Does Disney Discriminate Against the Elderly?

On June 10, Kevin Brady, a 26-year veteran story writer for Walt Disney Pictures, filed suit against the studio alleging age discrimination. Brady further alleges that Disney has a “history and pattern of terminating long-term employees and replacing them with younger employees who have less experience at the company.”

Brady was hired as a full-time employee in 1988, and received several promotions over the following decades, culminating in his promotion to head of the story department in 2005. Brady says he consistently received excellent performance …

April 23, 2014 Litigation / MLB

Former Baltimore Orioles Star sues Seminole Tribe for $10M Over Casino Slip and Fall

Two years ago retired MLB Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson fell off of a stage during a charity event at the Hard Rock Casino in Southern Florida. Now, Robinson is suing the casino’s owner – the Seminole Tribe – for almost $10 million in damages as a result of the plunge.

Allegedly, Robinson’s tumble occurred after the star attempted to stand using the wall behind his chair for support. However, the “wall” was actually a curtain with no railing or other support behind it. Robinson …

April 15, 2014 Litigation

Cheaters Never Win? Borgata Sues Poker Pro Ivey for Alleging Edging His Way to $9.6M

The Atlantic City-based Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa is suing professional poker player Phil Ivey for allegedly cheating his way to over $9 million dollars in gambling earnings. In brief, the Borgata accuses Ivey of noticing defects in the cards and using those observations to give him an advantage over the casino in a baccarat session back in 2009.

The lawsuit states that Ivey used a technique known as “edge sorting” to cheat the house out of millions. Allegedly, once Ivey and his co-conspirator Cheng …

April 3, 2014 Contract / Litigation

The Battle Over ‘Margaret’ Ends

On Wednesday, April 2, a six-year legal battle over Kenneth Lonergan’s film Margaret, released in 2011 ended. The parties to the suit, Lonergan and the film’s financier, Gary Gilbert, came to a settlement agreement that was recently executed.

In 2005, Gilbert and Fox Searchlight (Fox) agreed to split about $12.6 million in production costs for the film Margaret. In 2007, Gilbert became unhappy with the result of the film’s final cut and according to Lonergan, attempted to seize control of the film despite not …

March 25, 2014 Celebrities / Litigation / NBA

The Shaq “Attack”

The one-time NBA superstar and basketball commentator, Shaquille O’Neal (“Shaq”), is under investigation for an incident that occurred outside Turner Studios in Atlanta, GA on March 19^th. An Atlanta news station obtained a police report detailing an alleged assault between Shaq and Robert Williams, a co-worker, outside of Turner Studios. After his 2011 retirement, Shaq signed on with Turner Sports and joined “Inside the NBA” as an NBA commentator.

According to the police report, Williams stated that Shaq “ran out of a room …

March 20, 2014 Copyright / Litigation

Google & Viacom Settle Seven Year Old Copyright Suit

On March 18, media giants Google and Viacom announced the settlement of a seven year old copyright dispute regarding content posted on YouTube. In 2007, Viacom sued Google for copyright infringement accusing the company of posting Viacom programing on YouTube without permission. The moneyless settlement ends the dispute with what the two companies are referring to as a collaborative effort.

The original suit was filed against YouTube, a Google owned company, seeking more than $1 billion in damages for the alleged infringements. Viacom accused YouTube …

March 17, 2014 Advertising / Litigation / TV

Judge Judy Suing to Protect Her “Prestigious Persona”

Judith Sheindlin – better known as “Judge Judy” – may soon be standing on the other side of the bench. On March 12, Sheindlin filed her first lawsuit through which she is accusing fellow Connecticut attorney John Haymond of using her image in advertisements without permission.

According to Sheindlin, Haymond and his firm have been airing advertisements in Connecticut and Massachusetts during broadcasts of her show. Despite a warning to stop in March 2013, the firm continued to run the ads. The unauthorized ads allegedly …

March 5, 2014 Contract / Litigation / TV

Ex-Manager of Friends Star Gets $1.6 million Jury Award

On February 25, Scott Howard, the former manager of Friends star Lisa Kudrow, received a $1.6 million jury award in his breach of contract case against the actress. Howard sued Kudrow in 2008 for continuing residual monies he believed he was owed for negotiating work for Kudrow prior to his firing in 2007. Though there was no written contract between the two parties, Howard alleged that he and Kudrow had operated under an oral agreement, which is standard practice for agents in the entertainment industry.…

January 21, 2014 Litigation

Workers’ Compensation Claim from the Fringe (of the Premises): Harrah’s Atlantic City Liable for Claim At Very Edge of Property

Per a January 17, 2014 decision of the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Harrah’s Atlantic City (Harrah’s) is liable for a claim occurring at the very outskirts of its property.

The undisputed facts of the claim are that Ms. Burdette, a casino dealer for Harrah’s, finished her shift on September 19, 2012. During the course of her exit from the property, she drove her vehicle along a Harrah’s internal driveway and through a Harrah’s security gate, but her vehicle was struck …

January 16, 2014 Litigation / Music / Trademark

Coinye Shutting Off “All of the Lights”

“Coinye West” is closing up shop because Kanye West isn’t happy. On January 14, 2014, Kanye West filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the virtual currency now known as Coinye. The currency, which started as a joke, announced through its website, “Coinye is dead. You win, Kanye.”

Earlier this month, the currency’s founders discussed Coinye West in an interview with Vibe. They talked about the soon to be launched currency. Referring to Kanye, they said “I think he’s gonna love that there’s a …