsuit alleges …